The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
A big little lie
‘The Farewell’ a compelling family drama built around a well-intentioned falsehood
Imagine finding out a loved one was dying. Now imagine that not only is she unaware of her terminal illness but that you are forbidden from telling her about it by other members of the family. Act normal around her, simply happy to see her — that is your charge. That is the compelling premise of “The Farewell,” an engrossing comedydrama set largely in China. Written and directed by Lulu Wang (“Posthumous”), “The Farewell” benefits from a delicate performance by Awkwafina (“Crazy Rich Asians,” “Ocean’s 8”) as the young woman struggling with the burden of keeping this secret from a grandmother she cherishes. “The Farewell” is the kind of film that draws you in, at least threatens to tear you apart and then stays with you after the credits roll. Awkwafina is Billi, an aspiring writer who was born in China but mostly has known life in New York City. In the film’s opening moments, she speaks on the phone with her grandmother, Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen), who remains in Changchun, China. Seconds after Nai Nai expresses her concern over Billi being on her own in the Big Apple — she worries specifically that Billi will have her jewelry stolen on the street, and the girl tries to comfort her by saying she isn’t really wearing any — the older woman lies about the hospital sounds around her, saying she is somewhere else but must get off the phone. Nai Nai’s younger sister, Little Nai Nai (Lu Hong), approaches her after consulting with doctors to give her the results of her recent CT scan. All they found were “benign shadows,” the younger woman assures the older one. The truth, we soon learn, is Nai Nai has stage-four lung cancer and has, perhaps, three months to live. When given this news by her father, Haiyan (Tzi Ma), and mother, Jian (Diana Lin), Billi is understandably upset. Furthermore, she is told, her parents soon will visit China — ostensibly for the wedding of Billi’s cousin, Hao Hao (Chen Han), but really to spend time with Nai Nai for the last time — and the family has decided it is best if Billi remains in the U.S. They have decided to continue with Little Nai Nai’s well-meaning lie, believing it is the best way for the sick matriarch to enjoy as much of the time she has left as possible, and they have concluded Billi obviously would be sad-looking around her grandmother and endanger the ruse. After being left behind, Billi buys a plane ticket to China — despite the kind of money troubles that tend to come with a fledgling and floundering career — and surprises everyone by showing up at her grandmother’s during a family dinner. Nai Nai is delighted by the surprise, of course, and proceeds to remark about how Billi isn’t as skinny as she’d been led to believe and that even after all these years she still likes to pat her “little round butt,” just as she did when Billi was a child. Their bond is undeniably sweet and feels very authentic in the hands of the actresses and director. It’s obvious from the nearly ever-present frown on her face that the secret is weighing on Billi, but she’s not the only one struggling. Keeping this secret from his mother is increasingly difficult for Haiyan. He allows for the fact that what they’re doing is an accepted practice in China — an English-speaking doctor goes so far as to tell Billi it’s “a good lie” — but does tell family members that it would be illegal in America. But while his brother, Haibin (Jiang Yongbo) — father of the groom — is struggling with his emotions, he holds firm the family is doing the right thing. It’s a credit to Wang’s writing that “The Farewell” isn’t built entirely around keeping the secret — you’ll wonder if Nai Nai will learn the truth, but it won’t concern you that much — but also around complex family dynamics. One dinner with the extended family is as full of conflict as it is with delicious-looking dishes revolving around the table. And the emotionally charged relationship between Billi and Jian is nicely mined by Awkwafina and Lin. The former gets to flex some acting muscles not required for her aforementioned mainstream screen credits, but she does so judiciously. This is not an overthe-top performance in the least, but it is a memorable one. If there’s any complaint to register with “The Farewell” — based on an “actual lie” with which Wang was involved — it’s that the tale can be a little monotonous. There’s nothing truly in the way of a B story in the film, and a concocted subplot may have helped with momentum. Still, “The Farewell” never wears out its welcome, keeping you emotionally invested in Billi, Nai Nai and the rest until the end — when you learn more about the real woman and her cancer diagnosis. This is a trip to China well worth taking.