Oct. 10: The Farewell

Thursday, October 10, 2019
7 pm @ Galaxy Cinemas, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

Director: Lulu Wang
USA 2019
English/Mandarin; 98 minutes
Rating: PG for thematic material, brief language, and some smoking

Billi (Awkwafina), who moved to America when she was young,
travels back to China to visit her dying grandmother (Shuzhen Zhao). Billi’s family doesn’t want to darken the final days of their
matriarch so they don’t tell her of her terminal diagnosis, instead
organizing a false wedding so that everyone can come to say their goodbyes. Awkwafina is dazzling as empathetic Billi, supported by
a remarkable cast that includes Tzi Ma as her father and Diana Lin
as her mother. Based on true events, The Farewell is an
intergenerational family drama that is at once celebratory,
heart-wrenching, and life-affirming.

A funny, emotionally intricate, and deeply moving tale of severed
connections and renewed family ties.
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

This smart film deftly mixes comedy and tragedy, and manages to be heartfelt without being cloying or sentimental.
Adam Graham, Detroit News

The Farewell delivers powerful emotional blows, and we ache for Billi and what she’s going through – in large part because Awkwafina’s
performance is so raw and authentic and in the moment.
Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times