Independent cinema has gone a long way since its early days of obscurity, and it continues to be surprising and manages to grow exponentially constantly. One of this year’s best independent films is The Big Sick, a film that may not be overly original or completely audacious in execution, but for what it lacks in originality, it makes up for in genuine heart, and sky-rockets towards the upper-tier of the list of the year’s most extraordinary films, one filled with outstanding performances and a story that is so hilarious but moving at the same time.

The Big Sick is based on the true story of how struggling Pakistani-American comedian Kumail Nanjiani (played by himself) met his future wife, Emily (played here by Zoe Kazan). Their romance is passionate and filled with joyful moments until Emily discovers that Kumail doesn’t see much of a future with her, as his strict Pakistani family refuses to allow Kumail to marry anyone who isn’t of Pakistani heritage. Their relationship falls apart, and it is only when Emily becomes incredibly sick with a mysterious infection that Kumail is thrust back into her life – whether that happens forcibly or by his own volition remains to be seen. As the days go on, Kumail stands alongside Emily’s eccentric parents Terry (Ray Romano) and Beth (Holly Hunter) as they try and save Emily in any way they can, and trying to stick together as strangers united for the same common cause.

What I love about independent movies, and in particular independent comedies, is that there are very often cases where an actor or comedian, known mainly for television or supporting roles in other films, are given the lead role in a film that helps define them as definitive stars and genuine cinematic leads. Kumail Nanjiani has been such a hard-working actor, toiling over his career in small supporting roles. In The Big Sick, Nanjiani plays himself in a film based on his own experiences – so it only stood to be beyond logical that the man himself would play the role. Not only is it a great role, Nanjiani gives a breathtakingly brilliant breakthrough performance that would surely land him as one of the more notable comedic actors, distant from his previous status as just a supporting player to other stars. In The Big Sick, Nanjiani is suitably endearing, constantly being a joyfully funny and entertaining presence, and more than anything else, his performance is deeply nuanced, as it becomes apparent that the passion behind this film was palpable – autobiographical to a fault, it represents Nanjiani and his wife telling a beautifully true story, and Nanjiani is astonishing in it.

Zoe Kazan has also been outstandingly hard-working throughout her career on both sides of the camera, and The Big Sick affords her another opportunity to show her skills as one of the brightest young comedic talents. Kazan is one of those actresses who just draw you in with her effortless charm – her doe-eyed sweetness combined with her feisty attitude that subverts stereotypes of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl (strangely enough, a trope that Kazan herself was guilty of perpetuating with films such as Ruby Sparks, a film she wrote and starred in). In The Big Sick, Kazan is astoundingly good, playing Emily as a woman on as much a search for meaning as Kumail, someone just hoping to find some sense of belonging in an unforgiving world. It is a subtle and deeply introspective performance that Kazan does beautifully, and even if a large majority of this film sees Kazan’s character in a medically-induced coma, she still gives one of the most heartfelt performances of the year.

However, as wonderful as Nanjiani and Kazan were, the secret weapon of The Big Sick was the supporting cast, most notably the two actors that played Emily’s parents. This is the kind of film that can bring out new sides of veteran actors, and The Big Sick gave two iconic performers (on different sides of the acting spectrum) the chance to give unique and delightful performances. Ray Romano gives arguably his best performance yet as the easy-going but subtly paranoid Terry. The performance retains much of Romano’s popular wise-cracking wit and everyman sensibilities but adds an enormous amount of heartfelt emotion into the role, and his performance, much like much of everything Romano has done, is based around paying tribute to fatherhood as a whole. Acting across from Romano is Holly Hunter, an extraordinary actress who isn’t necessarily obscure, but also sometimes unheralded for her talent. Playing Beth, the controlling and seemingly hard-hearted mother, Hunter is extraordinary – hilarious, moving and deeply profound in her dedication to creating a character that perhaps isn’t the friendliest, but does move you with her intense commitment to helping her daughter.

Romano and Hunter give performances that speak towards this film’s biggest strength – authenticity. There is an immense amount of genuine emotion in this film, and this film is inherently truthful in how it approaches the more serious and realistic topics such as religion and family. Nanjiani and Gordon wrote a film that reflects upon real-life while also commenting on common tropes, such as that of family. The families of these characters are shown to be three-dimensional and don’t fit into preconceived Hollywood notions of what is apparently true – the Muslim characters are not seen as dour and serious, but rather able to be lighthearted and analogous to any other family. The theme of family is strong in The Big Sick, and it serves to be a realistic and deeply meaningful tribute not only to love but also to family, a different kind of love that is nonetheless important and worth fighting for, just like any great romantic love.

What I love about independent cinema is how they are able to craft some truly offbeat romantic comedies. Last year, Michael Showalter (the director of The Big Sick) made an audacious and hilarious romantic comedy, Hello, My Name is Doris, starring the iconic Sally Field that also told the story of love in unconventional situations. The Big Sick continues this theme, showing how love isn’t necessarily as simple as mainstream romantic comedies seem – and even when popular romantic films have their fair share of dysfunction and tension (usually ending in an overly-sentimental ending), none of them quite show the threats to romance in the way that The Big Sick does – and considering that this film is based on facts, it just makes the portrayal of romance that much more extraordinarily unique. I would not regret outright stating that The Big Sick is one of the most audacious romantic comedies of the past few years, simply because it simultaneously subverts and embraces cliches of the genre.

The Big Sick is a fantastic film. The cast is absolutely wonderful, with Hunter and Romano being the standouts. It is a deeply personal film and one that is often very melancholy. However, it is also riotously hilarious, and I found myself laughing far more heartily at this film than I have for most films – there are few films that provide such genuine laughs in the most wonderful ways as much as The Big Sick, a true film of passion. The ending of this film is void of any cliches, and while it does have a seemingly stereotypical happy ending, it is one that is so authentic in its simplicity and endearing beauty that you will beam from ear to ear for hours. The Big Sick is a profound and mesmerizing little film, and an absolute gem that time will surely raise to the status of one of the most incredible films of the genre.