Dìdi: a brilliantly mortifying coming-of-age tale for the Myspace era

In its opening scene, Dìdi introduces us to Chris Wang and his intergenerational immigrant family in the middle of domestic strife. ‘Dìdi’ – the younger brother – is what Chris’s family calls him, and it’s the identity he’s seeking to escape. This is not a poverty-torn situation of desperation. But still, each character is in the middle of transition, and tensions regularly flare  at the dinner table. Grandma (Zhang Li Hua) is old enough to fall and hurt herself, and resentful of being dumped in suburban California by an absentee son. Mom Chungsing (Joan Chen), who looks after her unruly teenagers and haranguing mother-in-law, is an amateur painter with some talent. Older sister Vivian (Shirley Chen), who mercilessly teases and is teased by her younger brother, can’t wait to leave home for college. But 13-year-old Chris (Izaac Wang) is the film’s bleeding heart, as he moves between the agonising humiliations and triumphs of teen crushes and friendships and learns that his actions have consequences. 

Taking place over the summer of 2008 in the Chinese and Indian immigrant enclave of Fremont, California, the film overflows with period- and place-specific talismans. Details of wardrobe and set design, such as wall calendars and college sweatshirts, nod to the two worlds that Chris is torn between: a suburban Asian America striving for upward mobility versus skateboard slacker cool. Significant plot points are established through Chris’s use of AIM (that’s AOL Instant Messenger), MySpace and YouTube.

The cast and crewing contribute to the community feel. Joan Chen’s role as the mother gets progressively more meaty as the film progresses, mirroring the actor’s recent career resurgence (she’s about to appear in the remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 film The Wedding Banquet).

A semi-autobiographical tale, its faithful recreation of childhood milieu is punctured at moments of heightened emotional distress by fantasy: a talking fish during a charged lunch, more oddities during a bad first experience with drugs. Director Sean Wang’s script displays a knack for turning vulgarity into earnestness. After a series of mortifying events involving his crush, Chris tries too hard to be cool and ends up tipping over into offensiveness; instead of defensiveness, he expresses wounded vulnerability and shame. In the film’s third act, Chris’s mounting blunders lead to an unexpected and heartfelt argument with his mother. Wang presents it all without leaning into sentimentality, a reassuringly-embarrassing reminder of how messy it is to be a teen. 

 ► Dìdi is in UK cinemas from 2 August.