2020 Directed by Sujata Day
The story of Monica Chowdry, a National Spelling Bee champ…from 15 years ago. Life hasn’t quite panned out as expected for Monica since her big win. When her estranged older brother returns home to help care for their sick mother, the siblings must find a way to reconcile.
USA
Bentonville Film Festival
UK15
USA
UK
USA
Sujata Day’s story about a contentious and strained relationship between siblings and the faded glory of a past spelling bee champion is a refreshing comedy that challenges perceptions of Indian-American culture.
Definition Please crushes the lazy stereotypes that are normally used, with characters either struggling through poverty or coming from affluent backgrounds. Immigrant parents’ expectations for their children to take up top posts in medicine, law, or engineering simply don’t factor into the characterisation (and welcomingly so). Instead, Definition Please’s ensemble are likeable yet flawed, leading very ordinary lives. Not everything is figured out and the sibling story feels accessible to all. Monica may be a has-been, but her past glory is now used to tutor future spellers and pass…
all over the place but i liked a lot of themes in it (what the fuck was that long ass scene where they performed a variety show for their mom lol that went on forever and the doctor auntie who kept hitting on her friend's son that she probably knew as a child was so gross/disgusting to watch, trying to show that Both aunties and uncles can be creeps??? idk what the intention was)
The word definitions fitted throughout that kind of served as an outline for where she was at the moment reminded me a little bit of better luck tomorrow, ig probably more strongly bc it's a diaspora film
Omg Richie Kim! Gotta tell the Rich Kim i…
I LOVED this movie so much. I'm so thankful that Sujata Day reached out to me to check out her debut feature. She is so talented and definitely a person to keep watch on. The film never relies on South Asian stereotypes and actually breaks a ton of them down.
FULL REVIEW AT SCREEN QUEENS
2020 RANKED
Edit: oh wow this was my 500th review
Disappointed. I think of the spelling bee champ now trying to figure it out later than you'd expect, mom with possibly fake illness, brother with serious mental condition, spelling bee champ now tutoring up-and-comers who may or may not want to be participating, and whatever other storylines, a few needed to be excised for this to have the necessary focus and room for growth for its characters.
But let's be clear, white dudes have made movies infinitely worse than this, been tabbed as promising, and gotten to direct, oh I don't know, a massive Jurassic Park sequel (I actually have a high rating for Safety Not Guaranteed on here, but you get the point). Let up-and-coming women and POC mess around and occasionally miss but take those growth opportunities and kill it later on. "Insecure" rules and talent and promise are clearly not in question here.
An intimate story about the struggles of a broken family to reckon with their past. Really nice how casually it portrays the Indian-American family dynamic, easing you into the cultural practices. Wonderful combo of friendship and sibling relationship at the heart of this. Simple, pleasant family dramedy that just works.
I appreciate the ambition and I empathize with the need to check a bunch of boxes when you feel like you’re representing an entire group of people, but this could’ve benefited from focusing on one or two specific topics. I thought the actual spelling bee storyline had potential and I loved how it wrapped up. literally everything else felt flat, forced, or awkward. how did they just skip over the mom & her friend being psychos lol also why did they force that woman who played the mom to speak with such an unnecessary accent?? what’s the point of making our own shit if nuances just amounts to oh she smokes weed!! And everything else is chai, mangoes and thums up??…
I’m so happy Definition Please has finally come out! This film and its portrayal of an Indian-American family is just so special to me. I can’t wait to see Sujata Day’s next project.
"What makes Definition Please different compared to any other Bollywood movie that I have seen before is the exploration of mental health and how it’s detrimental to the family dynamic if untreated. It shows the emotional toll that it takes on the Chowdry family, and the lack of support Sonny received, who is revealed to have bipolar disorder, from his sister.
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Day’s family dramedy challenges a lot of the expectations of the South Asian community. It’s a story about a family that struggles with the past, due to death and mental health, and how it affects them as a whole. It’s simple, compelling, and hilarious at the best of times, especially when the family shares beautiful moments together."
how do you get the rights to the patel brothers logo but not the scripps spelling bee
