“Dìdi,” (a term of endearment meaning younger brother) is what Chungsing Wang (Joan Chen) calls her son (Izaac Wang), but this Taiwanese teenager in Freemont, Calif., prefers his American name, Chris. This is one of the many conflicts Chris has with his mom, who embarrasses him in front of his friends or nags him about studying — especially since her friends’ kids are overachieving.
Writer/director Sean Wang’s debut feature “Dìdi,” based on his own life, is mostly Chris’ story. Set in 2008, the film amuses as it depicts the 13-year-old hanging out with his friends, chatting online, fumbling in his efforts to kiss his attractive classmate Madi (Mahaela Park) and filming skaters over the course of a summer. But it is the mother/son drama that provides “Dìdi” – which won the Sundance Film Festival Audience Award – with its big emotions.
