Before I get to today’s blog…

Thinking about doing more with your writing? Why not join me in Paris June 2-7 for my Masterclass in Screenwriting? Come be part of a dynamic community of writers and literary agents to learn, to write, to network, to energize your literary goals—and just to have fun in the City of Light!

The Paris Writers Workshop is the longest running literary program of its kind. This program offers 6 masterclasses by renowned authors, each a specialist in their field—and I’ll be teaching the Screenwriting Masterclass—in English, of course.

The workshop will be held at Columbia University’s beautiful Reid Hall campus in the heart of literary Paris—Montparnasse.

Registration is now open: https://wice-paris.org/paris-writers- workshop

We’ll have a great time getting your story ideas off the ground!!

True Stories 38: 10s—The Big Sick

I remember that I didn’t give this film much attention when it first came out. I didn’t even know what it was about, but the poster for it and the title itself just didn’t sound appealing. But when a screener came in the mail, I finally watched it.

A “screener” is a DVD of a film that’s sent to you by the studio/production company if you’re a member of the Academy, the Writers Guild, or the Directors Guild. The DVDs are sent during awards season so that you’ll watch them and consider them when you vote for the awards. My feeling has always been that if they want to put the money into sending me a DVD all the way to France, the least I can do is watch the film.

And, of course, it’s just delicious to open the mail and find movies to watch! A huge perk of being in the business.

So when The Big Sick [2017] by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani appeared in the mailbox I did, finally, watch it.

And color me surprised. The poster and the title had given me the impression that it was some stand up comedy type film that was just going to be too dorky for words. But it wasn’t—it was something else entirely.

Take a look at the trailer for the film: The Big Sick

What IS this film? Is it a romantic comedy? Is it a fish out of water story? Is it a culture clash?

Well, yeah, I suppose it’s all of those things.

I remember when I first saw Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner [1967]—I particularly remember how timely it seemed. Because it was about a white girl taking home her Black fiancée to meet her parents. Her very liberal parents. And yet you could see them trying to come to grips with the idea that their daughter wanted to marry a black man. The father especially had a hard time with this—and these were liberals!

The Big Sick is on the same order. It shows us a Pakistani man whose family wants him to marry a Pakistani woman—I mean, they really want him to marry a Pakistani woman—fixing him up with another one every time he turns around. And he’s conflicted—feeling that as a good son he should do what his parents wish him to do. But… he loves Emily. His worry about his family, though, makes it hard for him to commit to her. And then she gets sick.

Seeing him at the hospital with her parents, seeing him determined to believe that she’ll come out of the coma and be herself again, and seeing him realize this is the woman for him, is a joy to watch.

This is that rare film that’s romantic, funny, instructive and moving.

Next week a film about another person’s moving story—Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s story— On the Basis of Sex.

Copyright © Diane Lake

26Feb23

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com