Growing up can be a challenge, especially if you are not the idealistic version of what is usually considered successful. The adolescent years can be truly treacherous, and once you reveal yourself to have interests or hobbies that fall outside the status quo, or even come from a community that is viewed as fodder for playful mockery, you are essentially in a position where those already difficult years will only become more impossible to navigate. Sean Wang joins a growing list of talented young directors who make their debuts with coming-of-age stories, his coming in the form of Dìdi, a genuinely moving and heartfelt comedy in which he draws from his own personal experiences as the son of Chinese immigrants growing up in California in the mid-2000s, attempting to find his place within his peer group, which often involves hiding his identity or origins, in the hopes that he can avoid being viewed through the lens of very common stereotypes that his classmates are willing to fling about recklessly, not realizing the harm they can do a developing mind. A beautifully poetic and wickedly entertaining film that combines heartfelt humour with gentle melancholy, Dìdi is a truly wonderful entry into the growing canon of personal coming-of-age narratives that provide deeply insightful glimpses into the journey between childhood and adulthood, focusing on those challenging teenage years in which we often find contribute the most to our personal development, since it is during this time that many of us discover who we truly are, and begin to develop ambitions towards the future – whether they are realistic or not is a different matter entirely, since it points towards the person we are beneath the surface. Charming to a fault, audacious in a way that may come as a surprise, and simply heartbreakingly beautiful in between the moments of unhinged hilarity, Wang achieved something truly special with Dìdi, a complex and engaging story that tackles subjects that are simultaneously both deeply personal and unexpectedly universal in many ways, and which proves to be one of the year’s most lovable surprises.

Whether delivered as a comedy or drama (or perhaps the rare instance of an entirely different genre), the coming-of-age narrative is hardly new to literature, and there is an argument to be made that it is one of the oldest structural tropes in the history of every artistic medium to an extent. However, they are continuously being produced, primarily because they are opportunities for artists to express themselves through telling stories that are often going to be extremely resonant to a wide audience, since while the personal experiences or intricate details may be somewhat limited to an extent, there are usually aspects that pander to the universal experience of growing up and journeying towards adulthood. The key is to present these stories in a way that is original and compelling, rather than simply relying on common tropes. Wang understands the process since he crafts Dìdi to be far more than a simple exploration of a few weeks in the life of its young protagonist. In terms of both form and content, the film takes many fascinating risks, some of which may not even be obvious at a cursory glance. Firstly, this is a very personal story – Wang doesn’t market it as an autobiographical tale, but it is clear that he is speaking from a place of experience, modelling the main character of Chris Wang (affectionately known to his family as the titular “Dìdi”) on himself, and immediately filtering his upbringing through this character. It’s not so much the story that matters – in fact, it has a very subtle stream-of-consciousness approach to the narrative process – as it is the way the director crafts a truly engaging, subversive story by cobbling together a few key moments and delivering them in a manner that is insightful and heartfelt, while still being very much aligned with what audiences expect from the genre. Even the most heartwrenching moments are delivered with a quiet stoicism that reflects the director’s insistence on creating something honest, rather than attempting to stir a reaction without any real substance or merit lingering beneath.

However, as strong as it may be as a simple coming-of-age narrative, there are further layers to Dìdi that aren’t solely restricted by this specific component. Instead, we find that the film is as much a story of a young boy growing up and maturing in a very particular time and place as it is about culture, which is perhaps the single most important element of the film, as it is the thread that binds everything together. Wang looks at his childhood experiences with a lot of affection, but it’s his efforts to filter them through a touching story that celebrates his culture that makes the film unique. It is not the first story about the experiences of someone growing up as a child of immigrants, which anyone who comes from a similar background will recognize as not being easy in the slightest, but one that only strengthens them and makes them more proud of their upbringing. Wang is not at all interested in lecturing about the plight of those who had to struggle for acceptance but rather presents a tender and loving tribute to his own culture, particularly the intersection between his Chinese heritage and his own developing identity as a first-generation American, which leads to some thrilling and very moving moments of genuinely touching commentary. The mere fact that a large portion of this film is spoken in the native tongue of the director’s family is already a clear indication of what he was hoping to achieve – language itself is a powerful narrative tool, and the many conversations in which both languages are spoken in tandem (usually in a call-and-response manner between the two) represents the clear division in how the various characters view their culture, and the gradual sense of growth embodied by the two main characters, as well as those on the periphery, is exceptionally strong and speaks volumes to how the director reflects on his culture, both from the perspective of when he was a young boy ashamed to be the child of immigrants and now as an adult, where he has grown to not only appreciate where he comes from but being exceptionally proud of his origins. Dìdi is a film about identity more than anything else, which is where the collision between the coming-of-age narrative and cultural specificity are most effective, showing the challenges that one encounters when they are trying to find oneself and define their identity, which is perhaps the most universal aspect of this entire film, and the element that grounds it within reality. 

There are many attempts at genuine empathy throughout this film, with the emotions being very realistic and never pandering to the obvious, which applies to both narrative strands of the film. Instead, authenticity is the primary goal – there are few films in this genre that have managed to achieve such a profound level of authenticity to both the period in which it is set and the underlying conversations this one. Wang chooses to situate the film in 2008, which aligns with his own early adolescent years, and therefore a lot of what we find in Dìdi can be considered to be very much taken from his own experiences. It seems like a trivial detail and one that doesn’t necessarily hold much narrative merit until we come across the painstaking level of detail to which he went to evoke the period. This is a film about a character that spends most of his time online, so the commitment to replicating those early, awkward days of Facebook, MySpace and YouTube (which were cornerstones of the upbringing of his generation), as well the cultural circumstances that surrounded this era is remarkable. Anyone who came of age around the time in which this film is set will find a lot of value in Wang’s perspective, which is firmly rooted in evoking a sense of nostalgia, albeit not one that is ever misplaced in terms of its intentions. He isn’t striving to make us feel sentimental about the past (although there is a simplicity that is shown within these characters’ interactions that is very affectionate and touching, in comparison to the more chronically-online nature of contemporary adolescent life), but rather craft a meaningful time capsule of an era that was filled with many changes, as seen through the perspective of a young protagonist struggling to make sense of the world that surrounds him, which proves to be an enormous and intimidating challenge, but one he nonetheless manages to conquer once he allows himself to be liberated from the constant peer pressure, and instead embraces himself as an individual on his own journey, with the film’s perpetual efforts to never over-amplify the more distinct emotions, and instead embracing the underlying themes in a manner that is earnest and authentic, that gives Dìdi such a wonderfully endearing tone and one that is far more compelling than other similarly-themed films.

Dìdi is a film in which its roots are firmly planted within the work being done by the actors, who anchor the story and give it the layers of nuance that would be otherwise impossible to achieve without their exceptional and heartfelt performances. The role of Chris is played by Izaac Wang, who has appeared in a few projects so far, but who finally gets the opportunity to play a more complex character. There is a tendency for protagonists of coming-of-age films to be cyphers, essentially being written as mostly vague, conventional characters without too much substance, and where they are mainly asked to exist within complex socio-cultural ecosystems and react where necessary. This is not the case with the younger Wang, who brings nuanced, earnest and genuine attention to detail in playing this part, developing the titular character to be a much more complex individual. Many of us will be able to see ourselves reflected in this character – the insecurity, anxiety and desire to fit in are all common, universal themes that Wang beautifully assimilates into the fundamental fabric of the film, and which reflects in the protagonist’s performance, which is beyond spellbinding and truly quite exceptional. The other truly incredible performance (and maybe covertly the best aspect of the film as a whole) is the performance given by Joan Chen, who makes a triumphant return to film after several years of more sporadic, rare appearances. One of the great actors of her generation, and someone whose ability to harness both her exceptional expressivity and ability to curate her talents to play many different kinds of roles. She is truly remarkable as the titular character’s mother, who is essentially raising two children by herself while her husband works abroad, and who dedicates her time to investing in their future, all the while trying to pursue her own ambitions on the side – the moments in which we are given glimpses into this character’s mind are beautiful and poignant, and Chen works closely with the director to create a portrait of a woman trying to do her best, and who keeps persisting through the challenges, knowing that she is on the right path with her children and that all she needs to be is a parent who gives them the right amount of love and discipline, and everything else will eventually fall into place. There is an argument that Dìdi is covertly Wang’s tribute to his own mother, and the extent to which he draws attention to Chen’s beautiful, heartfelt performance only further adds credence to this idea.

Wang is a singular voice (which we already knew with his magnificent short documentary Nai Nai & Wài Pó last year), and Dìdi only further proves that he is on the precipice of becoming one of the most exciting young directors working today – his visual style and attention to detail is clearly very much indicative of a broad set of skills, as is his beautiful and poetic approach to celebrating the life and times of ordinary people as they go about their day-to-day routine, experiencing life as it is given to them and attempting to overcome challenges that stand in their way. Dìdi is not a particularly complex film, since it tells a simple story of a protagonist who is confronted with various obstacles as he makes his way through his adolescent years, battling peer pressure, an overbearing family that has many its flaws, and his insecurities, all of which are contrasted with a poignant examination of culture, and how one’s upbringing and heritage plays a pivotal role in their development, and how what can be considered an honourable series of traditions for some can be the root of embarrassment for others, creating a major divide based around something as tricky to define as identity. Wang navigates all of these concepts with incredible consistency, creating a beautiful and poetic examination of the world and all the ways it can be wonderfully unpredictable, allowing us to learn from the mistakes that we come across along the way. It’s earnest, heartfelt and wildly funny, and is told with a sincere and loving appreciation for its characters and the world in which they reside. Wonderfully quirky but filled with depth and nuance, Dìdi is truly one of the year’s most endearing, compelling comedies, and a film that offers genuinely moving insights into the process of growing up, a terrifying journey that we can overcome simply by embracing the unknown and taking it one day at a time.