'The Farewell': Love, Lies, and Family Ties

The Envelope - A podcast by Los Angeles Times - Thursdays

When filmmaker Lulu Wang pitched 'The Farewell,' the semi-autobiographical story of her family’s efforts to keep her grandmother from learning of her Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, studio executives pushed for a white love interest, and a Chinese version of ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding.’ But Wang stuck to her vision, and refused to resort to a predictable storyline. Will this tale of an American immigrant family be the indie hit for the summer of 2019?