The Farewell · reception & legacy
2019 · Lulu Wang
How The Farewell has been received, argued over, and remembered.
The arc
A Sundance 2019 sensation that out-grossed Endgame's per-theater average on opening weekend, it went from indie darling to Exhibit A in Oscar-snub discourse when the Academy gave it zero nominations; it's since settled in as one of the defining A24 films of its era.
What's debated
Film fans still relitigate its total Oscars shutout — 'Awkwafina was robbed' is a perennial refrain — alongside the debate the film itself invites: was the family's lie an act of love or a wrong?
Its footprint
The opening title card — 'Based on an actual lie' — became instantly quotable, and Awkwafina's Golden Globe win (the first for a performer of Asian descent as lead actress in a comedy/musical film) made the film a touchstone in conversations about Asian-American representation in Hollywood.
Where it stands
A Letterboxd-era favourite and a fixture of best-of-2019 and immigrant-cinema lists — firmly in the modern A24 canon.