A couple of weeks ago I went to see “The Big Sick” with my mom.

With the exception of “Alien: Covenant” there haven’t been any “summer” movies that have interested me this year. Thankfully, there has been enough counter programming to keep me interested in going to the movies.

I really enjoyed “The Big Sick”. Despite the fact that it’s based on the real life love story of Kumail Nanjiani and his wife it isn’t the most original story. I’ve seen the cultures clashing within a love story before. However, it is far more original than yet another Spiderman movie. The execution of the story is very well done and since the story has essentially been done before it is all about the execution.

Kumail Nanjiani is more or less playing himself but he does a great job of bringing all of the complexities of his “character” to life. It may sound easy to play yourself but there are some people who can’t at to the point that they can’t even be convincing in a role custom made for them. I think one of the things I liked the most about “The Big Sick” is that it had two really good (supporting) roles for women. As Kumail’s love interest Zoe Kazan is excellent. You can tell the real life Emily co-wrote the script because despite the fact that Kumail is clearly the protagonist the Emily on the screen is well written and is not a one note character. The other excellent female performance comes from Academy Award winner Holly Hunter as Emily’s mother Beth. What is so fantastic about Beth is that she isn’t just playing the mom role. There is enough depth added to her to see that Beth isn’t just a mother is a woman that has her own identity aside from her daughter and husband. And, as always, Holly Hunter is great fun to watch.

The biggest surprise of the movie is Ray Romano. He creates a character completely separate from his sitcom persona here and he actually acts and gives a good performance.

I am happy that his film has been a moderate sleeper hit this summer. Not only is it a solid rom -com but it is also very important in the current political landscape to have a film that has a Pakistani as its lead. In addition to being entertaining I hope this film cam open some hearts and minds. Obviously, I highly recommended “The Big Sick” to anybody who likes a good movie that has a heart and a brain.

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Here is a description:

Justin Gomez and his sister, Terri, have never been close. Separated by nine years and distant in adulthood, Justin and Terri have little in common, except for the love of her three children. In the days before they embark on a road trip to visit the father that once abandoned them and their now deceased mother, both Terri and Justin are dealing with unexpected changes in their lives. Justin surprisingly realizes he might want more than a series of one night stands after a first date goes unexpectedly well. After a lifetime of being a strong type A personality, Terri is forced to confront the reality of the end of her marriage. As they hit the road, with Terri’s children in tow, they find themselves forced to rely on and confide in each other following a devastating event. Confronted with memories from the past and challenges from the present, Terri and Justin must dig deep and unearth the truth about themselves and their parents in order to build a new family based on their love for each other.