The Heartwarming Comedy Hidden Gem You Can Watch On Amazon
Streaming platforms are a dime a dozen these days, and services that originally seemed like they couldn't compete with Netflix and Hulu are now stealing the show. Amazon Prime Video has proven itself to be a worthy competitor in the streaming business, building up an impressive line of original shows and movies, while also boasting a large library of older projects from the big and small screen.
If you're looking for a new movie to watch, Amazon might be the best place for you to go at the moment. The platform has hundreds of comedies to choose from, with a handful of hidden gems you might never have known about. One such gem that flew a little too under-the-radar was 2017's The Big Sick. The heartwarming romantic comedy – one of the best of the decade – stars Kumail Nanjiani, who plays a fictionalized version of himself in a story not-so-loosely based on his life. After starting in the entertainment business in 2008, Najiani finally shot to stardom nine years later in the critically acclaimed flick, which you can stream now on Amazon Prime Video.
You're more than likely to hear a "no" if you ask a buddy if they've seen The Big Sick, and they might not even have heard of it, as is the case with many indie projects, unfortunately. However, people who missed the movie, like many of these other underappreciated flicks from 2017, are slowly but surely discovering the 2017 comedy thanks to streaming.
The Big Sick is an incredible love story about Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon
The film follows Kumail Nanjiani as himself, a Pakistani stand-up comic who meets a white woman named Emily (Zoe Kazan) at one of his shows. The two eventually fall for one another after a one-night stand, but things get messy after Emily learns that Kumail's uber-traditional family has tried to arrange a marriage for him with a Pakistani woman. Fearful that he might not be able to have a future with Emily, Kumail tells her he's not sure they will work out and a sad breakup ensues.
Shortly after the split, Kumail learns that Emily has fallen very ill and rushes to the hospital where he discovers that she must be placed into a medically-induced coma. His ex's parents arrive, played by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, and they let him know he doesn't need to be there at the hospital anymore, but he graciously refuses to leave.
Eventually, Kumail forms an unlikely connection with Emily's parents while she is still unconscious. Her parents even attend one of his stand-up shows, where he is heckled by a racist audience member. In one of the movie's most powerful scenes, Beth (Hunter) sticks up for Kumail and calls out the racist before she is removed from the comedy club.
The love story in The Big Sick isn't all cupcakes and rainbows
Throughout the film, Emily's illness worsens as an infection spreads throughout her body. Eventually, Kumail mentions that she hurt her ankle several months ago and the injury just didn't seem to want to heal. After the doctors learn this, they are able to diagnose Emily with Still's disease and she is properly treated.
When she wakes from her coma, she is still upset with Kumail over their breakup, despite the fact that he is now 100 percent committed to her. He is living in the present, while she is still living in the past. In a last-ditch effort, Kumail attends Emily's homecoming party, but she is still unwilling to get back together with him. Defeated, Kumail turns to his comedy and tries to take a bigger stab at the business by moving to New York to pursue his dream with two friends.
In the movie's final scene, Kumail is performing stand-up in NYC when he is heckled by another audience member. Spoiler alert: it turns out to be Emily, and the two share a flirty exchange before the film ends, letting the actual film audience know that they end up getting together.
Nanjiani and Gordon have been married in real life since 2007, and the movie about their love story's beginnings earned the comedian an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. If you're looking for a comedy that will make you laugh, then cry, then laugh again, all while throwing in a gut-punch or two, look no further than The Big Sick on Amazon.