As the old maxim goes: Write what you know.
Writer/director Sean Wang evidently took this time-honored advice to heart with his debut feature film Dìdi. The millennial coming-of-age story was inspired by his experiences as a Taiwanese American wannabe sk8r boi in Fremont, California, struggling with many of the hallmarks of cishet adolescence: trying to fit in, flirting, falling in and out friendships, and butting heads with your parents (or parent, in this case: his tireless mother). As with recent efforts in the bildungsroman genre from directors like Greta Gerwig (Lady Bird) and Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), Dìdi is an alchemical stew of the heartfelt, the hilarious and the cringe-worthy moments that are all-too-relatable. Dìdi makes the grade with its execution on all of these fronts, particularly the latter.
While its broadstroke themes transcend generational barriers — Wang has cited John Hughes' '80s teen comedies as an influence — the director wanted to transpose that model onto a less lily white version of the young American experience. There's a remarkable specificity to Dìdi that will hella resonate with 30-somethings who grew up during the twilight of MySpace, T9 texting, and making stupid home movies with your friends on your handheld DCR camera.
No filmmaker who didn't live through all of the best and worst of that transitional and transformative era would choose to include a scene with the AOL Instant Messenger chatbot SmarterChild and be able to depict it with such devastating, hilarious and oddly touching effectiveness. The result is like Proust's madeleine for millennials, and it's only one of the many specificities Wang incorporates as text and texture — something that can be lacking in other period picture evocations of the not-so-distant past. And to Wang's credit, unlike so many recent movies, Dìdi wisely eschews the trend of overlaying DMs or texts on screen, instead opting to milk palpable tension from close-ups of the dreaded ellipses that indicate a pending response to a vulnerable AIM query.
As fun as all that accurately-rendered nostalgia is, if you strip away all the fashion, pop culture, and retro-tech references in Dìdi, there's a solid and accessible foundation at the heart of the movie. The title refers to a Mandarin term meaning "younger brother," and it centers on Chris (Izaac Wang), an awkward 13-year-old protagonist who serves as the director's onscreen proxy. As Chris prepares to face the pressures of entering the Big Kids' Club that is high school, he contends with the pending departure of his caring, college-bound sister Vivian (Shirley Chen), and clashes with his overworked and underappreciated mother, Chungsing (Joan Chen, in an Oscar-worthy turn). The overbearing presence of his father's mother Nai Nai (Zhang Li Hua) only adds to the at-home tension.
Wang has also cited his self-made skateboarding videos as an inspiration for Dìdi, and any dude-bro reared on Jackass and CKY DVDs will immediately recognize the filming of these as a nigh obligatory step into post-Clearasil "maturity." Chris finds himself falling in with a crew of sketchier older teen skaters not because of his skills on the board, but through his ability to film and edit them executing (or failing to execute) their awesome prowess. Naturally, Chris' initiation into this world of delinquency finds him at a raucous party he's certainly too young to attend, and the inevitable hangover sequence that follows the morning after leads to some tender moments with the ever-understanding older sis and strife with momma.
What differentiates Dìdi from the likes of Lady Bird and Bo Burnam's Eighth Grade is its multicultural perspective. The Taiwanese American Chris is beset both by the expectations of a sometimes overbearing immigrant mother and racist ostracization from his peer circle as he attempts to navigate the wider world of high school and its attendant clique-y, hormone-fueled teen politics.
The cast of Dìdi is rounded out by a handful of fresh-faced young actors, all of whom acquit themselves well as authentic middle-and-high schoolers. Izaac Wang is the most seasoned performer of the bunch, and fearlessly embodies Chris' social discomfiture that will have viewers wincing along with recognition. It is Joan Chen as his mother, however — now almost 50 years into her career — who makes the most profound impression.
Dìdi crescendos with a powerful heart-to-heart between Chungsing and Chris that could be maudlin in the hands of less assured and naturalistic actors, and which kickflips the tone of the film from hijinks-laden comedy to something deeply moving. This scene in particular bodes well for Dìdi's legacy — the film arrives with a wave of festival hype at its back and is landing late enough in the year to be a contender for showbiz awards honors. Even if it doesn't take home any hardware, it deserves a dap for a job well done.
Dìdi
Rated R
Directed by Sean Wang
Starring Izaac Wang, Joan Chen
