Loading AI tools
2024 film by Sean Wang From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dìdi (Chinese: 弟弟; lit. 'Younger Brother') is a 2024 American coming-of-age comedy drama film, written, directed, and produced by Sean Wang in his directorial debut. The film stars Izaac Wang and Joan Chen. Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters and Chris Columbus serve as producers and executive producers under their AntiGravity Academy, Spark Features and Maiden Voyage Pictures banners, respectively.
Dìdi | |
---|---|
Directed by | Sean Wang |
Written by | Sean Wang |
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Sam A. Davis |
Edited by | Arielle Zakowski |
Music by | Giosue Greco |
Production companies |
|
Distributed by | Focus Features |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 91 minutes[1] |
Country | United States |
Languages |
|
Box office | $5.1 million[2] |
Dìdi had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, where it won the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic and U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award: Ensemble.[3] It was released in the United States by Focus Features on July 26, 2024.
In the summer of 2008, 13-year-old Chris Wang lives in Fremont, California with his mother Chungsing, Chungsing's demanding mother-in-law Nai Nai, and his sister Vivian. Chris's father supports the family from Taiwan. Chris constantly bickers with Vivian, who is soon heading off to UC San Diego. He makes silly YouTube videos with best friends Fahad and Soup.
Chris becomes acquainted with his crush, Madi, and they begin corresponding on AIM and Facebook. When they go on a date, she tells Chris he is good-looking "for an Asian" and initiates a flirting game, which ends when he admits he is nervous. He is embarrassed and blocks her on AIM. During a group hangout with Fahad, Chris commits a series of social faux pas by describing how he and his friends played with a dead squirrel, driving a wedge in their friendship.
Chungsing and Nai Nai have an intense dispute regarding Nai Nai criticizing Chungsing's parenting and her husband's absence. Chungsing and Chris have dinner with one of her peers and her academically successful son, Max. Chris's behavior and feelings of inadequacy begin to strain his relationships. Chris is brought on as a filmer by a trio of older skateboarders. They take him to a party where he tries alcohol and marijuana; when he gets sick, Vivian covers for him. Before Vivian leaves for college, the siblings reconcile. The skateboarders visit Chris's home and find his footage unusable. Chris berates Chungsing in front of them, causing the group to leave in disapproval.
Max and his friend Josh approach Chris. Josh mocks Chris for his failed date with Madi, and Chris strikes him using his skateboard. Chungsing and Chris have an argument which culminates in him running away for a night. Chris returns home and Chungsing recounts how Vivian ran away from home when she was 14. Chungsing describes to Chris her dream life as a successful painter. However, she states that her children are her true dream.
On the first day of high school, Chris attempts to reconcile with Madi, but is unsuccessful. He greets Fahad and Soup and joins a club for visual arts. Chungsing picks up Chris from school and he tells her about his day.
Principal photography took place in July 2023 in Fremont, California.[4] The film consists mostly of first-time actors from the Bay Area.[5] The film was previously selected for the 2023 Sundance Institute Screenwriting & Directors Lab and the 2022 SFFILM Rainin Grant.[6][7]
Dìdi had its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024.[8] A few days later, Focus Features acquired distribution rights to the film.[9] It also screened at South by Southwest on March 12, 2024,[10][11] and had its international premiere at the Beijing International Film Festival on April 19, 2024.[12][13] It closed the 11th edition of Sundance London on June 9, 2024.[14] It had a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 26, 2024.[15] It was released in all theaters on August 16, 2024.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 93 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "A semi-autobiographical love letter to teenage angst that's also slyly self-critical, Dìdi is a deeply moving personal statement by writer-director Sean Wang."[16] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[17]
In her review for The Guardian, Adrian Horton described Dìdi as "easily one of the best, most seamless films [she's] seen on the experience of growing up online" and declared that it has a "clear antecedent" in Eighth Grade (2018).[18]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sundance Film Festival | January 26, 2024 | Grand Jury Prize – U.S. Dramatic | Dìdi | Nominated | [19] |
Audience Award – U.S. Dramatic | Won | ||||
Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble | The cast of Dìdi [lower-alpha 1] | Won | |||
Southwest Film & TV Festival | March 16, 2024 | Audience Award: Festival Favorite | Dìdi | Nominated | [20] |
Seattle International Film Festival | May 27, 2024 | Best Director | Sean Wang | Runner-up | [21] |
Grand Jury Prize – Best Feature Film | Dìdi | Nominated | |||
Youth Jury Prize for Best Futurewave Feature | Nominated | ||||
Munich International Film Festival | July 5, 2024 | CineKindl Audience Award | Won | [22] | |
Miskolc International Film Festival | September 14, 2024 | Emeric Pressburger Prize (Best Feature Film) | Nominated | [23] | |
Celebration of Cinema and Television | November 12, 2024 | Career Achievement Award | Joan Chen | Won | [24] |
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.