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IMDbPro

The Farewell

  • 20192019
  • PGPG
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
66K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,473
552
Tzi Ma, Shuzhen Zhao, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Hong Lu, Diana Lin, Awkwafina, and Yongbo Jiang in The Farewell (2019)
A Chinese family discover their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies. From writer/director Lulu Wang and starring Awkwafina.
Play trailer2:17
9 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyDrama
A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.A Chinese family discovers their grandmother has only a short while left to live and decide to keep her in the dark, scheduling a wedding to gather before she dies.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
66K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,473
552
    • Lulu Wang
    • Lulu Wang
  • Stars
    • Shuzhen Zhao
    • Awkwafina
    • X Mayo
    • Lulu Wang
    • Lulu Wang
  • Stars
    • Shuzhen Zhao
    • Awkwafina
    • X Mayo
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 341User reviews
    • 252Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award

    Videos9

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:17
    Watch Official Trailer
    The Farewell
    Trailer 2:25
    Watch The Farewell
    The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    Clip 2:56
    Watch The Cast of 'Tigertail' Name Their Favorite Films in Asian Cinema
    Indie Spirit Stars Suggest Indie Gems You Must Watch Right Now
    Clip 2:49
    Watch Indie Spirit Stars Suggest Indie Gems You Must Watch Right Now
    Weekend Box Office: July 26 to 28
    Clip 1:01
    Watch Weekend Box Office: July 26 to 28
    Weekend Box Office: July 12 to 14
    Clip 1:01
    Watch Weekend Box Office: July 12 to 14
    IMDbrief: 3 Takeaways from Sundance 2019
    Clip 3:56
    Watch IMDbrief: 3 Takeaways from Sundance 2019
    Spotlighting Sundance 2019's Women Directors
    Clip 3:36
    Watch Spotlighting Sundance 2019's Women Directors
    Awkwafina Conducts an Empathy Orgy in 'The Farewell'
    Video 3:21
    Watch Awkwafina Conducts an Empathy Orgy in 'The Farewell'

    Photos157

    Tzi Ma, Shuzhen Zhao, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Hong Lu, Diana Lin, Awkwafina, and Yongbo Jiang in The Farewell (2019)
    Shuzhen Zhao, Hong Lu, and Awkwafina in The Farewell (2019)
    Tzi Ma, Shuzhen Zhao, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Hong Lu, and Awkwafina in The Farewell (2019)
    Shuzhen Zhao and Awkwafina in The Farewell (2019)
    Tzi Ma and Awkwafina in The Farewell (2019)
    Shuzhen Zhao, Diana Lin, and Awkwafina in The Farewell (2019)
    Shuzhen Zhao, Han Chen, and Aoi Mizuhara in The Farewell (2019)
    Tzi Ma, Han Chen, Aoi Mizuhara, Hong Lu, Diana Lin, Awkwafina, and Yongbo Jiang in The Farewell (2019)
    Lulu Wang in The Farewell (2019)
    Awkwafina at an event for 2020 Golden Globe Awards (2020)
    Awkwafina at an event for The Farewell (2019)
    Lulu Wang and Awkwafina at an event for The Farewell (2019)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Shuzhen Zhao
    Shuzhen Zhao
    • Nai Nai
    Awkwafina
    Awkwafina
    • Billi
    X Mayo
    X Mayo
    • Suze
    Hong Lu
    • Little Nai Nai
    • (as Lu Hong)
    Hong Lin
    • Doctor Wu
    • (as Lin Hong)
    Tzi Ma
    Tzi Ma
    • Haiyan
    Diana Lin
    Diana Lin
    • Lu Jian
    Yang Xuejian
    • Mr. Li
    Becca Khalil
    Becca Khalil
    • Shirley
    Yongbo Jiang
    • Uncle Haibin
    • (as Jiang Yongbo)
    Han Chen
    • Hao Hao
    • (as Chen Han)
    Aoi Mizuhara
    Aoi Mizuhara
    • Aiko
    Xiang Li
    • Aunty Ling
    • (as Li Xiang)
    Hongli Liu
    • Aunty Gao
    • (as Liu Hongli)
    Shimin Zhang
    • Michael
    • (as Zhang Shiming)
    Jing Zhang
    • Gu Gu
    • (as Zhang Jing)
    Jinhang Liu
    • Bao
    • (as Liu Jinhang)
    Xi Lin
    • Wedding Coordinator
    • (as Lin Xi)
      • Lulu Wang
      • Lulu Wang
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In addition to writing and directing, Lulu Wang also plays piano on the film's soundtrack.
    • Goofs
      1:22:14 As Billi runs down the street, the crew van with its door open is reflected in the last billboard.
    • Quotes

      Nai Nai: I walked the path of life and I have to say, you will face with difficulties. But you have to have an open mind. Don't be like a bull hitting his horns all over the walls of the room. Life isn't just about what you do, it's more about how you do it.

    • Connections
      Featured in Chris Stuckmann Movie Reviews: The Farewell (2019)
    • Soundtracks
      Funk Paradise
      Written by Daniele Benati & Claudio Zanoni

      Courtesy of APM Music

    User reviews341

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    A tragically beautiful story that makes you homesick
    Lulu Wang's story of an independent Chinese-American woman returning to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, is nothing less but captivating. From the very first shot inside a hospital, the director invites you to tag along with this Chinese family, while they struggle to keep the truth from grandma and decide to stage a wedding, just to see her one last time.

    Billi (Awkwafina), a twenty-something millennial, lives her life like most New Yorkers do - barely able to pay rent and on the lookout for a new job, she still goes home to mom and dad to do her laundry, knowing well enough she'll have to endure the parental comments while under the same roof. When her mother (Diana Lin) announces the imminent wedding of Billi's cousin, she realises something isn't right. Pressured by Billi's suspicion, her parents quickly confess to the terminal state her grandma Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) is in. Shocked by the news, it doesn't take long before they all end up around the dinner table at Nai Nai back in China, faking their true feelings around the clock.

    Wang knows how to direct this tragically heartfelt story in a way not only Chinese families can relate. I, for one, could definitely look back at how my family used to keep secrets from certain relatives, just to "protect" them. Billi's family has problems of their own, with underlying tensions waiting to rise to the surface, and no one is holding back.

    Anna Franquesa Solano's cinematography is a beauty. Most of the time, it's as if you're walking through an art gallery - strolling past one lifelike portrait after another. Truly exquisite is the way she captures the feelings of each individual. The vulnerability and sadness in their eyes, conflict with the constant "joie-de-vivre" the old Nai Nai still has going for her.

    Everyone knows how good Awkwafina is at comedy, but who knew she'd be able to peel off every layer of that mask, to get to the core of her vulnerable emotions? She and Shuzhen are two peas in a pod, when it comes to giving groundbreaking performances. Shuzhen touches you in a way you can't imagine. An old lady with a big heart and a big mouth, keeping traditions alive while holding her own family together. The gloominess of her diagnosis lingers like a storm, which transcends into a mostly ominous score by Alex Weston.

    With The Farewell, A24 can add another classic to their collection, which will go down in the history books as a turning point for Awkwafina and Lulu Wang's careers. A tragically beautiful story that makes you homesick and wants you to hold on to what we sometimes take for granted. Coming home has never felt more therapeutic.
    helpful•34
    11
    • eelen-seth
    • Sep 10, 2019

    FAQ3

    • Where are the filming locations?
    • Is this movie in English, or are there subtitles?
    • What war did Nai Nai and friends fight in?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 9, 2019 (United States)
      • United States
      • China
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
      • Mandarin
      • English
      • Japanese
      • Italian
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Changchun, China
    • Production companies
      • Big Beach Films
      • Depth of Field
      • Kindred Spirit
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 40 minutes
      • Color

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