Sean Wang’s Dìdi (弟弟) is a heartfelt, genuinely hilarious coming-of-age story that centers around the ever-changing pangs of trying to fit in. Full of deeply nostalgic beats and incredible performances from the whole cast, the film is worth seeing on a big screen.
Starring Izaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, Zhang Li Hua, Mahaela Park, Raul Dial, Aaron Chang, and more, Dìdi (弟弟) paints a heartbreaking snapshot of what happens when we’re desperately trying to fit in without adequately understanding what that entails. No matter how often our parents tried to tell us (and this is so vastly different for those of us whose parents immigrated to the US), we don’t realize how right they are until long after we’ve graduated and moved forward. Being a kid is hard. Being a kid struggling to fit in is even more challenging, and our curiosities only take us so far. With all this in mind, the film is a transparent examination of those perils through a uniquely gorgeous lens.
The thing about coming-of-age films is that they’re always profoundly personal yet surprisingly universal at the same time. While some viewers might not relate to one the same way they relate to another, it doesn’t change the fact that these are the type of films we could always use more of because they matter. Quiet (or, in this case, angsty) character journeys matter to remind people that they aren’t alone in their struggles.
Further, it’s a showcase that countless mothers stepped aside to watch their kids succeed in the crafts that broke them. Countless grandmothers couldn’t fathom understanding just how challenging it is to start over in a new place. And countless teenagers walked away, allowing their younger siblings a chance to become the people they are meant to be.
With these things in mind, Dìdi (弟弟) allows the titular character, also known as “Wang Wang” or Chris, the chance to feel everything. Whether it’s curiosity, heartbreak, embarrassment, nerves, anger, happiness, or extreme highs and colossal lows, the journey is much more realistic, making the film more relatable. The writing and directing fuse together to create something that’s so perfectly imperfect amid the grainy lens that it brings the 90s to life exquisitely. MySpace, AIM, the early stages of Facebook, YouTube, and the old familiar sounds of Paramore and Hellogoodbye will bring any former (or present-day) emo kids plenty of joy and comfort.
At times, Dìdi (弟弟) is uncomfortable to watch. It’s heartbreaking and so realistic that you want to leap onto the screen and help the kids make better decisions. Yet, that’s exactly why it succeeds as a memorable spectacle: it’s messy enough to feel authentic and vulnerable.
In the end, it’s a story about mothers and sons, sitting beside each other at the family table, sharing a meal. They might not fully understand each other, but they’re getting to that place where things will start to make a bit more sense. They’re getting to a place where communication will be a little easier, and while it’s imperfect (like adolescence always is), the film paints a gorgeously warm version of it regardless.
Dìdi (弟弟) is now playing in select theaters.
First Featured Image | Official Poster Credit: ©Focus Features