FILM REVIEW
‘Namesake’ highlights family ties

Film, literature and general conversations still echo Shakespeare’s Juliet when she mused, “What’s in a name?”

The importance of a name is sharply conveyed in the film “The Namesake” (Fox Searchlight), the tale of a Bengali family, the Gangulis, in America. It’s a small-budget film with an uplifting message about the importance of family.

“The Namesake” follows the Ganguli family from the arranged marriage of Ashoke and Ashima in India, followed by their move and life in America. The family grows with the birth of two children and the film eventually focuses on the adult lives of the children.

Narrated by Ashima and Gogol — the eldest child and only son of the family — the story revolves around the growth of both characters through their relationships with Ashoke.

When their first son is born, the family puts “Gogol” on his birth certificate. They plan to use “Gogol” as a pet name until Ashima’s grandmother can choose a “good name.”

As Gogol and his younger sister begin to grow, Ashoke and Ashima move to the suburbs to raise their children in a culture they both still struggle to understand. When Gogol begins kindergarten, he informs his principal that instead of going by his “good name” — “Nickel” — he wants to be called Gogol.

The name sticks until Gogol, who is later plagued by the uniqueness of his name, legally changes his name to Nickel upon his high school graduation. As he changes his name, he changes his life, moving into a closer relationship with his girlfriend’s American family and farther away from the Bengali family and culture.

Based on Jhumpa Lahiri’s award-winning novel, “The Namesake” stays true to its original form in content, style and impact. The story is changed in only trivial ways and the rich tapestry of culture and scenery painted on the pages of Lahiri’s novel play out marvelously on the big screen.

The depth of characters in “The Namesake” is an incredible accomplishment that must be credited to the impeccable acting from the men and women who seem to have been born for these roles.

Kal Penn is wonderful as Gogol. The transformation of Gogol, from pushing away his Bengali culture in his young adult years to the dramatic embrace of his past life later, is moving.

Tabu, a well-known Indian actress, astounds as Ashima Ganguli. She captures the essence of a young woman who leaves her childhood family in India and the mother who fears the loss of her own family to an unknown American culture.

Tabu’s portrayal of the dichotomy within Ashima — the stoic Indian woman she presents to the outside world and the deep emotions she carries inside — is the strongest performance in the film.

“The Namesake” is a thought-provoking film that assesses the concept of family. It shows how true mourning — a person’s heartfelt acceptance of death — can lead to new life. There are few films that have done a superior or more moving treatment of the subject.

In “The Namesake,” death is so deeply felt by the characters that, in the end, it becomes a tragedy that betters the life of those left behind.

Visually, verbally and thematically beautiful, “The Namesake” is a film worth seeing with one’s own family. The absence of even a single weak performance takes a story that the world should know and catapults it into an astounding reality.

The story and performances that bring the audience into the world of “The Namesake” will keep viewers reflecting on life, death and family long after the film reel stops spinning.

Currently, “The Namesake” is only playing at Harkins Camelview 5 in Scottsdale.

Rebecca Bostic is a regular contributor to The Catholic Sun. Comments are welcome. Please send e-mail to letters@catholicsun.org.