Dealing with Dad is a topical family comedy with an Asian-American cast. Three adult siblings – the super-achiever oldest sister, the passive middle brother and the infantilized youngest brother, a gaming slacker – meet at their parents’ home. The dad, whose harsh and never-bending expectations battered them as kids, has become paralyzed (and defanged) by severe depression.
Although Dealing with Dad is a comedy, its strengths are in addressing two serious subjects – depression and the issues that many second-generation Asian-Americans face because of their immigrant parents’ parenting styles.
The differences between the siblings spawn lots of laughs, but I found the banter a bit too sit-commy for my taste.
Bay Area audiences will appreciate that Dealing with Dad is set in MILPITAS.
I screened for the 2022 Cinequest. It started rolling out in theaters on May 19.