The Farewell (2019)
93%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
35 wins & 191 nominations total
The Farewell deftly captures complicated family dynamics with a poignant, well-acted drama that marries cultural specificity with universally relatable themes.
The Farewell is like a warm hug from your grandma, if your grandma was Chinese and you didn’t speak the language. It’s a beautiful exploration of family, culture, and the universal experience of loss. Awkwafina shines in a dramatic role, proving she’s more than just a comedic rapper. And if you don’t cry at least once during this movie, you might want to check if you have a heart. Overall, The Farewell is a must-see film that will leave you feeling all the feels.
Production Company(ies)
Act III Communications, Buttercup Films Ltd., The Princess Bride Ltd.,
Distributor
A24
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Changchun, China
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic material, brief language and some smoking.
Year of Release
2019
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 40m
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Language(s):Mandarin, English, Japanese, Italian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 2, 2019 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2019
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Awkwafina, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Gil Perez-Abraham, Shuzhen Zhou, Jim Liu, directed by Lulu Wang, written by Lulu Wang, comedy, drama, PG rating, box office gross $17.7M, produced by Chris Weitz, Andrew Miano, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Anita Gou, Daniele Tate Melia, Jane Zheng, Dani Melia, reviewed by Ben Sachs, Esther Zuckerman, Clarisse Loughrey, Mark Kermode, Wendy Ide, Kevin Maher, Victor Pineyro, Brian Eggert, Taylor Baker, Lonita Cook, Maria Lattila, family dynamics, cultural specificity, reconciliation, loss, China, fake wedding, matriarch, smoking, brief language, thematic material, A24, Scope (2.35:1)
Worldwide gross: $23,076,657
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $26,664,028
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,591
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,907,746
US/Canada gross: $17,695,781
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $20,446,670
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,408
US/Canada opening weekend: $355,662
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $410,951
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,445
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Tzi Ma – Haiyan
Diana Lin – Jian
Gil Perez-Abraham – Tony
Shuzhen Zhou – Nai Nai
Jim Liu – Doctor Song
Director(s)
Lulu Wang
Writer(s)
Lulu Wang
Producer(s)
Chris Weitz, Andrew Miano, Peter Saraf, Marc Turtletaub, Anita Gou, Daniele Tate Melia, Jane Zheng, Dani Melia
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
35 wins & 191 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (347) | Top Critics (71) | Fresh (337) | Rotten (10)
What follows is a series of hackneyed scenes about the different interpersonal relationships within the family, centering on the heroine’s bond with her grandmother.
December 17, 2019
Ben Sachs
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Thematically, The Farewell is about reconciliation with the past and wrestling with cultural traditions that now seem foreign in a country that once was home. But it’s also simply about grappling with loss…
December 17, 2019
Esther Zuckerman
Thrillist
TOP CRITIC
The Farewell is a comedy of warmth and bracing honesty. Simply put, it’s one of the best films of the year.
October 10, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Clarisse Loughrey
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Magnificent screen presence. I thought it was really lovely. I thought it was really funny. I thought it was really moving. You will laugh, you will cry.
September 23, 2019
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
Ultimately, it’s all about balance, a yin and yang of roots and identities, humour and pathos that comes together into a satisfying, bittersweet wedding banquet of a movie.
September 21, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
You’ll be spewing with tears before the first act is done.
September 20, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The upcoming death feels like a metaphor for the movie itself. It brings some universal theme around family and immigration, but it’s just way, way too slow. [Full review in Spanish]
July 7, 2022 | Rating: 6/10
Victor Pineyro
Seventh Art Studio
The Farewell is heartwarming, capably made, exceptionally well-acted, and achingly sincere without ever resorting to sentimentality.
February 26, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Episode 45: The Farewell / Jackie Brown / Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
October 4, 2021 | Rating: 72/100
Taylor Baker
Drink in the Movies
Bring a box of tissues… [Awkwafina] is super darling.
September 29, 2021
Lonita Cook
KCTV5 News at 9
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell is a particularly articulate piece of filmmaking. It beautifully captures the sense of alienation of a child of two cultures, and finds warmth and humour in little family moments.
August 10, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Maria Lattila
Zavvi
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell is bittersweet in the truest sense of the word, balancing on the knife edge of grief and joy.
June 25, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Yasmin Omar
Harper’s Bazaar…
Plot
A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Billi struggles with her family’s decision to keep grandma in the dark about her own illness as they all stage an impromptu wedding to see grandma one last time.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Awkwafina delivers a solid lead performance in The Farewell, showcasing her dramatic range.
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