Jeri Jacquin
In theatres, on Digital and coming to Bluray from writer/director Sean Wang and Focus Features is the coming-of-age story of a young man referred to as DIDI.
It’s 2008 and Chris (Izaac Wang) is a 13-year-old living in Fremont, California with mom Chungsing (Joan Chen), grandmother Nai Nai (Chang Li Hua) and irritating older sister Vivian (Shirley Chen). Chris’ father is in Taiwan working to support the family in America. Chris spends his time with friends Fahad (Raul Dial) and Soup (Aaron Chang) making funny YouTube videos of their antics around town. While the boys are having fun, Chris does have moments to swoon over his crush Madi (Mahaela Park) who he talks to on AIM (Google it kids).
His friends push him to take Madi out for a date and even though he YouTubes ‘how to kiss a girl’, he gets caught up in his nerves that makes it difficult on his date. Now Chris is nervous to talk to her again and he can’t seem to find his place in social circles as easily as Fahad and Soup. Already irritated, Chris easily flies off the handle when he and Vivian go at it during dinner which upsets Nai Nai leaving mom feeling defeated.
Trying to make things better, Chungsing focuses on Chris’ education since Vivian has already been accepted to UCSD. He isn’t in the tutoring courses a day before someone else is picking on him leaving him to feel like he is just not good enough. Meeting a new group, they want him to video their skateboarding and Chris sees a chance to fit in.
But it all starts crashing down as the stress of life hits Chungsing and Nai Nai, Vivian starts planning for her life and Chris has to come to terms with the fact that he must find a way to fix the things he broke relationship wise and find something that truly gives him joy because being a teenager isn’t for the faint of heart!
Wang as Chris must have channeled his inner teenager because he plays this role marvelously. He captures everything I remember as a teenager, everything I remember as a mom of teenagers and everything a grandmother of teenagers remembers. He is rough, arrogant, mouthy, sad, a bit funny, an antagonistic brother and lovelorn kid. Wang takes this role and runs so fast with it that his acting future is going to be absolutely amazing. Well done young man!
Chen as Chungsing is that mother who is trying her best to raise children and deal with an in-law that doesn’t seem to see good in her. She is bombarded constantly and can only react in a way that doesn’t make her feel as if she is losing her children. Like most mothers, Chen has portrayed the guilt a mother feels when wondering what would life be like if she had chosen a different path.
Chen as Vivian is an absolute vision of an older sister who enjoys taking on her younger brother. The dinner scene is one for the ages and, minus the language, I can recall watching the same interaction when my kids were teens. It is par for the course and, if you dare, will make one giggle a bit at the nostalgia. Hua as Nai Nai is an in-law who has sage advice like, “eat fruit because…” but she consistently undermines Chungsing and that causes a rift. She has a connection to Didi (meaning ‘younger brother’) and it is charming when she smiles.
Other cast include Chiron Denk as Donovan, Alysha Syed as Jade, Alaysia Simmons as Ellie, Tarnvir Kamboj as Hardeep, Joziah Lagonoy as Josh, Sunil Maurillo as Cory, Montay Boseman as Nugget, Georgie August as Georgia, Joshua Hankerson as Mack, Jayden Chiang as Max, Spike Jonze as Dead Squirrel, and Alaysia Simmons as Ellie.
Focus Features’ mission is to make a lasting impact on global audiences by creating the home for artists to share diverse, distinctive stories that inspire human connection. Focus Features is part of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies that brings entertainment and news to a global audience. For more of what they have to offer please visit www.focusfeatures.com.
DIDI is absolutely charming, infuriating, frustrating, memorable, nostalgic and a well written story that applies to everyone. Director Wang embraces all the mixed-up emotions of a teenager but also the struggles of a single mother, cultural beliefs, separation, guilt and the coming together of understanding in a family. In the midst of that, Wang re-creates a time when the internet was in its relative infancy, social media wasn’t even a title of things yet, and kids still ran around with their friends – you know - OUTSIDE
Chris’ relationships are complex, deep and rooted in ‘normal’ feelings with the added bonus of trying to find a slot in the world that he fits in. It is hard enough to be a teen without braces, acne and crushes running in circles around each other 24/365. The cast is absolutely stellar in their performances, even if they are teens themselves. Chen stands out even though she says very little and I know someone like Nai Nai and she is equally a hoot. The film is so relatable and that is what makes it awesome.
In the end – this is for anyone that’s ever been a teenager!
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