The Farewell (movie review)

The Farewell is a touching story of how one (Chinese) family deals with the news that the matriarch (grandma, played by the wonderful Zhao Shuzhen) has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. They decide the Chinese way is to keep the news from her. But her Chinese-born, American-raised granddaughter (excellently played by Awkwafina) thinks they should tell her the truth. The family  speeds up a grandson's wedding so they will all have a reason to visit Grandma back in China to say goodbye (without telling her that that's what they're doing).

The grandmother is a force of nature who realizes something is wrong with her health but her family conspires to have all the health reports say she just has "benign shadows" and nothing serious. So she forges ahead with the wedding plans and enjoys having family around. While there are some uniquely Chinese customs featured, such as visiting grandpa's grave and bringing gifts he enjoyed in life, a lot of the movie is just a typical family and its interactions during times of stress.   And despite the sad subject matter, there are some very funny scenes.