As someone who grew up in Fremont and was chewed up and spit out by its infamously stressful school district, I was hesitantly awaiting the debut of DIDÍ, excited and hopeful for a fresh new story from my hometown. Instead, I was disappointed by a lackluster film that lacked impact and dwelled too long on inconsequential moments and storylines.
While the plot movement was sluggish and unimaginative, strong performances from Izaak Wang and Joan Chen work to elevate the writing into something at least personable. Wang’s angst and restlessness as young Chris plays as perfect foil to Chen’s restraint and melancholy as Chris’s mother.
It also must be said that the basis of the movie is a clever and unique one; the fact that Sean Wang was able to make a movie about the experience of a child of an immigrant living in Fremont, California, is a feat within itself. That being said, I wish that the setting had played a more concrete role in the plot and that Wang had integrated more aspects of the Bay Area and aspects of the unique cultural and social norms that shape those that grow up there.
Throughout, DIDÍ attempts to be humorous, slow, wacky, reflective, and so much more. Instead, it simply feels indecisive, and the erratic tone of the film makes it difficult to notice and appreciate any subtleties. Ultimately, DIDÍ fails to deliver the emotional gut punch that makes an iconic coming-of-age film like LADYBIRD or OF AN AGE.
The film is ripe with characters and relationships worth delving into, yet so much is ignored for unimportant storylines and forced middle-school-esque drama. With more focus and specificity, DIDÍ could have been an iconic ode to the intricacies of growing up in the Bay Area. Instead, it is a laundry list of cliched plot points and underbaked conflicts that are only worth experiencing if you want to see the Mission Hills or the Mission San Jose High School clocktower in the back of a shot.
DIDÍ is now in theaters.