The Big Sick with Emily V. Gordon

Let Me Watch Your Movie With You

This week, Jonah watches The Big Sick with dear friend and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Emily V. Gordon!

In 2006, when Emily and actor Kumail Nanjiani were newly dating, she developed a sudden life-threatening illness and was placed in a medically induced coma. After a lengthy recovery period, Emily and Kumail adapted that harrowing experience into The Big Sick.

Emily chats with Jonah about molding their story into a version that works for the screen, the unique scenes women identify with most, how her background as a therapist helps her figure out characters' motivations, when to take notes and when to stick to your guns, combatting writer's block, and how award nominations become an unexpected second job.

Links

• Find out where you can watch The Big Sick
• Stream Emily's series Little America on Apple TV+
• Read Emily's book Super You
• For writing advice, Emily and Jonah recommend Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder, Dan O'Bannon's Guide to Screenplay Structure, The Secrets of Story by Matt Bird, and Michael Arndt's free lectures on Beginnings and Endings
• Follow Emily on Twitter and Instagram

Thank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.