Weekend watch: In ‘The Farewell’, grandma is dying and nobody has the heart to tell her
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Large families reunite to celebrate or to mourn. The Farewell has a bit of both.
Thirty-year-old New Yorker Billi (Awkwafina) has learnt that her beloved paternal grandmother back in China is dying from cancer. The cheerful matriarch whom the family knows as Nai Nai is oblivious to her condition.
In keeping with Chinese tradition, no one intends to tell Nai Nai (Zhao Shu-zhen) about her disease. The clan has even rushed through a wedding to create an excuse for everybody to be together.
While Billi’s parents go along with this deception, Billi is deeply uncomfortable. She turns up in Nai Nai’s hometown with a clenched jaw and supressed tears, trying to make the most of a happy occasion that is soon going to make way for mourning.
Expats creator-director Lulu Wang’s feature The Farewell (2019) is a must-watch addition to the well-stacked category of films about uncomfortable family reunions. The story, inspired by Wang’s own grandmother, is “based on an actual lie”, the opening credits state.
Available to rent on Prime Video, The Farewell distinguishes itself from similarly themed films by its treatment. Wang never manufactures conflict just to spice up the narrative. There is no need for extra fireworks or shocking revelations. The secret of Nai Nai’s health is enough for the Mandarin-English film.
Rather, The Farewell hews closer...