How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies
It’s not an exact 1-to-1 comparison, but the movie I found myself coming back to most in watching Pat Boonnitipat’s lovely drama was Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell.” Both films are about families struggling to make sure the end of life for a matriarch is comfortable. What distinguishes them the most is for whose benefit the characters are working in- in Wang’s film, it’s the grandmother’s; in “How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies,” the actions are driven by self-interest. As the film progresses, however, we see how M’s actions are changing him, and his perspective, more than he possibly anticipated when he decided to look after his grandmother.
There is no one way for families to look after loved ones whom are at end of life. When my mother-in-law passed away in 2022, it was a family responsibility taken on by many of the people who could take time to do so; they had home hospice come in to help, but ultimately, they took it upon themselves to take care of her, and do what they could for her at the end of her life. My mom is not in the same situation, so I had to put her in memory care when it was obvious she would not be able to take care of herself in a safe way anymore, and with my life being what it is, helping her out on a daily basis would have been difficult for my personal well-being. Sometimes, there’s not an easy way to help the ones we love, but when we do, it should be about them, not us. That is what M has to learn in this film, and it’s a beautiful lesson.
Grandma Menju (Usha “Taew” Seamkhum) is at the end of her life. The only one of her relatives with the courage to tell her is M (Putthipong “Billkin” Assaratanakul), her college dropout grandson whom lives with his mother, Sew (Sarinrat “Jear” Thomas), and hasn’t been able to make it as a video game streamer. His main thoughts are not towards his grandmother, but towards being left something when she dies. He’s not the only one; his uncles Kiang (Sanya “Duu” Kunakurn) and Soei (Pongsatorn “Phuak” Jongwilas)- one of whom has his own family, the other one is a deadbeat who’s struggled in life- also have motivations to be with her at the end. One of the intriguing things about the screenplay by Boonnitipat and Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn is that everyone is fairly straightforward with their intentions, and don’t have much of a poker face about it when they’re around Menju. This is what makes M’s time with her feel more valuable; little by little, we see some of his perspective change, even if it is fully the same.
We should not fault people for how much- or how little- time they spend with loved ones at the end. I know with my grandfather, some days it was easier than others to spend a lot of time with him; other days, a few minutes was all I could muster. With my mother, it’s largely depended on my work schedule, but since I no longer am expected to work every weekend, I often find myself going on Sunday for several hours, and we watch a movie or TV show she’s loved in the past. How we handle ourselves in the face of death is up to us, both for the person who’s dying, and for our own mental health. By focusing in on the dynamics between Menju and M, it’s easier for us to see this dilemma at work, and also see how the character’s actions are reacted to. This is a very tender story about growth and honoring those whom are at the end not just after they’ve gone, but before they leave us, and the performances by Taew and Billkin are lovely and beautiful. They are what I will take away from this film, which has a young man growing because he did something for one reason, and found himself doing it for more than just selfish needs by the end.
