Dìdi Explained

Dìdi
Director:Sean Wang
Music:Giosue Greco
Cinematography:Sam A. Davis
Editing:Arielle Zakowski
Distributor:Focus Features
Runtime:91 minutes[1]
Country:United States
Gross:$3 million[2]

Dìdi 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

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

Production

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

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 had its international premiere at the Beijing International Film Festival on April 19, 2024.[10] [11] It closed the 11th edition of Sundance London on June 9, 2024.[12] [13] [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.

Critical reception

[16] [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]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dìdi. Sundance Film Festival. January 16, 2024. January 16, 2024. https://archive.today/20240116213252/https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/656a00aafac9f452e4c03eff. live.
  2. Web site: Didi. Box Office Mojo. August 21, 2024. July 14, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240714063454/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4266885121/?ref_=bo_da_table_11 . live.
  3. News: Buchanan . Kyle . 2024-01-26 . 'In the Summers,' a Father-Daughters Tale, Wins the Top Prize at Sundance . 2024-01-28 . . en-US . 0362-4331.
  4. Web site: Fremont Flirt: Sean Wang Begins Production on Sundance-Labbed "Dìdi". ION Cinema. Eric. Lavalee. July 19, 2023. January 16, 2024. January 13, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240113082148/https://www.ioncinema.com/news/american-indie-film-news/sean-wang-didi. live.
  5. Web site: Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Sean Wang, the Writer-Director of "Dìdi (弟弟)". Sundance Film Festival. Lucy. Spicer. January 8, 2024. January 16, 2024.
  6. Web site: August 22, 2022 . Meet the 2022 SFFILM Rainin Grant Winners . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220929165547/https://sffilm.org/meet-the-2022-sffilm-rainin-grant-winners/ . September 29, 2022 . January 16, 2024 . SFFILM.
  7. Web site: Meet the Sundance Institute 2023 Directors, Screenwriters, and Native Lab Fellows. Sundance Film Festival. April 27, 2023. January 16, 2024. November 1, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231101065110/https://www.sundance.org/blogs/meet-the-sundance-institute2023-directors-screenwriters-and-native-lab-fellows/. live.
  8. Web site: Sundance Unveils Packed 2024 Lineup That Includes A.I., Pedro Pascal, Kristen Stewart, Satan, Devo & Steven Yeun. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. Dominic. Patten. December 6, 2023. January 16, 2024. January 11, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240111194042/https://deadline.com/2023/12/2024-sundance-film-festival-lineup-movies-1235652869/. live.
  9. Web site: Focus Features Buys Sundance Coming-of-Age Movie 'Didi'. Variety. Brent. Lang. Rebecca. Rubin. January 31, 2024. January 31, 2024.
  10. Web site: 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! . 2024-06-04 . Beijing International Film Festival . zh-cmn-hans.
  11. Web site: 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? ! . 2024-05-03 . Beijing International Film Festival . zh-cmn-hans.
  12. Web site: Didi. South by Southwest. February 7, 2024.
  13. Web site: SXSW 2024 Second Wave Includes Pics With Sydney Sweeney, Nicolas Cage, Camila Mendes & 'Monkey Man'. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. February 7, 2024. February 7, 2024.
  14. Web site: 'Kneecap,' 'Dìdi' to Bookend Sundance London. Variety. Naman. Ramachandran. 4 April 2024. 4 April 2024.
  15. Web site: Focus Features Sets Summer Release For Sundance Award Winner 'Didi'. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. February 14, 2024. February 14, 2024.
  16. Web site: Dìdi . August 7, 2024 . Rotten Tomatoes . en.
  17. Web site: Dìdi . 2024-02-05 . Metacritic . en.
  18. News: Horton . Adrian . 2024-01-26 . Dìdi review – a tender, specific rendering of adolescence on the early internet . 2024-02-05 . . en-GB . 0261-3077.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Dìdi".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.