Crooked Table Podcast: Episode 143 — Sade Glover / The Farewell

Throughout 2019, A24 has further cemented its dominance as a safe haven for distinctive creative voices. In just the past few years, the company has given moviegoers releases as diverse as Moonlight, Lady Bird, Hereditary, Ex Machina, and Room. And easily one of this year’s A24 highlights — and indeed 2019 cinema, in general — has been Lulu Wang’s poignant and hilarious The Farewell.

Sade Glover of the Offscreen Babble podcast joins the show to discuss how Wang’s second directorial effort infuses family, grief, and culture with not only powerful commentary but also genuine laughs. We’ll discuss how The Farewell makes its tale universally relatable, the film’s Oscar chances this awards season, and why it’s so important for moviegoers to seek out these smaller, more personal stories.

SPOILER NOTE: While the bulk of our conversation is spoiler-free, we do discuss The Farewell‘s ending in detail starting at the 49:50 mark. So, if you have not seen the film yet, please do so before you finish the episode. The Farewell is now available on Blu-ray and digital.

SYNOPSIS

Billi’s (Awkwafina) family returns to China under the guise of a fake wedding to stealthily say goodbye to their beloved matriarch (Zhao Shuzhen) — the only person that doesn’t know she only has a few weeks to live.