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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 10 July 2019

A lovely, bittersweet family story in ‘The Farewell’

By LINDSEY BAHR ruse — a wedding — to get be in ruining Nai Nai’s good
Associated Press everyone together one mood with the truth. You
The premise behind writer last time. Far-fetched? For might even find yourself
and director Lulu Wang’s Americans it is. But as we buying into the idea at
wonderful film “The Fare- learn in the first frame, the points. Maybe this is a more
well “ might be a little hard film is “Based on an actual empathetic way.
to accept for some audi- lie.” Yes, Wang has mined And so a plane ride later,
ences. A family collectively her own family’s wild true everyone is together at
decides not to tell their story to create a film that, Nai Nai’s, cooking, eating,
grandmother that she has despite its hyper-specific quarreling and planning
been diagnosed with lung premise and setting, is a this very real fake wedding.
cancer and has only three universally relatable and Her sons both left China
months to live. But wanting heart-rending portrait of and have lived most of
a chance to say goodbye, how looming death affects their adult lives elsewhere
they arrange an elaborate a family. It’s not emotion- This image released by A24 shows Awkwafina, center, in a — Haiyan (Tzi Ma), Billi’s fa-
scene from “The Farewell.” ther, in America, and the
Associated Press other in Japan. This family
ally manipulative or even parents inform her that her reunion is a long time com-
necessarily a tear-jerker, al- beloved grandmother Nai ing. They haven’t all been
though it’s not a bad idea Nai (Shuzhen Zhao, who will together in 25 years, and
to bring along tissues. “The win your heart in an instant) it’s as comforting, fraught
Farewell” is a stoic and is dying in China. They’re and melancholy as a re-
honest representation of not going to tell Nai Nai, union should be.
a flawed and lovely family and instead are going to Awkwafina, who made
coming to terms with the in- China under the pretense a name for herself with
evitable. Awkwafina plays of her cousin getting mar- larger-than-life comedic
the stand-in for Wang. Her ried, even though he’s only performances, is quiet, un-
character, Billi, is a 31-year- been dating his girlfriend derstated and heartbreak-
old New Yorker whose fi- for a few months. ing as Billi, who is grappling
nancial and career insta- Billi, who has been raised in with the idea of imperma-
bility is starting to become the United States since she nence while her own life
more than just a temporary was 6, is appalled they’d stands still. She has main-
state of youth. She’s having even think of keeping the tained a sweet and close
trouble paying the rent, her diagnosis from Nai Nai. Her relationship with Nai Nai
parents are reaching the mother Jian (Diana Lin) flat- despite their physical dis-
point where they don’t re- ly explains, “There’s a say- tance. She’s also the most
ally want to help anymore, ing in China: When you get outwardly sentimental of
and she’s just been reject- cancer, you die.” Part of the bunch, so much so that
ed for a fellowship she was what kills you, she believes, her parents don’t even
counting on. She’s rudder- is the fear. Later, someone want her to come to China
less and drifting. Then her asks what the point would to say goodbye.q
‘Snowfall’ cast remembers John

Singleton at season premiere

By MICHAEL LENNOX
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) —
“Snowfall” co-executive
producer and co-creator
John Singleton was in the
hearts and minds of cast
members who gathered
Monday on the red car-
pet for the premiere of the
third season of the FX crime
drama.
Singleton, 51, died in late
April following a stroke Damson Idris, star of the FX series “Snowfall,” poses at the third
while the new season was season premiere of the show, Monday, July 8, 2019, in Los
still in production. Actress Angeles.
Angela Lewis said Singleton Associated Press
was a constant presence in good hands. “The crew revolves around the first
on the set, helping pick the is fully diverse,” Idris said. crack epidemic in Los An-
cast and crew, and offer- “He hand-picked every- geles.
ing advice. She called him one and he empowered “Snowfall” was Singleton’s
“the heart of the show.” people. He left people so “baby,” said actor Isaiah
Star Damson Idris, who por- many codes and he left us John. “He always said that
trays drug dealer Franklin with the confidence to go this story has never been
Saint, said Singleton left the on.” told. And he wanted to be
series in great shape and The drama, set in the 1980s, the one to tell that story.” q