The Big Sick is based on the real-life courtship between Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon; it’s the story of Pakistan-born comedian Kumail (Nanjiani), who connects with grad student Emily (Kazan) after one of his stand-up sets. When Emily contracts a serious illness, it forces Kumail to navigate the medical crisis with her parents, Beth and Terry (Holly Hunter and Ray Romano) who he’s never met, while dealing with the emotional tug-of-war between his family and his heart.
Bottom Line: The story is a new twist on romantic comedies and one of the best I’ve seen in a long time.
Credits: Directed by Michael Showalter; Written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon
Cast: Kumail Nanjiani (Kumail), Zoe Kazan (Emily), Holly Hunter (Beth), Ray Romano (Terry), Adeel Akhtar (Naveed), Zenobia Shroff (Sharmeen), Anupam Kher (Azmat)
Studio: Amazon Studios / Lions Gate
Running Time: 124