The Farewell
Based on an actual lie.
2019 • 100 min • Comedy · Drama
Synopsis
A headstrong Chinese-American woman returns to China when her beloved grandmother is given a terminal diagnosis. 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.
Our family guide
Best from age 10- 100 Reviewers · 4 · 60%
- 74 Audience · 1563 · 40%
A Chinese-American woman struggles with her family's decision to keep her beloved grandmother's terminal illness a secret, staging a wedding as an excuse for one last family gathering. This heartfelt dramedy explores family bonds, cultural differences, and love in the face of loss.
- Violence & peril
- 1/10
- Language
- 1/10
- Drinking, drugs & smoking
- 3/10
- Romance & sensuality
- 1/10
- Scary moments
- 2/10
Heads up
- Discussions of a terminal illness
- Some emotional moments around loss
- Depicts cultural differences
What it models well
- Family love and unity
- Cultural traditions and heritage
- Honoring elders
- Dealing with grief
Talk about it after
- Different ways families show love
- Cultural differences in handling difficult news
- The meaning of truthfulness and compassion
- Facing illness and loss
Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Farewell. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.
Where to watch
Rent
- Amazon Video
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Movies
- YouTube
- Fandango At Home
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At HomeBuy
- Amazon Video
- Apple TV Store
- Google Play Movies
- YouTube
- Fandango At Home
Links go straight to each service. Some are affiliate links that support Movie Knight at no cost to you. Availability data by JustWatch via TMDB.
Top billed cast
Director: Lulu Wang • Crew: Lulu Wang
Trailers & clips
Reviewer notes
RecommendedThe Farewell (2019) Directed by Lulu Wang Lulu Wang's The Farewell begins with a title card: "Based on an actual lie." The lie in question is both simple and profound: when Nai Nai (Zhao Shuzhen) is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, her family decides not to tell her. Instead, they stage a wedding as an excuse to gather from around the world to say goodbye without her knowing it's goodbye.…
RecommendedThis movie is described as a comedy-drama and it is. But I didn’t have many laugh out loud moments. The humor is situational mainly: the writers work up to those moments that make you smile, either because you remember a similar moment in your life, or else because you can’t imagine a similar moment. As happens so often, the story is based on real events.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersIf you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com Lulu Wang shares an emotional part of her personal life by delivering a beautiful, heartfelt story about her grandmother. Even though The Farewell sticks the landing perfectly, not all of the second act’s storylines captivated me, especially the whole wedding narrative.…
RecommendedTrusted family reviewersWhen a Chinese family finds out that the family’s matriarch is dying of lung cancer, complications arise. In Chinese culture, there is a saying that when you get cancer, you die. This actually boils down to the belief that it’s not the cancer that leads to the person’s death, but rather the fear of dying.…
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Details
- TMDB audience
- 7.4/10 (1,563)
- Age rating
- PG
- Status
- Released
- Budget
- $3,000,000
- Box office
- $23,076,657
- IMDb
- tt8637428
- Official site
- a24films.com
