Upcoming big-screen romantic comedy The Big Sick is set to debut to Australian audiences on August 3rd. However, that didn’t stop Kumail Nanjiani and Emily S. Gordon from dropping into an early Sydney screening of the film for a quick Q&A session with Rove McManus.
If you’re still holding out to see the film, it might be worth coming back to this article after you’ve seen it because there are some spoilers here.
#thebigsick #qanda Rove introducing Kumail and Emily pic.twitter.com/6YqDu49H9k
— Fergus Halliday (@Cvamped) July 26, 2017
Here’s what we learned:
#thebigsick #qanda Kumail jokes that not liking the film "is a judgement" on the existence of the relationship between him and Emily
— Fergus Halliday (@Cvamped) July 26, 2017
As you might expect, showing a romantic-comedy based on your real-life experience to your friends and family is a bit weird. However, Kumail and Emily indicated that right from the getgo everyone responded really positively to the film – which was a relief for them.
#thebigsick #qanda Rove asks about working with Judd Apatow. Emily says “it’s the cheapest movie he’s ever been a part of”
— Fergus Halliday (@Cvamped) July 26, 2017
Apparently, The Big Sick was the cheapest film that Judd Apatow has ever been involved with. Chasing this claim up online, it looks like it might well be the case. Most of Apatow’s movies boast budgets well above the $12 million that Amazon on spent the rights to the film (which itself is presumably higher than the actual cost of production).
#thebigsick #qanda next Q, how much of the coma story is accurate in the film? Timing of her stay in the hospital is more vague in the film
— Fergus Halliday (@Cvamped) July 26, 2017
In real life, Emily spent eight days in the hospital – over which Kumail bonds with her parents. In the film, the length of her stay is a little more nebulous. Kumail indicates this was done intentionally for storytelling reasons.
#thebigsick #qanda Bo was the first to be cast, they wanted to position him as the one who everyone knows is going to succeed
— Fergus Halliday (@Cvamped) July 26, 2017
Of the several other comedians who appear in the film as Kumail’s colleagues, Bo Burnham was the first to be cast (alongside Kurt Braunohler and Aidy Bryant). During the Q&A, Kumail explained that the casting choices here weren’t meant to reflect the reality of ‘his group’ of comedians but rather the different archetypes or personalities who inhabit the Chicago comedy scene.
#thebigsick #qanda Kumail and Emily got married 3 months after the end of the movie. Ended up cut from script because it wasn’t believable
— Fergus Halliday (@Cvamped) July 26, 2017
So much for happy endings. Kumail and Emily ended up marrying a few months after the story told in the film ends but were advised to cut it from the script because of concerns it wouldn’t be believable enough.
The Big Sick releases in Australian cinemas on the 3rd of August.
———-
