Dìdi

Dìdi
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySean Wang
Written bySean Wang
Produced by
  • Sean Wang
  • Josh Peters
  • Carlos López Estrada
  • Valerie Bush
Starring
CinematographySam A. Davis
Edited byArielle Zakowski
Music byGiosue Greco
Production
companies
Distributed byFocus Features
Release dates
  • January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance)
  • July 26, 2024 (2024-07-26) (United States)
Running time
91 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Languages
  • English
  • Mandarin
Box office$1.7 million[2]

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 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.

Plot

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In the summer of 2008, 13-year-old Chris Wang tries to get by just before he starts high school. He hangs out with his best friends Fahad and Soup, and he tries to get closer to his crush, Madi. Chris also tries to hang out with a trio of skateboarding teens by filming their skating antics. At home, he lives with his mother Chungsing, Chungsing's demanding mother in law Nai Nai, and his older sister Vivian, who Chris constantly bickers with and is soon heading off to UC San Diego. Chris' father is said to have abandoned the family for business in Taiwan. Before leaving for college, Chris and Vivian make up.

Chris's behavior causes a strain on his friendships. After an awkward date with Madi, he stops talking to her out of embarrassment, and he drives a wedge between himself and Fahad after they hang out with two girls, and Chris tells an uncomfortable story about a dead squirrel they played with. The skateboarders also drop him when they see that not only is his skate footage unusable, but they are also put off by Chris's attitude toward Chungsing.

Things culminate when Chris punches another kid, Josh, after he made fun of him by calling him a "fag" for striking out with Madi. Chris yells at his mother and runs away from her, but he returns home and is apologetic for his behavior. She recounts how Vivian also ran away around the same age, and while she admits things can be difficult, Chungsing says she loves both her kids.

Chris starts high school, where Madi appears to no longer like him because of what he did to Josh, but Fahad and Soup still seem to want to be friends with him.

Cast

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  • Izaac Wang as Chris Wang
  • Shirley Chen as Vivian Wang
  • Chang Li Hua as Nai Nai
  • Joan Chen as Chungsing Wang
  • Raul Dial as Fahad Mahmood
  • Aaron Chang as Jimmy Kim
  • Mahaela Park as Madi
  • Chiron Denk as Donovan
  • Sunil Maurillo as Cory
  • Montay Boseman as Nugget
  • Georgie August as Georgia
  • Jayden Chiang as Max
  • Spike Jonze as Dead Squirrel
  • Stephanie Hsu as Kissing Tutorial Instructor

Production

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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]

Release

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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, and closed the 11th edition of Sundance London on June 9, 2024.[10][11][12] It also had its international premiere at the Beijing International Film Festival on April 19, 2024.[13][14] It had a limited theatrical release in the United States on July 26, 2024.[15] It is expected to release in all theaters on August 16, 2024.

Critical reception

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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]

References

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  1. ^ "Dìdi". Sundance Film Festival. Archived from the original on January 16, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  2. ^ "Didi". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  3. ^ Buchanan, Kyle (January 26, 2024). "'In the Summers,' a Father-Daughters Tale, Wins the Top Prize at Sundance". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  4. ^ Lavalee, Eric (July 19, 2023). "Fremont Flirt: Sean Wang Begins Production on Sundance-Labbed "Dìdi"". ION Cinema. Archived from the original on January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  5. ^ Spicer, Lucy (January 8, 2024). "Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Sean Wang, the Writer-Director of "Dìdi (弟弟)"". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  6. ^ "Meet the 2022 SFFILM Rainin Grant Winners". SFFILM. August 22, 2022. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  7. ^ "Meet the Sundance Institute 2023 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Lab Fellows". Sundance Film Festival. April 27, 2023. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  8. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (December 6, 2023). "Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  9. ^ Lang, Brent; Rubin, Rebecca (January 31, 2024). "Focus Features Buys Sundance Coming-of-Age Movie 'Didi'". Variety. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  10. ^ "Didi". South by Southwest. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  11. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 7, 2024). "SXSW 2024 Second Wave Includes Pics With Sydney Sweeney, Nicolas Cage, Camila Mendes & 'Monkey Man'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 7, 2024.
  12. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (April 4, 2024). "'Kneecap,' 'Dìdi' to Bookend Sundance London". Variety. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  13. ^ "准备好了吗？北京展映排片表来了，内含重大福利！" [Are you ready? The Beijing screening schedule is here, with great benefits!]. Beijing International Film Festival (in Chinese). Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  14. ^ "错过就不再！这届电影节最珍稀的放映，居然还有票？！" [Don't miss it! The rarest screening of this year's film festival, there are still tickets available? !]. Beijing International Film Festival (in Chinese). Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  15. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 14, 2024). "Focus Features Sets Summer Release For Sundance Award Winner 'Didi'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  16. ^ "Dìdi". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  17. ^ "Dìdi". Metacritic. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  18. ^ Horton, Adrian (January 26, 2024). "Dìdi review – a tender, specific rendering of adolescence on the early internet". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
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