The Big Sick

20172017
RR
2h

Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, Zoe Kazan, Adeel Akhtar, Zenobia Shroff, and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

A couple deals with their cultural differences as their relationship grows.

Play trailer2:55

Comedy Drama Romance

Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself force... Read allPakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings.Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings.

Director
- Michael Showalter
Writers
- Emily V. Gordon
- Kumail Nanjiani
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 Oscar
- 18 wins & 99 nominations total

Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Zoe Kazan and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Holly Hunter and Ray Romano in The Big Sick (2017)

Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Zoe Kazan and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Zoe Kazan and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Anupam Kher, Adeel Akhtar, and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Zoe Kazan and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Michael Showalter, Shenaz Treasury, and Adeel Akhtar in The Big Sick (2017)

Michael Showalter and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

What If

6.8

Eighth Grade

7.4

Booksmart

7.2

Ruby Sparks

7.2

Palm Springs

7.4

The Lovebirds

6.1

The Edge of Seventeen

7.3

The Edge of Seventeen

The Spectacular Now

7.1

The Spectacular Now

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

7.4

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Always Be My Maybe

6.8

Always Be My Maybe

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

7.7

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl

50/50

7.6

Kumail (Kumail Nanjiani), in the middle of becoming a budding stand-up comedian, meets Emily (Zoe Kazan). Meanwhile, a sudden illness sets in forcing Emily to be put into a medically-induced coma. Kumail must navigate being a comedian, dealing with tragic illness, and placating his family's desire to let them fix him up with a spouse, while contemplating and figuring out who he really is and what he truly believes. —Brett Lee Swerbilow (brettswerbilow@gmail.com)

interracial love arranged marriage stand up comedy illness family relationships 66 more

Taglines
- An Awkward True Story
Genres
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for language including some sexual references
Parents guide

Trivia
The film was released in the United States on Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon's tenth wedding anniversary.

Goofs
When Kumail is eating fast food and receives a text saying that he is supposed to be on stage in 20 minutes, the text is marked as being sent 1 day beforehand.

Quotes
Terry: So, uh, 9/11.
[everyone looks at Terry expectantly]
Terry: No I mean, I've always wanted to have a conversation with
[gestures at Kumail]
Terry: about it. With
[gestures again at Kumail]
Terry: people.
Kumail: You've never talked to people about 9/11?
Terry: No what's your, what's your stance?
Kumail: What's my stance on 9/11? Oh um, anti. It was a tragedy, I mean we lost 19 of our best guys.
Beth: Huh?
Kumail: That was a joke, obviously. 9/11 was a terrible tragedy. And it's not funny to joke about it.

Crazy credits
In the beginning of the end credits, photos of shown of the real-life inspiration behind the Emily character, as well as the wedding between Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani and Nanjiani's real-life parents.

Connections
Featured in Conan: Holly Hunter/Natasha Lyonne/Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm (2017)

Soundtracks
Devil's Haircut
Written by Beck (as Beck Hansen), James Brown, Phil Coulter (as Philip Coulter), Thomas Kilpatrick, Tom Scott (as Tommy Scott), Michael Simpson & John King
Performed by Beck
Courtesy of Geffen Records under license from Universal Music Enterprises
Courtesy of BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Courtesy of Picadilly Music Corporation
Used by permission of Fort Knox Music, Inc.

Top review

8/10

Coma luv.

Halfway through this syrupy, heartwarming gushfest, Pakistani boyfriend wannabe tells an edgy 9/11 joke to the very white American father of his comatose love interest: "tragic, we lost 19 of our best men". Silence. There's enough of these gloriously awkward moments in "The Big Sick", to bring much needed levity to the very tired romcom Hollywood game.

Maybe because it's based on the pretty crazy life experiences of comedian Kumail Nanjiani, "The Big Sick" resonates better than most cookie cutter plots. Sure there's sparks, joy, conflict, and tears, but there's also religion, racism, and history. Best of all, there's great chemistry between the leads and the various convoluted familial web players.

Plus Holly Hunter. Yup, Holly Hunter is in this, and of course, she is fabulous. Almost steals the movie. Almost. In fact all the performances are great, including several juicy supporting roles.

Nothing can get in the way of Kumail and Emily's fabulous love story. Hilarious, charming, and sneaky smart.

helpful•19

12

js-66130
Jul 12, 2017

Release date
- July 14, 2017 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Official sites
- official German Website
- Official site
Languages
- English
- Urdu
Also known as
- Bệnh Lạ
Filming locations
- Chicago, Illinois, USA
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $5,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $42,873,127
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $421,577
- Jun 25, 2017
Gross worldwide
- $56,411,585

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
2 hours
Color
- Color
Sound mix
- Dolby Digital
Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1

Composer Joshua Moshier Taps Into Twisted Dynamic Between Psychiatrist & Client With Score For ‘The Shrink Next Door’ – Hear An Exclusive Track

Composer Joshua Moshier Taps Into Twisted Dynamic Between Psychiatrist & Client With Score For ‘The Shrink Next Door’ – Hear An Exclusive Track

Nov 4Deadline Film + TV

Lionsgate Lands Simon Kinberg Spec ‘Wayland’; Kinberg & Jessica Chastain To Produce, ‘Eyes Of Tammy Faye’s Michael Showalter Directing

Lionsgate Lands Simon Kinberg Spec ‘Wayland’; Kinberg & Jessica Chastain To Produce, ‘Eyes Of Tammy Faye’s Michael Showalter Directing

Nov 2Deadline Film + TV

Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Anupam Kher, Zoe Kazan, Adeel Akhtar, Zenobia Shroff, and Kumail Nanjiani in The Big Sick (2017)

Top Gap

What is the Hindi language plot outline for The Big Sick (2017)?

More to explore

View list

The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in November

See the full list

View list

The Best Upcoming Sci-Fi & Fantasy

See the full list

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.