Reporting from Park City, Utah — Not long into “The Big Sick,” the new film produced by Judd Apatow, the lead character makes a choice one rarely sees in a mainstream U.S. comedy.
A young Pakistani Muslim visiting his parents for dinner tells them he’s going downstairs to pray, per their wishes. Then he heads to the basement, takes out a prayer mat, sets a timer for five minutes and does everything but pray before returning upstairs when the clock runs out.
For the record:
4:20 p.m. April 24, 2024This piece was updated with the information about the film’s sale to Amazon.
Many comedies — and certainly many comedies under Apatow’s guiding hand — would play the scene for maximum (and likely raunchy) laughs. (In many comedies, the lead character wouldn’t be a Pakistani Muslim either, but that’s another matter.) Yet a more serious tone percolates here. The son has given up tradition, but hardly happily, and there’s something a little touching, even sad, about him having to conceal his choice.
The moment provides an early signal of a film far more interested in sympathizing with alternate points of view than in exploiting them for easy laughs. That idea is underscored later when the character and his parents argue angrily about the assimilationist direction their son’s life has taken — a scene you’d more likely find in a Salman Rushdie novel than the film of a man who made “Knocked Up.”
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Gael Garcia Bernal speaks during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Awards at Basin Recreation Field House in Park City, Utah, on Saturday.
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Bryan Fogel, right, with cast and crew members, accepts the Orwell Award for his film “Icarus.”
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Director Michael Larnell, right, and Sean Kirkland accept the US Dramatic, Breakthrough Performance award on behalf of Chante Adams for the film “Roxanne Roxanne.”
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Peter Dinklage presents the U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance.
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Larry Wilmore speaks during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Awards ceremony.
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Actors Kevin Bacon, left, and Kathryn Hahn at the premiere of “I Love Dick” at the MARC Theatre.
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Actor Peter Dinklage, left, and filmmaker Mark Palansky of “Rememory” attend The IMDb Studio featuring the Filmmaker Discovery Lounge.
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Analeigh Tipton and Jason Schwartzman attend the Creators League Studio.
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Actor Mark Hamill attends the “Brigsby Bear” premiere at Eccles Center Theatre.
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Actors Anne Heche, Thomas Sadoski and AnnJewel Lee Dixon of “The Last Word” attend The IMDb Studio featuring the Filmmaker Discovery Lounge.
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Actors Zoey Deutch and Nicholas Hoult, director Danny Strong of “Rebel in the Rye” and Kevin Smith, top, attend the IMDb Studio featuring the Filmmaker Discovery Lounge.
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Actors Tim Robbins, Jon Hamm, Lois Smith and Geena Davis attend the “Marjorie Prime” premiere at Eccles Center Theatre.
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Brigsby Bear attends the “Brigsby Bear” premiere at Eccles Center Theatre.
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Actor Lakeith Stanfield, left, and the film subject he plays, Colin Warner, attend the “Crown Heights” premiere at Library Center Theater.
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Actor Nicholas Hoult at the premiere of “Rebel In The Rye.”
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Comedian Patton Oswalt speaks onstage at the Shorts Program Awards and party at Jupiter Bowl.
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Times reporter Amy Kaufman and Logan Lerman speak at the Cinema Cafe at Filmmaker Lodge.
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Actress Ann’Jewel Lee attends the “The Last Word” premiere at Eccles Center Theatre.
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Executive producer Harvey Weinstein and executive producer and rapper Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter attend the “Time: The Kalief Browder Story” Sundance world premiere at The Marc Theatre.
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Actress Sanaa Lathan attends the “Shots Fired” premiere.
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Marti Noxon attends the Feature Fillm Competition dinner.
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Director Mark Palansky, actor Martin Donovan, actress Katheryn Kirkpatrick, Matt Ellis, actress Julia Ormond and actor Peter Dinklage attend the “Rememory” premiere.
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Actors Logan Lerman, Blake Jenner, Elle Fanning, Michelle Monaghan and Margaret Qualley attend the “Sidney Hall” party at the Acura Studio at Sundance Film Festival 2017.
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Cast and crew speak onstage during the “Shots Fired” premiere.
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Actress Chloe Sevigny at the premiere of the film “Beatriz at Dinner” at the Eccles Theatre.
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Chef Cat Cora prepares entrees during a luncheon hosted by Glamour editor Cindi Leive and photographer Amanda de Cadenet.
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Actresses Alfre Woodard and Elle Fanning attend the Lunch Celebrating Films Powered by Women.
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Jon Hamm, left, and Tim Robbins of the “Indiewire in Conversation” panel.
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Shirley MacLaine, left, Salma Hayek, Cindi Leive, and Dee Rees at the Lunch Celebrating Films Powered by Women event.
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Reginald Hudlin, left, Stephanie Allain, Gerard McMurray, Mel Jones and Jason Michael Berman at the premiere of director McMurray’s “Burning Sands.”
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Malia Obama strolls on Main Street at the Sundance Film Festival at Park City, Utah.
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Producer Noshre Chkhaidze, left, director Simon Grob, actress Ia Shugliashvili and producer Jonas Katzenstein attend the “My Happy Family” premiere at Egyptian Theatre.
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Viewers take in Al Gore’s film “Melting Ice” on Condition One’s virtual-reality system at the Sundance VR release party.
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IMDb founder and Chief Executive Col Needham enjoys his 50th birthday party.
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Actress Connie Britton attends the “Beatriz at Dinner” premiere at Eccles Theatre.
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Marti Noxon, left, writer and director of “To the Bone,” poses with cast members Lily Collins, center, and Carrie Preston at the Jan. 22 premiere of the film in Park City Utah, during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
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Cartoonist Daniel Clowes, the screenwriter of “Wilson,” poses at the Jan. 22 premiere of the film in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival.
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Chanté Adams, Roxanne Shanté and actress Nia Long pose at the Jan. 22 premiere of the film “Roxanne Roxanne” in Park City, Utah, during the Sundance Film Festival.
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From left, Jeff Skoll, Al Gore, Heather Rae and David Suzuki speak on stage Jan. 22 at the New Climate Lunch Roundtable during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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David Suzuki speaks on stage Jan. 22 at the New Climate Lunch Roundtable during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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“Strong Island” executive producer Danny Glover relaxes Jan. 22 at the Indiewire Photo Studio at Chase Sapphire on Main during Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Actress Brittany Snow of “Bushwick” attends the Acura Studio on Jan. 22 during Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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DJ Cool V and Biz Markie attend the Acura Studio Jan. 22 during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Luca Guadagnino, Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Walter Fasano attend the Jan. 22 “Call Me By Your Name” premiere at Eccles Center Theatre during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Roxanne Shante performs onstage at the Jan. 22 “Roxanne, Roxanne” party in the Acura Festival Village during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Biz Markie performs onstage at the Jan. 22 “Roxanne, Roxanne” party in the Acura Festival Village during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Michaela Watkins, Jill Soloway, Jessica Williams and Stacey Wilson Hunt speak onstage Jan. 22 at an event hosted by the Bentonville Film Festival during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Roxanne Shante and Chante Adams attend the Jan. 22 “Roxanne, Roxanne” party during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Jon Daly, Brett Gelman, Nia Long, Judy Greer, Janicza Bravo and Shiri Appleby attend the Jan. 22 “Lemon” premiere at Library Center Theater during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Jack Black attends the Jan. 22 premiere of “The Polka King” at the Eccles Center Theatre during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Willie Garson, Jason Schwartzman, Jack Black, Jacki Weaver and Jenny Slate pose at the Jan. 22 premiere of “The Polka King” during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Tim Robbins, center, shakes hands with Mary J. Blige, left, while introducing Blige to his son, Jack Robbins, at Sundance at the Music Lodge during the Sundance Film Festival.
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Actresses Elizabeth Olsen, left, and Aubrey Plaza from “Ingrid Goes West” during the “Indiewire in Conversation” panel at Chase Sapphire on Main.
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Executive producer John Legend poses at WGN America’s “Underground” Sundance red carpet screening.
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Actors Aldis Hodge, left, and Jurnee Smollett-Bell at WGN America’s “Underground” Sundance red carpet screening during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
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People march down Main Street during the March on Main event during the Sundance Film Festival.
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Brett Haley, left, director of “The Hero,” poses with cast members Nick Offerman, Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross at the premiere of the film at the Library Center Theatre.
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Laura Prepon, left, a cast member in “The Hero,” with her fiancé, actor Ben Foster, at the premiere of the film at the Library Center Theatre.
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Director Anthony Hemingway, left, producer John Legend, actors Jurnee Smollett-Bell and Aldis Hodge, and writer Misha Green speak at WGN America’s “Underground” panel at the Blackhouse Foundation.
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Jason Mitchell, left, Dee Rees, Rob Morgan, Carey Mulligan, Mary J. Blige and Garrett Hedlund attend the “Mudbound” premiere at Eccles Center Theatre.
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Actors Lily Mojekwu, left, Griffin Dunne, Kathryn Hahn and Kevin Bacon of “I Love Dick” attend The IMDb Studio featuring the Filmmaker Discovery Lounge.
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Harvey Weinstein attends the “Wind River” party at the Acura Studio at Sundance Film Festival.
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Actress Brittany Snow attends the “Bushwick” premiere.
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A policeman with a bomb sniffing dog checks out a snow pile next to a Banksy artwork along Old Main Street on the first day of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Omar Wasow, left, an assistant professor at Princeton in the department of politics, and director Jennifer Brea attend An Artist at the Table benefit during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival at DeJoria Center in Kamas, Utah.
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Former Vice President and cast member Al Gore speaks as he arrives for the premiere of “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Kristen Stewart, left, David Shapiro, Josh Kaye and Sydney Lopez attend the world premiere of director Kristen Stewart’s “Come Swim” at Prospector Square Theatre.
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Kristen Stewart attends the world premiere of “Come Swim.”
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Actresses Molly Shannon, Alison Brie, Kate Micucci, and Aubrey Plaza attend “The Little Hours” premiere at Library Center Theater.
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Jon Gabrus, Dave Franco, Nick Offerman, Trevor Groth, Aubrey Plaza, Jeff Baena, Molly Shannon, Alison Brie, Jemima Kirke, Kate Micucci, Adam Pally and Lauren Weedman, from left, attend “The Little Hours” premiere.
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Former Vice President and cast member Al Gore, left, and Director of the Sundance Film Festival John Cooper arrive for the premiere of “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power.”
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Actors Nick Offerman, left, Molly Shannon, and Dave Franco attend “The Little Hours” premiere.
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Executive director of the Sundance Institute Keri Putnman, left, founder and president of the Sundance Film Festival Robert Redford and director of the Sundance Film Festival John Cooper talk to the media to open the 2017 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
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Robert Redford, founder of the Sundance Institute, addresses the audience at the opening night premiere of the film “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” at the Eccles Theater.
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People are bundled up as temperatures dropped below 20 degrees along Main Street in Park City, Utah, as the start of the Sundance Film Festival approached.
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A trolley rolls up Main Street in Park City, Utah, as the Sundance Film Festival approached.
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The Egyptian Theatre on Main Street, one of the major venues for the Sundance Film Festival, is lit up a few nights before the festival’s opening in Park City, Utah.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Ah, but Apatow is not the only influence here. The director is Michael Showalter, also behind the zany humanity of last year’s hit “Hello, My Name Is Doris.” And the character is an aspiring stand-up comedian played by Kumail Nanjiani, the Karachi-born “Silicon Valley” star. Nanjiani spent three years writing the script with his wife, Emily Gordon, basing it on the couple’s rocky, real-life courtship — and, equally important, his own fraught relationship with his traditionalist Muslim parents.
When “The Big Sick” made its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday night, it instantly distinguished itself as an early breakout and something of a unicorn. [Spoiler alert for the next paragraph: Skip ahead if you want to avoid.]
Starring Zoe Kazan as Emily (and with terrific supporting turns by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter as her parents), “Sick” traces what happens when — deep breath — the young couple fall in love, he conceals from Emily his parents’ insistence that he marry a Pakistani woman (and her existence from his parents), the couple have an explosive breakup, she becomes unexpectedly seriously ill, he has to navigate her parents while she’s incapacitated and, oh yes, also pursues his faltering career as a two-bit comedian.
Indeed, for a small movie, Nanjiani packs a lot of ambition on its shoulders: dating, career paths, intergenerational religious conflict, mortality, Muslims in post-9/11 America and the plight of the stand-up comic (hey, it’s still an Apatow movie).
Both Apatow and Nanjiani, for all his dry-as-the Kharan Desert delivery, are keen to make the comedic moments ripple with danger. When Romano’s dad character fumbily asks Kumail his thoughts about 9/11, the Pakistani American replies, “You’re asking my position on 9/11? Well, I’m anti. [Pause] We lost 19 of our best men.”
But it’s also a movie with emotion overflowing at every turn. I’ve rarely found the redemption in an Apatow movie — for all the talk about “heart” and “sweetness” — to feel especially close to how those moments play out in real life. Not so here, where the feeling of missed opportunities and human connection resonate like the real thing.
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John Lithgow and Salma Hayek from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”
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Director and actress Michelle Morgan from the film “L.A. Times.”
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Director Dan Sickles, left, director Antonio Santini and director of photography Adam Uhl from the film “Dina.”
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Director of photography Adam Uhl from the film “Dina.”
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Director Danny Strong, left, actor Nicholas Hoult and actress Zoey Deutch from the film “Rebel in the Rye.”
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Actress Lois Smith from the film “Marjorie Prime.”
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Actor Jon Hamm from the film “Marjorie Prime.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Mark Hamill from the film “Brigsby Bear.”
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Actor Nick Offerman from the film “The Hero.”
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Director Jovanka Vuckovic from the film, “XX.”
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Actress India Menuez from the Amazon series “I Love Dick.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Laura Prepon from the film “The Hero.”
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Actor Sam Elliott from the film “The Hero.”
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Director Annie Clark (also known as the musician, St. Vincent) from the film “XX.”
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Director Joshua Z. Weinstein, left, and Menashe Lustig from “Menashe” at the Sundance Film Festial in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 23.
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Actress Zoe Chao, left, co-director Celia Rowlson-Hall, co-director Mia Lidofsky and actress Meredith Hagne from the television movie “Strangers.”
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Actor Martin Donovan, left, actress Julia Ordmond, director Mark Palansky and actor Peter Dinklage from the film “Rememory.”
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Actress Madeline Weinstein from the film “Beach Rats.”
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Ryan Horrigan, left, Paul Raphael, Felix Jajeunesse and Sebastian Sylvan from the film “Miyubi.”
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Actor Harris Dickinson from the film “Beach Rats.”
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Director Eliza Hittman from “Beach Rats.”
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Actresses Nefessa Williams, left, Adriyan Rae, Steve Harris, Seryah and Imani Hakim from the film “Burning Sands.”
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Actor Jon Daly, left, director Janicza Bravo, actress Judy Greer, actress Shiri Appelby and actor Brett Gelman of “Lemon.”
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Director Julia Ducournau from the film “Raw.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Anya Taylor-Joy, director Cory Finley and actress Olivia Cooke from the film “Thoroughbred.”
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Director Matt Heineman, second from right, and citizen journalists Mohamad Almusari, left, Hamoud Almousa and Abdalaziz from the documentary film “City of Ghosts.”
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Subjects Raj Majethia and Victoria Harrelson from the documentary film “The Mars Generation.”
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Subject Raj Majethia, left, director Michael Barnett and subject Victoria Harrelson from the documentary film “The Mars Generation.”
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Actor Adam Horowitz, left, actress Emily Browning, director Alex Ross Perry and actress Analeigh Tipton from the film “Golden Exits.”
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Director Wally Wolodarsky, left, actor Jack Black, actress Jenny Slate, director Maya Forbes, actress Jacki Weaver and actor Willie Garson from the film “The Polka King.”
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Director Rory Kennedy and surfer Laird Hamilton, from the documentary film “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton.”
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Actress Julia Jones from the film “Wind River.”
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Actress Kelsy Asbille from the film “Wind River.”
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Director Kogonada from the film “Columbus.”
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Actor Rory Culkin, left, actor John Cho, actress Michelle Forbes, actress Haley Lu Richardson and actor Parker Posey from the film, “Columbus.”
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Director Taylor Sheridan from the film “Wind River.”
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Actress Gigi Gorgeous and director Barbara Kopple from the film “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous.”
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Actress Gigi Gorgeous, from “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous.”
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Executive Producer Danny Glover, left, and director Yance Ford from the documentary film “Strong Island.”
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Actor Sam Elliott, left, actor Nick Offerman, director Brett Haley, actress Katharine Ross and actress Laura Prepon from the film “The Hero.”
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Co-Executive Producer Sarah Gubbins, left, actor Griffin Dunne, actress India Menuez (kneeling), actress Roberta Colindrez, actor Kevin Bacon, director Jill Soloway, actress Kathryn Hahn and Lily Mojekwu from the Amazon series “I Love Dick.”
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Actress Kathryn Hahn, actress Roberta Colindrez and director Jill Soloway from the Amazon series “I Love Dick.”
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Actor Jason Isaacs and Crash from the film “Red Dog: True Blue.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Sasheer Zamata, director Sydney Freeland, actress Danielle Nicolet, actor David Sullivan, actress Rachel Crow and actress Ashleigh Murray, from the film “Diedra and Laney Rob a Train.”
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Actor Daniel Houck and director Stefan Avalos from the documentary film “Strad Style.”
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Actor Jeremy Renner from the film “Wind River,.”
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Director/actor Zoe Lister-Jones from the film “Band Aid.”
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Actress Chloe Sevigny from the film “Golden Exits.”
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Actor Jack Black from the film “The Polka King.”
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Surfer Laird Hamilton, subject of the documentary film “Take Every Wave: The Life of Laird Hamilton.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Julia Jones from the film “Wind River.”
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Actress Kelsy Asbille from the film “Wind River.”
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Actress America Ferrera from the new Web series “Gente-fied.”
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Director Miguel Arteta from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”
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Actress Connie Britton from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”
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Actress Salma Hayek from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.”
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Actor Jay Duplass jumps behind writer-director Gillian Robespierre, actress Jenny Slate, actress Edie Falco and actress Abby Quinn from the film “Landline.”
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Actor Blake Jenner, actor Logan Lerman, actress Elle Fanning and actress Michelle Monaghan from the film “Sidney Hall.”
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Actress Natalie Paul, left, actor Lakeith Stanfield, screenwriter Matt Ruskin and actor-producer Nnamdi Asomugha, from the film “Crown Heights.”
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Actress Judy Greer, left, actor Woody Harrelson and actress Laura Dein, from the film “Wilson.”
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Actress Isabella Amara, from the film “Wilson.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Josh O’Connor, left, director Francis Lee and actor Alec Secareanu, from the film “God’s Own Country.”
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Jaque Fragua, director Michelle Latimer, center, and Sarain Carson-Fox, from the documentary film “Rise.”
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Director Amir Bar-Lev, left, Steve Parrish and Trixie Garcia, from the documentary film “Long Strange Trip.”
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Actress Connie Britton, from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor-producer Nnamdi Asomugha, from the film “Crown Heights.”
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Director Andrew Dosunmu from the film “Where Is Kyra.”
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Actor John Lithgow, from the film “Beatriz at Dinner.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Director Shawn Christensen from the film “Sidney Hall.”
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Actor Garrett Hedlund, director Dee Rees, actor Rob Morgan, musician Mary J. Blige, and actress Cary Mulligan from the film “Mudbound.”
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Geremy Jasper, director and writer of the film “Patti Cake$.”
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Actress Danielle Macdonald from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Laia Costa from the film “Newness.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Mamoudou Athie from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Nicholas Hoult from the film “Newness.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Siddharth Dhananjay from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actor Mamoudou Athie, left, actress Cathy Moriarty, actor Siddharth Dhananjay, director-writer Geremy Jasper, actress Bridget Everett and actress Danielle Macdonald from the film “Patti Cake$.”
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Director Evgeny Afineevsky and subject Kholoud Helmi from the HBO documentary film “Cries From Syria.”
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Subject Marli Renfro and director Alexandre O. Philippe from the documentary film “78/52.”
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Actress Cathy Moriarty from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Bridget Everett from the film “Patti Cake$.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
82/193
Actor Nicholas Hoult and director Drake Doremus from the film “Newness.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
83/193
Ben York Jones, screenwriter of the film “Newness.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 84/193
Actress Aisha Tyler, who participated in the Women’s March through Park City.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 85/193
Rashida Jones, Jill Bauer, and Ronna Gradus of the film, “Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 86/193
Co-writer Justin Lader, Director Charlie McDowell, and Alex Orlovsky of the film, “The Discovery.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 87/193
Actor David So of the film, “Gook.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 88/193
Actress Hania Amar of the film “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 89/193
Actor Fares Fares of the film “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 90/193
Director Tarik Saleh of the film, “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 91/193
Director Dee Rees of the film “Mudbound.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 92/193
Director Jim Strouse of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 93/193
Actor Tye Sheridan of the film, “Yellow Birds.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 94/193
Actress Pom Klementieff of the film, “Ingrid Goes West” and “Newness.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 95/193
Actor Jack Huston of the film, “Yellow Birds.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 96/193
Director Matt Spicer of the film “Ingrid Goes West.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 97/193
Directors Cary Murnion and Jonathan Milott of the film, “Bushwick.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 98/193
Actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer and Director Helene Hegemann of the film “Axolotl Overkil.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 99/193
Co-Director Sabbah Folyan, Kayla Reed, Tef Poe, Co-director Damon Davis of the documentary film, “Whose Streets.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 100/193
Actress Elizabeth Arjok, actor Fares Fares, director Tarik Saleh, actress Hania Amar, and actress Mari Malek of the film, “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 101/193
Roxanne Shanté, and actress Nia Long of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 102/193
Actor Michael Larnell, actress Chante Adams, Roxanne Shanté, actor Elvis Nolasco, and actress Nia Long of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 103/193
Director Morgan Neville, Cristoph Neimann, Tinker Hatfield, and Scott Dadich of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 104/193
Cristoph Neimann of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 105/193
Director Morgan Neville of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 106/193
Scott Dadich of the Netflix series, “Abstract: Art of Design.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 107/193
Actress Omono Okojie of the film “Gook.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 108/193
Actor Curtiss Cook Jr., and actress Simone Baker of the film “Gook.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 109/193
Actress Brittny Snow and actor Dave Bautista of the film, “Bushwick.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 110/193
Director Austin Peter of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 111/193
Actress Cary Mulligan of the film “Mudbound.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 112/193
Director and actor Justin Chon of the film, “Gook.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 113/193
Director Lone Scherfig of the film “Their Finest.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 114/193
Actress Pom Klementieff of the film “Ingrid Goes West.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 115/193
Director Alexandre Moors of the film, “Yellow Birds.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 116/193
Actor O’Shea Jackson Jr., actress Aubrey Plaza, director Matt Spicer, and actress Pom Klementieff of the film “Ingrid Goes West.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 117/193
Richard Vevers, Director Jeff Orlowski and Zackery Rago of he film, “Chasing Coral.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 118/193
Actress Chelsea Handler.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 119/193
Director Austin Peters, musician Jillionare, and singer/songwriter Diplo, of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 120/193
Singer/songwriter Diplo, Thomas Wesley Pentz of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 121/193
Musician Jillionaire of the documentary film “Give Me Future.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 122/193
Actor Lakeith Stanfield of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 123/193
Actor Chris O’Dowd of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 124/193
Actress Jessica Williams of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Aubrey Plaza of the film, “Ingrid Goes West.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 126/193
Actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. of the film “Ingrid Goes West.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 127/193
Actress Jessica Williams of the film “The Incredible Jessica James.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 128/193
Actress Mari Malek of the film “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 129/193
Actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer of the film “Axolotl Overkil.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 130/193
Executive Producer Tim Robbins and his son, Director Jack Henry Robbins, from the short “Hot Winter, A Film By Dick Pierre.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 131/193
Actor Michael Larnell of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 132/193
Actor Garrett Hedlund of the film “Mudbound.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 133/193
Executive Producers Christopher Cohen, Sean Hayes, Mark Herzog (kneeling) and Todd Milliner of the CNN series, “History of Comedy.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 134/193
Executive Producer Sean Hayes of the television series, “History of Comedy.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 135/193
Actress Melanie Lynskey of the film, “I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 136/193
Actress Nia Long of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 137/193
Actress Simone Baker of the film, “Gook.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 138/193
Actress Elizabeth Arjok of the film, “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 139/193
Roxanne Shante of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 140/193
Actor Elvis Nolasco of the film “Roxanne, Roxanne.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 141/193
Jack Henry Robbins, from the short, “Hot Winter, A Film By Dick Pierre.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 142/193
Actress Mari Malek of the film “The Nile Hilton Incident.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 143/193
Actress Jasna Fritzi Bauer of the film “Axolotl Overkil.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 144/193
Actress Maya Stange, director Damien Power and actor Aaron Glenna from the film “Killing Ground.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 145/193
Actress Tavi Gevinson with the film “Person to Person.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
146/193
Dolores Huerta from the documentary “Dolores.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 147/193
Director
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 148/193
Actor Jorma Taccone from the film “L.A. Times.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 149/193
Actor Aaron Glenane from the film “Killing Ground.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 150/193
Actress Kate Micucci with the film “The Little Hours.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
151/193
Dree Hemingway with the film “L.A. Times.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
152/193
Directors Andrew Smith and Alex Smith with the film “Walking Out.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 153/193
Actress Molly Shannon from the film “The Little Hours.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 154/193
Actor Jason Ritter with the film “Bitch.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
155/193
Lauren Weedman, actor Jon Gabrus, actress Kate Micucci, director Jeff Baena, actress Alison Brie, actor Dave Franco, Adam Pally and actress Molly Shannon with the film “The Little Hours.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 156/193
Actor Dave Franco with the film “The Little Hours.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress/director Michelle Morgan and actors Jorma Taccone and Dree Hemingway from the film “L.A. Times.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 158/193
Director Marina Zenovich of the film “Water and Power.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 159/193
Actress Abbi Jacobson with the film “Person to Person.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
160/193
Actress Florence Pugh and director William Oldroyd from the film “Lady MacBeth.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 161/193
Producer Ryland Aldrich, from the film “L.A. Times.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 162/193
Actress Maya Stange with the film “Killing Ground.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Front: Actors Kingston Foster and Jason Maybaum; back: actors Rio Mangini Jason Ritter and Brighton Sharbino from the film “Bitch.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 164/193
Actress Kingston Foster, director Marianna Palka, actress Brighton Sharbino, actor Rio Mangini, actor Jason Ritter, actor Jason Maybaum, actress Jaime King and actor Zac Clark with the film “Bitch.”
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Director Marianna Palka with the film “Bitch.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Brighton Sharbino mingles with the rest of the cast of the film “Bitch.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Director Amanda Lipitz, center, and step team members, from left, Tayla Solomon, Cori Granger and Blessin Giraldo from the documentary “Step.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 168/193
Directors Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen with the film “Follow Up to An Inconvenient Truth.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Producer Carlos Santana with the film “Dolores.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Team members, from left, Tayla Solomon, Cori Granger and Blessin Giraldo from the documentary “Step.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 171/193
Director Kristen Stewart and actor Josh Kaye with the film “Come Swim.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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Actress Zoe Kazan with the film “The Big Sick.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 173/193
Joshua Wong and director Joe Piscatella with the documentary “Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower.”
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From left, producer Barry Mendel, actress Holly Hunter, director Michael Showalter, actress Zoe Karan, writer Emily V. Gordon, writer Kumail Nanjiani, and producer Judd Apatow with the film “The Big Sick.”
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Husband and wife co-writers Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon from “The Big Sick.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 176/193
Consulting Producer Benjamin Bratt of the film “Dolores.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 177/193
Director Kristen Stewart of the film “Come Swim.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 178/193
Actress Holly Hunter with the film “The Big Sick.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 179/193
Actor Logan Miller, actress Cynthy Wu, director Ry-Russo Young and actresses Zoey Deutch, Elena Kampouris, Medalion Rahimi and Jennifer Beals, from the film “Before I Fall.”
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Actress Zoey Deutch, from the film “Before I Fall.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 181/193
Actress Medalion Rahimi, from the film “Before I Fall.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 182/193
Actress Elena Kampouris, from the film “Before I Fall.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 183/193
Actress Jennifer Beals, from the film “Before I Fall.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 184/193
Actress Cynthy Wu, from the film “Before I Fall.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 185/193
Actor Logan Miller, from “Before I Fall.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 186/193
Actor Miles Fischer, from the television show “Playdates.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 187/193
Composer Dan Romer, from the films “The Little Hours” and “Chasing Coral.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 188/193
Director Jamie Greenberg, who’s at Sundance with the film “Future ’38.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 189/193
Directors Shaul Schwarz and Christina Clusiau, with the documentary “Trophy.”
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Peter Nicks director of the documentary film “The Force.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 191/193
Composer Dan Romer, attending Sundance with the films “The Little Hours” and “Chasing Coral.”
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Actors Paul Scheer and Carla Gallo, from the television show “Playdates.”
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Actors Paul Scheer, left, Carla Gallo and Miles Fisher, from the television show “Playdates.”
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Partly that’s a function of an indie/Sundance movie. And partly it’s a function of Nanjiani and Gordon pouring their own lives into the script. (They’ve now been married 10 years.)
I asked Nanjiani at an after-party how they found the dramatic-comedy balance. “It was about trying to make a movie like ‘Tootsie’ or ‘Broadcast News’ — a movie where the dramatic scenes are really dramatic and the comedic scenes are really funny,” he said. “Most dramatic comedies now try too much to walk a line, they’re only a little funny and only a little dramatic.”
Of course, trying to do really funny and really serious could make a film wildly bi-tonal, swinging too much from one moment to the next. For the most part, he avoids this problem.
Taking the stage at the premiere, Gordon noted her smooth relationship with Nanjiani’s parents, and she was asked how they finally reached a good place. She deferred to the man who was for so long caught between them. “A lot of [messed-up] dinners,” Nanjiani quipped, echoing a line from the movie. “We took the first step of 40 on the road to reconciliation. [Pause] We’re in the low 30s right now.”
“The Big Sick” was purchased at the festival for $12 million by Amazon Studios. Whether they will give it a “Trainwreck”-style wide release remains to be seen, but they’ve got a movie that’s a rarity: funny, emo and personal.
As Apatow said at the premiere, tipping his cap to the screenwriting couple, “The whole movie is a giving gesture. And I commend you for sharing.”
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steve.zeitchik@latimes.com
Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT
