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If you are a 90s kid, Sean Wang’s debut feature, Didi, will strike a different chord. It’s a trip down nostalgia lane, and as a coming-of-age comedy-drama, Didi stands out. Some moments will make you go, “Oh, I remember doing this as well,” and even though Wang’s experience as a first-generation Taiwanese living in the United States is personal, it is social media that makes the film so relatable. From writing silly remarks on a friend’s Facebook wall to pretending to be 18 to create an account, we’ve all been there. The shared experience as the first generation to experience social media, where nothing was right or wrong, you just did what you thought was cool. No one really cared about social media ‘aesthetics’; we loved oversharing and somehow convinced ourselves that writing the entire lyrics of our favorite song was the coolest thing to do!

Although Dìdi may initially start to play out as a coming-of-age type story focusing on a young man overcoming cultural barriers, it becomes obvious quite quickly that the heart of the film lies in the boy’s relationship with his mother and how exactly that shapes and directs his life.

Set during the summer of 2008, the film follows the exploits of a 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy who is coming to terms with his adolescence as well as an often confrontational relationship with his mother.

Director Sean Wang makes his narrative feature directorial debut – he previously helmed numerous shorts and a pair of feature-length documentaries with A Marble Travelogue (2021) and Lady of the Harbour (2017) – with this film. Given the emotional impact the film carries and the depth with which the story is handled, it portends more quality work from Wang as he continues to hone and define his narrative voice. Working from his own script,...

Chicago – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Scott Thompson on Wbgr-fm on August 1st, reviewing “Didi,” set in the summer of 2008, with a 13-year-old boy experiencing the season before Freshman Year. In theaters on August 2nd.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Asian teen Chris Wang, nicknamed Didi (Isaac Wang), is trying to figure out who he really is. He does this with the circumstance of an absent father away doing business in Taiwan, a shy mother (Joan Chen) and rebellious older sister (Shirley Chen) and an old fashioned grandmother nicknamed Nai Nai (Chang Li Hua). As Chris negotiates old friends, new friends, plus a potential girlfriend (Maheala Park) he gets a bit lost … while the other family members are having problems of their own.

”Didi” opens in theaters on August 2nd. Featuring Isaac Wang, Joan Chen, Shirley Chen, Chang Li Hua, Maheala Park. Written and directed by Sean Wang.

Sean Wang’s Sundance sensation Dìdi is a gorgeously told tale of growing up in the late noughties. Here’s our review.

Sean Wang’s Dìdi does something rather miraculous. It manages to capture a sense of a very specific time with its details while also telling a universal coming-of-age story from a unique point of view. If you grew up in the 2000s, listened to Paramore and spent your afternoons watching Youtube videos, this is a film for you.

Chris Wang (Izaac Wang) is a teenager growing up in California in 2008. He spends his free time skateboarding and causing mayhem with his friends while harbouring a crush on schoolmate Madi and worrying about how to kiss girls. Coming from a Taiwanese-American family, Chris is constantly pulled in different directions by the two cultures and identities.

In many ways, Dìdi feels almost like a prequel to Bo Burnham’s excellent Eight Grade.

The online hyper-specificity of Sean Wang’s portrait of a Taiwanese-American teen in 2008 makes it a triumphant coming-of-age tale

Dìdi, the feature debut from writer-director Sean Wang and one of the best new films of the year, risks cliche from the jump by zooming in on a literal calendar on the wall. The movie begins almost exactly 16 years ago, on 29 July 2008, and ends a few weeks later. Fourteen-year-old Chris Wang (Izaac Wang) – “Dìdi” to his Taiwanese-American family, “Wang Wang” to his childhood friends in suburban Fremont, California, “bigwang510” to his handful of YouTube viewers – is frittering away the summer between eighth and ninth grade the way most kids did then: part online, part hanging out, and everywhere a minefield of hot and sticky feelings.

Wang knows this period well, and the semi-autobiographical film is chock-full of specifically 2008 references – Livestrong bracelets, Motorola Krzr phones, Paramore Riot posters. Chris’s headstrong older...

Sean Wang’s coming-of-age film Dìdi follows a Taiwanese American boy named Chris as he experiences the tumult of his early teen years. Set in 2008 in California, it explores the insecurities and cultural clashes that shape adolescence. Director Wang drew from his own experiences growing up to craft a remarkably authentic portrait.

The film’s protagonist is 13-year-old Chris Wang, called “Dìdi” by his family. He finds himself caught between worlds as a Taiwanese child navigating American culture. Chris struggles with his identity among different social circles. At home, his heritage is celebrated, but he downplays it elsewhere, wanting acceptance. This summer, before high school, brings new questions about who he wants to be.

Wang captures it all with keen empathy. The period details from technology to fashion ring true, putting viewers back in the late 2000s. More than nostalgia, though, the film understands the messy dynamics of family, friendship,...

Back in 2008, MySpace was cool, flip phones were popular and it kinda sucked to be a 13-year-old boy. Technology has changed a lot since then, but as “Dìdi” — a touching, frequently hilarious coming-of-age story that unfolds in the early aughts — reminds us, the agony and indignity of being a teenager is timeless.

“Boyhood is messy,” says Sean Wang, the film’s 29-year-old writer and director, looking barely out of boyhood himself as he chats on Zoom from his living room. “And the experience of adolescence is pretty consistent across the generations. It’s why I can watch ‘400 Blows’ — a movie made before I was even born — and see myself in it.”

When “Dìdi” premiered at Sundance in January, where it earned some of the festival’s strongest reviews, lots of people saw themselves in Chris Wang, an awkward Taiwanese American kid growing up in the Bay Area. As he struggles to fit in,...

It is hard to fully capture into words the electrifying excitement of the room during the world premiere of Sean Wang's debut feature, “Dìdi (弟弟)”. Part of this might have been because of the audience; it seemed like half the crowd had been associated with Wang in some way, as cast, family, or friends. Part of it may have been because the film was the only Asian American entry this year in the US Dramatic Competition, which markedly departs from last year (which saw at least 3 selections). And, perhaps, part of it may be because of Sean Wang's own star on the rise. As a previous Sundance Institute Ignite Fellow and as a current Academy Award-nominated director (with short “Nai Nai & Wài Pó” in the running for this year's Oscars), Sean Wang has been at the forefront of attention of Asian American cinema as of late.

Accordingly, the audience was incredibly reactive.

Updated throughout with new buys. Despite some initial trepidation, big sales were not in short supply at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, with Netflix spending big on everything from “It’s What’s Inside” to “Skywalkers: A Love Story,” Searchlight Pictures going for “A Real Pain,” Amazon MGM getting in on the “My Old Ass” action, Neon wisely snapping up “Presence,” and Sony Pictures Classics getting down with “Kneecap”, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of superior films still looking for homes.

Of the still-for-sale titles that premiered at this year’s festival, there’s plenty to intrigue all sorts of buyers, from those looking for films with excellent performances that could inspire major awards pushes (like Saoirse Ronan in “The Outrun”), those in search of the next big director, or documentary lovers looking for films with incredible real world impact and fascinating true stories.

And while it’s still early days,...

A still from ‘Didi’ (Photo Courtesy of Sundance Institute)

Oscar nominee Sean Wang originally wrote Didi as a love letter to his friends, pulling memories from his childhood as inspiration for his feature film directorial debut. But along the way, Wang discovered Didi isn’t just a love letter for his friends, it’s also for his family, his hometown, and for anyone who feels they don’t belong.

Izaac Wang leads the cast as Chris Wang, also known as Wang-Wang to his friends and Didi to his mom Chungsing (Joan Chen), grandmother Nai Nai, and sister Vivian (Shirley Chen). Chris is 13 and preparing to enter the alien world of high school. Is he ready? No. Is anyone?

Sean Wang’s coming-of-age dramedy is set in 2008, which means Chris’s transformative summer comes at a time when Myspace is still a thing. Facebook and Dm’ing are busy attempting to push Myspace to the curb,...

Editor’s Note: This review was originally published during the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Focus Features will release “Dìdi” in theaters Friday, July 26.

Anybody who’s suffered through the experience of being a 13-year-old probably knew a boy who acted like Chris Wang (Izaac Wang). A braces-faced edgelord fresh out of middle school, Chris spends the summer of 2008 before freshman year tossing around casually sexist and homophobic jokes with his friends, surfing the web on his bulky PC, and generally acting like a self-destructive brat towards everyone around him. He’s horrifically unappreciative of his mother Chungsing (a wonderful Joan Chen) who’s left to look after her kids while her husband works in Taiwan, an outright demon to his college-bound older sister Vivian (Shirley Chen), and quick to push away and ignore his friends. But his bark doesn’t translate to any real bite; like many kids his age, all that bluster belies a sweet,...

The Inspired Money podcast, once named by Forbes as a Top 10 Personal Finance Podcast by a Financial Advisor, is thrilled to announce its evolution into a dynamic weekly livestream series. After publishing 273 weekly episodes over six years, the Inspired Money podcast is embracing a new, interactive format, which now brings a wealth of valuable insights and entertaining discussions to its expanding audience.

The transition to a livestream video format aims to revolutionize viewers' relationships with money by unveiling positive money stories, expert insights, and engaging discussions on a wide range of financial and lifestyle topics.

With 100 episodes planned, the Inspired Money livestream podcast will cover various personal finance topics, including budgeting, investing, financial independence, and retirement planning, as well as delve into lifestyle subjects such as watch collecting, wine collecting, collectible cars, personal development, negotiation, and the future of work. Certain episodes will emphasize the power of giving back, generosity,...

HBO Asia is to begin screening its first original romantic comedy series “Adventure of the Ring” from mid-December.

Joining other internationally-targeted shows made in Taiwan, “Adventure of the Ring” is directed by Helmed by Nelson Yeh and Kitamura Tayoharu.

The eight-part show is adapted from mathematician and author Lai I-Wei’s romance novel “Ring of the Day,” which tells the stories of different couples who come in contact with an engagement ring. Production is by Kbro Media’s Good Image Co. with the support of Taiwan Ministry of Culture (Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development) and the Taipei Film Commission.

The first two episodes will be uploaded to HBO and HBO Go from Dec. 13, 2020, with the remaining six instalments premiering one at a time on subsequent Sunday evenings.

The series stars Chris Wang (“Time Traveler,” “Love Family”) as a baseball-loving actuary, and Allison Lin (HBO’s “The World Between Us,...