Unveiling the Hidden Layers: A Scene-by-Scene Deep Dive into “The Big Sick” That Will Change How You See the Film Forever

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene breakdown. It is precisely what it sounds like: A list of all the scenes in the script accompanied by a brief description of the events that transpire.

For purposes of this exercise, I have a slightly different take on scene. Here I am looking not just for individual scenes per se, but a scene or set of scenes that comprise one event or a continuous piece of action. Admittedly this is subjective and there is no right or wrong, the point is simply to break down the script into a series of parts which you then can use dig into the script’s structure and themes.

The value of this exercise:

• We pare down the story to its most constituent parts: Scenes.
• By doing this, we consciously explore the structure of the narrative.
• A scene-by-scene breakdown creates a foundation for even deeper analysis of the story.

Today: The Big Sick (2017). You may download the script here.

Written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani.

IMDb plot summary: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family’s expectations, and his true feelings.

The Big Sick
Scene by Scene Breakdown
by Andrew Lightfoot
gointothestory.blcklst.com

Page 1 — Over black, Kumail is humoring a crowd about his life in Pakistan.

Page 1–5 — Kumail is backstage at a comedy club with fellow comedians Chris, Mary, and CJ. Mary finishes her set and informs them that Bob Dalavan is in the crowd. Kumail asks Dodd (the MC) for a ten-minute set, but is denied.

Kumail takes a peek at the crowd during CJ’s set and see Dalavan enjoying it.

Later on, it’s Kumail’s turn, he fails to amuse Dalavan but manages to get a “woo-hoo” from Emily.