Rapper and actress Awkwafina, aka Nora Lum, made a name for herself with funny-ass rhymes and scene-stealing performances in last summer's Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians. Now she's ready to make you cry.
Like, a lot.
In The Farewell, Awkwafina plays Billi, a New Yorker who travels back to China when she learns that her grandmother has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The problem: grandma has no idea that she's dying. Her family has decided not to tell her, fearing that the knowledge would accelerate her health's decline. (It's a Chinese thing.) Instead, under the guise of a cousin's wedding, the family gathers to say their final goodbye.
Here's the newly released trailer:
The film also stars Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Zhao Shuzhen, Lu Hong and Jiang Yongbo.
Here's the poster:
The Farewell, the debut feature from writer/director Lulu Wang, is indeed "based on an actual lie." Wang's own family concocted an elaborate plan to conceal her grandmother's own stage IV lung cancer diagnosis from her. She previously told the story in a 2016 episode of This American Life.
This is a marvelous, moving film with an incredible cast and a story lovingly told with great humor and heart. I think Awkwafina is going to surprise a lot of people with this performance.
The Farewell hits theaters on July 12 from A24.
