Related Articles
Tradition meets deception meets celebration in the new trailer for the Lulu Wang-directed The Farewell. The film, which made Rolling Stone‘s “10 Best Movies of Sundance 2019” after it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, gets its wide release in theaters via A24 on July 12th.
In the new clip for the dramedy that’s “based on an actual lie,” Chinese-American Billi (Awkwafina) finds out that her grandmother is dying of cancer, but as is Chinese tradition, the family does not inform “Nai Nai” that she is dying. Instead, they conceive of a plan to get the family together for a rushed cousin’s wedding in China to bring joy to their grandmother in her final days. “It’s a good lie,” Billi is constantly reassured, but she is not convinced.
Yet amidst Billi’s anguish and battle to not convey her emotions around her grandmother, Billi manages smiles for family photos, finds humor in family interactions and spends quality time with her Nai Nai.
“Life is not just about what you do, it’s more about how you do it,” Nai Nai tells Billi at one point, before deadpan delivering, “stupid child,” which brings a smile to Billi’s face in one of several touching and humorous moments in the trailer.
Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong and Jiang Yongbo star alongside Awkwafina.
