User Reviews

How does a filmmaker combine humor and drama in a story about a 27 year old man diagnosed with cancer? Easy: Just give them equal measure with the title 50/50 -- light treatment of a dark subject.

Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) has to deal not only with his own emotions when he is diagnosed, but also those of a close friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen), an inveterate partier and ribald quipper, and his chronically worrisome mother (Anjelica Huston). Losing his girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) along the way adds to the potential downbeat.

Yet director Jonathan Levine and writer Will Reiser keep it all as upbeat as possible, not in small part due to Rogen's constantly funny chatter, which comes at just the right times as the plot gets heavy with cancer surviving techniques (the film turns out to show the way to battle: with humor).

Of course, Rogen has had training playing a similar role in Funny People with Adam Sandler. No one plays a weed-smoking buddy better than he. Gordon-Levitt is also an actor who can just about better than anyone else play the soulful, endearing, slow-moving romantic as he did in (500) Days. As a cancer victim, he engages the audience in observation of a vulnerable hero, who fights with a serenity and equanimity that could be a model for those wishing to survive and those who wish to help.

50/50 is a comedy with compassion, a distant cousin to the prevalent bromances that rarely treat the support men give each other in times of real danger. Usually it's vacuous women who supply that danger and significant support. Hooray for the men this time.

Most movies don't know how to handle cancer. Heck, most people don't know how to handle cancer — and I'm not talking about the patients. Cancer, or any other terminal illness for that matter, almost always plays some kind x-factor in a film — that is when a film even dares to enter a realm often deemed depressing and "not for the movies." Most often, scripts will position cancer as a tearjerking emotional turning point in a film or as the initial spark of some banal "live life to the fullest" comedy.

"50/50" puts an end to that. Written semi-autobiographically by cancer survivor Will Reiser, it would seem it takes one to write one. Although cancer drives the entire story, the story doesn't fixate on cancer or melodramatize the terrible truths we already know about potentially fatal illness. Perhaps you could tell as much from the trailer thanks to some typical Seth Rogen antics, but the injection of contemporary R-rated humor is neither irreverent, insensitive nor an attempt to simply put a positive spin on a depressing subject. Life — believe it or not — doesn't stop for cancer. People don't sit in the hospital the entire time and then lie at home in bed the rest. Reiser's story provides a mostly unforced and honest depiction of a young man's diagnosis and treatment for potentially fatal spinal cancer, one where cancer isn't the conflict in and of itself, but the way it so dramatically changes the behavior of the people whose lives it enters and positively and negatively alters relationships.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt continues his spree of playing absolutely lovable main characters as Adam, a play-it-safe 27-year-old who after the initial shock handles his diagnosis in stride, keeping his ups and downs internal other than when the script cues him to let it out a bit. The more external symptoms come from Adam's girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard), best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) and mother (Anjelica Huston).

Other than focusing on these relationships, director Jonathan Levine ("The Wackness") puts particular emphasis on character perspective, which will change instantaneously at points throughout the film. In one terrific sequence, Adam enters the hospital for his first chemo treatment and gets bummed out by all the sick and ailing people in the hallway. After the older men he meets while getting treatment (Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer) give him some marijuana-filled pastries, he leaves down the same hallway high as a kite, suddenly elated despite the same negative images lining the hall. Levine understands that so much of how you deal with cancer relates to mood and perspective at any given time.

Levine coaxes brilliant and thoughtful performances out of his actors. Even though Rogen exerted his usual shtick a bit more than needed, he handles his character as written, someone who wants desperately to help his best friend but hides behind shallow self-centered form of support that many men turn to because they can't communicate emotions all that well.

The women of "50/50" also deliver if not more so. Howard's character is an unlikable mess but she gives her performance convincingly. Anjelica Huston perfects the ideal on-screen mother, the best since Melissa Leo's Oscar-winning mother in "The Fighter." Anna Kendrick also continues to blow me away with her talent. She plays a psychiatrist working on her PhD who receives Adam as just her third patient. She gives such lifelike quirks to her characters and Katie plays right to her strengths.

But in a drama/comedy about cancer, the key lies in tone and for that Levine should become an A-list director. "50/50" could have easily turned into a Hollywood hack-job like the various comic-toned cancer films before it, a film that either overplays the dramatic or overcompensates with the humorous, but "50/50" might be one of film's best balancing acts between the two. The shifts feel completely natural between moments of deep sentiment and moments of levity. Those who can't help but fixate on this being a movie about cancer will likely have to remind themselves to feel serious when "50/50" just wants you to simply absorb it as you would any other film.

Other than some predictable moments and plot devices to give the film a nicer Hollywood sheen, "50/50" provides a genuine and heartfelt movie experience, one that neither goes for the emotional sucker punch nor the sugarcoated version. Instead of making us look at cancer in a specific way, it makes us look at the way we look at cancer — or any uncomfortable subject — the way we talk about it or don't talk about it, the way we interact with those who live with it and the way we cope with it ourselves. That way when someone we love has a serious problem, we can ultimately do what's best for that person.

~Steven C

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Greetings again from the darkness. The great Richard Pryor had a portion of his act dedicated to having a heart attack, based on his real life experience. I guess if he can generate laughter from a coronary, there is no reason writer Will Reiser and director Jonathan Levine (The Wackness) can't view Cancer as Comedy. There is little doubt that the subject matter of this film will limit its audience, but for those brave souls who give it a shot, I believe you will find it funny, touching and insightful.

The film introduces us to Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who is a very nice, very normal, very low-key guy who works at a radio station as a writer ... a very conscientious radio writer. Adam experiences a nagging pain in his back, which is unusual for a healthy 27 year old. After a few tests, the emotionless doctor informs him that he has a rare spinal cancer ... also very unusual for a healthy 27 year old. From this point forward, the film borders on brilliance at times.

Adam's girlfriend is played by Bryce Dallas Howard; his mother by Angelica Huston; and his best friend by Seth Rogen. Each reacts in different ways to Adam's diagnosis, but what's really interesting is not just how these people react, but also how Adam reacts. He moves forward in his meticulous manner, but all the while we know the emotions are brewing. We see this in his sessions with his therapist-in-training played by Anna Kendrick.

Seth Rogen's character is basically a carbon copy of his act in 40 Year Old Virgin. He spews profane one-liners faster than our ears can process. Despite the aggressive front, Rogen's character is a friend with a heart ... and one who doesn't hesitate to share his medicinal marijuana.

So while Rogen's character generates much of the laughter, the real treasure of this film is in the subtleties of each character in certain moments ... and each character has their moment. Many will compare this to Adam Sandler's film Funny People, which also starred Seth Rogen. But this movie has infinitely more depth and substance than that one offered.

My warning: brace yourself. My theatre was filled with tears and sniffles, with significant laugh out loud moments mixed in. This is an emotional, self-reflective film that will confound you as you inexplicably laugh while listening to cancer talk.

Mixing cancer and comedy doesn't seem like it should go so well, but 50/50 is a film that makes it work. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Adam, a 27 year old easy going guy who unexpectedly gets diagnosed with cancer. The film details his struggle to beat the disease and all the hardships that come along with having to fight a disease as crippling as cancer at such a young age. Adam is surrounded by various other people in his life that all influence him in different ways. Seth Rogen plays his best friend, Kyle, who always tries to help Adam out, but doesn't always know how to go about it. Anna Kendrick plays Adam's therapist, Katherine, whose attempts to help Adam cope with the cancer work at times, but at other times she just can't find the right way to connect with the grieving youngster. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Adam's girlfriend and Anjelica Houston is one of the strongest characters, Adam's overprotective mother. The film is a compassionate tale of love and friendship while simultaneously being a raunchy pothead comedy. The overlap is strange, but it works incredibly well.

There are so many ways to do a comedy film about cancer wrong, but very few ways to do it right. 50/50 thankfully manages to find the sweetspot of this risky terrain and succeeds in being a charmingly touching film as well as a wildly hilarious one. The writer of the film, Will Reiser, based the film on his own experiences with fighting and beating cancer at a young age, and his passion and understanding of this story shine beautifully through the film and its characters which surely all resemble Reiser's own friends and family in some way. 50/50 doesn't lean too far to either side of the comedy versus drama spectrum and it always maintains a consistent level of heartwarming hilarity balanced with touching sincerity. The drama and comedy weave in and out of each other perfectly and seamlessly with neither genre feeling inappropriate or out of place. It is sincere filmmaking at its finest.

Moreover, 50/50 just does a great job with its balance of genres, but also with the overall story and the great characters within that story. We grow such passionate empathy for Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a way I never thought could be possible. The film draws us into his troubled world so well and we are rooting for him all the way, cheering on his every move and growing more and more attached to him with every passing moment. We also grow to love the supporting cast who, with the exception of one particular character but I won't spoil anything, support Adam through all his hard times. The characters are all so well written and they play their key roles in Adam's life perfectly. 50/50 is a movie structured to where every character serves a major purpose in furthering Adam's development as well as the development of the plot. And so as we watch the relationships between Adam and the people in his life grow and fade we develop a deeper understanding of his character, making 50/50 an incredibly human story.

It's always nice to be so surprised by a film's quality. I expected good things from 50/50 from the first time I saw a trailer, but the movie itself exceeded my expectations. It is what the dramady subgenre is all about. It is a film tailor made to be the subgenre's posterchild. I laughed, I lamented, and I was brought close to tears at how heartwarming and touching of a film 50/50 is.

After playing a bad boy rocker with a full head of hair, Joseph Gordon-Levitt now plays a nervous Cancer-patient with no hair at all. 50/50 is loosely based on the story of Will Reiser, who wrote this film, and is telling us his story and struggle through the character Adam.

Adam is played by Levitt, a marvelous actor who is continuing his string of quirky, yet well made independent films where he plays an off-the-wall protagonist. Adam is twenty-seven and works for a Seattle radio company. He is informed that he has a rare form of Cancer called Neurofibrosarcoma, and is told he only has a 50% chance of living with it. Frustrated, but moving day by day in a seemingly calm manner with his buddy Kyle (Rogen), Adam continues his long journey only to be bothered by his annoying, self-centered girlfriend (Howard) frequently. Through thick and thin, Adam starts to cope with his disease and manages to stay calm for most of the picture.

We all have to die at one point. It's part of the life. But I can't imagine the sadness and calamity brought upon someone who finds out they have a rare form of Cancer and that their chances of living are fifty-fifty. At twenty-seven nonetheless. My mother, who has work in a Chemotherapy unit for about a decade, said that the youngest she has even seen someone die from Cancer is two and a half years old. Some people, hardly get to experience life at firsthand because of Cancer.

There are so many forms of Cancer, rare and common, harmless and not, that your chances of getting it are very high. Getting it is at random, but coping with it is even harder. While 50/50 has a heartbreaking, and is sometimes emotion-testing and tear-jerking, it still has a strong comedic relief thanks to Seth Rogen, who is rather unfairly bashed in a majority of his films.

The acting is superb by both leads, the parents of Adam played by Angelica Houston and Serge Houde are portrayed effectively and in a loving way, and the screenplay and Johnathan Levine's direction never fails or works against this film in any way. Three years prior he was creating good chemistry between Ben Kingsley and Josh Peck in The Wackness. Now, he's finally mastered in creating two characters that do nothing but sparkle when on screen together. You can't really call this a Seth Rogen film because while his comedy is here, his underlying sweetness shows through the cloth of this film more than it has ever done before. The last time he gave a performance this well done was in Sandler's Funny People.

Thanks to a wonderful third act in terms of direction and screenplay, you get an all out emotional breakdown from the characters and yourself. 50/50 has a way with making emotional moments not seemed contrived, but welcomed. I think out of everyone in the theater, my mom was more emotional than the average person in the general public which is understandable.

Many films have come out this year, and many have been ignored. Comedies and dramas alike have been swept under the bus with other blockbusters in theaters at the same time. I plan on doing a list of the top ignored and underrated films of 2011. I hope 50/50 doesn't make that list.

Starring: Joesph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas-Howard, Angelica Houston, and Serge Houde. Directed by: Johnathan Levine.

Adam (Gordon-Levitt) is a rule-following, mild-mannered twentysomething who lives in Seattle with his girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas-Howard), and works at Seattle Public Radio. His life takes a sudden and dramatic turn when he is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that has taken over his spine. A laidback kind of guy, Adam handles each hurdle with surprising ease and levity while engaging in somewhat helpful counseling from Katie (Anna Kendrick), a young psychologist the hospital assigns him. Before long, though, his complex relationships with Rachael, his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), and his needy mother (Angelica Huston) become even more convoluted with the introduction of chemotherapy and medicinal marijuana into his life. As the severity of his condition increases, Adam begins to reassess his life, his relationships, and the nonplussed façade he uses to get himself through.

The inevitable comparisons between "50/50" and 2009's "Funny People" are unfortunate. While I stuck up for "Funny People" more than most of my colleagues, even I will admit it is an incredibly flawed film that misses the mark on many levels. "50/50", then, plays out a bit like what "Funny People" should have been, right down to the performance of Seth Rogen. It is, first and foremost, a very funny movie and that is where "Funny People" first went awry. You can't make a comedy about cancer, or any other serious illness for that matter, and fail to produce a genuinely funny script. Laughs come often and organically. I also quite liked that writer Will Reiser (who based his script on the events of his own battle with cancer) makes it clear early on that he intends to laugh at cancer and if you're not up for that, you're in the wrong theater. That is not to say that the disease itself or the havoc it wreaks on Adam's life is disrespected or ignored; in fact, "50/50" gives a fairly realistic view of the hell that is aggressive cancer and the sometimes even more aggressive treatment. "50/50" is bold but soft, a combination that works well.

The dialogue between the characters in "50/50" flows with tremendous ease, especially in the scenes involving Adam and Kyle. This dynamic between JGL and Rogen is the meat of the film and the two play it out brilliantly. They have a chemistry that Anne Hathaway only wishes she could develop with…well, anyone. (That was an unnecessary shot at Miss Hathaway. My apologies.) They reminded me of the type of friendship I might have with any one of my closer pals if we cursed more and occasionally smoked pot. Adam's other relationships are a bit awkward but whether this was done on purpose or not, it serves the narrative well. In my mind he would have a tense partnership with Rachael because they're clearly not suited for each other and any furtherance of his friendship with Katie beyond doctor-patient would be a bit odd.

All of the supporting actors hold their own. As spot-on as I might have been with JGL all those years ago, I would have never guessed, after reluctantly watching "Twilight", that Kendrick would be an actress whose performances I truly look forward to. This isn't quite to the level of her work in "Up in the Air" but it is good and believable nonetheless. Huston's character seems a bit over-the-top in the early going but the depth of her character comes to light in the late stages and Huston pulls it together splendidly. And Rogen gives what might be his best performance to date. To be fair, I'm not much of a Rogen fan so I'm far from an expert on his value as an actor. But whereas he was completely outclassed in "Funny People" and pretty much plays the same character in almost every film, he shows a little more strength in "50/50" than he ever has before (with the possible exception of "Knocked Up"). I actually liked him and I haven't felt that way toward him very often.

But of course, the weight of "50/50" rests almost entirely on the shoulders of JGL and he holds up to the challenge. One of the best compliments I can give an actor is to say that he and his character become one and the same. That's what JGL does here and that's why "50/50" succeeds. He envelopes himself into the Adam character and makes his portrayal incredibly believable. It is almost like watching a documentary on a young cancer patient. Adam handles his disease with class and dignity but not without emotion. His outbursts are few but powerful and through them JGL sells the story beautifully. Simply put, this guy is a star and "50/50" serves as the announcement of such to those of you who didn't already know this to be fact.

"50/50" is honest and at times tough to watch but never purposefully harsh or depressing. In fact, it is generally positive but in a way that isn't all sunshine and unicorns. It is smart, hilarious, and even touching while all the time remaining respectful of the audience's ability to relate to difficult circumstances without artificial emotional fishing. It is an excellent film marked by one outstanding performance that deserves the attention received come Award Season.

I thought this was a better film than "The King's Speech" or "Social Network" my two favorite films of last year. Nothing this year has come close so far to the sheer brilliance of 50/50. It is the best "disease of the week" film ever made, which sounds like a backhanded compliment but I don't know how to describe the genre any better.

I have always felt that Gordon-Levitt along with Gosling are far and away the two best young actors working today. I thought that Gordon-Levitt deserved an Oscar nomination for "The Lookout" but knew that was never going to happen. This is his time. His performance as a young man battling cancer is pitch perfect. You will laugh and cry along with him throughout his difficult journey. His best scenes are with his therapist played by Anna Kendrick. She was good in the overrated "Up in the Air"; she is great in this film, playing another neophyte in a high powered career. She will be nominated as well, no doubt.

Seth Rogan has the role of his career thanks in part to Will Reiser, the screenwriter, who was able to take the whole sexist, slacker, pothead thing that Rogan does and add a dimension of humanity. I think both of them also deserve Oscar nominations. Because of the nature of his role I would be surprised if Rogan gets one, but not too surprised. He is just hilarious and at times very touching.

Finally we come to Jonathan Levine, a director that I had never heard of prior to this film. He is fantastic with actors here and has a great style. I say he is a shoo in come Oscar time.

Now this review has really centered around Oscar and that is for a reason. It will not be released for awhile and I was lucky to see a preview screening in Denver last night. I could think of no other way to get the point across more clearly that this is a brilliant film that you must run to when it is released.

One more thing. I made the mistake of taking my 13 year old daughter thinking the R rating was more about the pot and the language, and that the message of the film would overcome those issues. I kind of regret it. I really don't mind her having seen the film in an overall context because the message is terrific, but man was it raunchy and uncomfortable to sit through with her.

Just saw this at an Advanced Screening 2 hours ago in Huntington Beach

This film doesn't have a title nailed down yet. It used to be called I'm with Cancer but IMDb has it listed as Live With It. The title we were shown in the film and the title that was on the invite was Get Well Soon. They asked us our opinion of the titles (Also include was the title Bright Side) but no one really liked any of the titles. So for the sake of confusion I'll call it Get Well Soon.

Get Well Soon is the very believable story of Adam, a 27 year old nice guy who waits at cross walks at 5:30 in the morning when nobody is on the road and other joggers have already trotted past. Adam writes stories for radio programs and seems to genuinely care about the stories and the people who are listening to them. After persistent back pain, Adam goes to the doctor and is diagnosed with Cancer. He is assigned Katherine, a doctorate student who is getting experience for her dissertation, to talk to about his new problems.

This film will immediately draw comparisons to 2009's Funny People which unfortunately can't be ignored. But fortunately, aside from the fact the main character is diagnosed with a terminal illness, this is a completely different film. Where Funny People had a lack of connection with its main character, due to Adam Sandler being a prick to everyone and being rich on top of that, Get Well Soon's Joseph Gordon Levitt is the everyman that everyone can relate to. He does a fantastic job expressing the feelings of calm fortitude as well as isolation. You can see it in his face. It's the little things that make a film feel authentic. Levitt's performance is heart breaking and uplifting at the same time. He maintains a steady calm for most of the film that just feels real. You know this is a dark comedy when there is a Patrick Swayze joke in the first 20 minutes of the movie. I'm not sure if that one's gonna stay in the final cut though lol. This film is very funny throughout. All of the people in the after film focus group said it maintained a perfect balance of comedy and dramatics. I saw Love and Other Drugs and liked it but this film is much more streamlined and has no extraneous scenes.

Seth Rogen is absolutely hilarious. I'll be the first to get my opinion out that Rogen is great in everything he's in but he really killed it again. Weed smoking is given a fantastic treatment by this film, like director Jonathon Levine's previous work the very amusing The Wackness. There are two scenes that are a creative and effective way to show the effects of marijuana. I love the way they shot a conversation between Adam, Rogen and two of Adam's older cancer friends. Anna Kendrick plays a similar role to the one she played in Up in the Air. She does a great job in this too. Bryce Dallas Howard plays Adam's girlfriend and Angelica Huston is his over bearing mother.

I rated this film an "Excellent" which is the highest possible rating and which 18 of the 30 people who stayed after agreed with. 11 said "Very Good" and 1 said "Good." I really enjoyed the film. It didn't really do anything wrong. It might have a bit too much profanity for the older crowd but its central story is so appealing. On that note actually, there were several people who said they would not have come to the screening if they knew full well that it was about cancer. I feel that is so extremely narrow minded that no one should even admit that to a group of people. Please if you are on the fence and "don't want to go to a depressing movie" get over it and see a fantastic, hilarious film in Get Well Soon.

50/50 has pretty much everything an amazing movie like this can offer. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and you'll come out of the theater very satisfied. I cried for about a whole straight 20 minutes in total and laughed or glued my eyes to the screen the rest of the time. This movie will make you not only appreciate all the work went into it, but it will make you appreciate life itself. It is so brutally realistic. Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen are a great duo and the supporting cast does a great job as well. This movie was made with respect for its viewers. It takes something so serious and so taboo to laugh at and makes it a comedy and a drama. It exceeds in both genres. If I am correct, this movie is somewhat based on the Screenwriter's life who also went through something very similar and most of the events in the film are based on things he had to go through as he also got cancer in his 20s.

Go see 50/50! You will not regret it at all! I am considering it for one of my favorite movies, but I think that is just a bit too soon as I need to have multiple viewings to judge if a movie is one of my favorites. I can guarantee one thing. 50/50 is an instant classic!

As someone who was diagnosed with cancer two years ago (non-small cell lung cancer--and a nonsmoker to boot!) I've been through the gantlet, from 4 different kinds of chemo, several surgeries, and a wide variety of medical care from indifferent to deeply caring. So, trust me when I tell you, that this movie gets it.

It gets what it is like to receive a horrific diagnosis out of the blue, the numbness and shock of dealing with it, the well meaning friends and acquaintances who say the stupidest things ("every time I feel sorry for myself, I just think of you..."), and those friends who really become your rock as you go through the miasma of treatment and try to still make your life have meaning. Again, this movie gets it.

Joseph Gordon Levitt and Seth Rogen deserve high praise for the honesty that they bring to their performances. There was not a false note anywhere. The rest of the cast is terrific as well. I plan to see it again when it is released in a month.

This is a quiet film but it packs a great deal of power. I thought the humor was wonderfully placed, because without humor, life with cancer is unbearable. As too many folks know so well. Go see it and be entertained and learn a bit and rejoice in life even with cancer.

Considering that I am a guy who went through cancer treatment when I was 26, this film naturally hit close to home. On top of that, I could see a lot in the film that worked--stuff that really connect with what it's like to go through this hell (such as the horribly detached way the doctor broke the news to the guy about his illness). It sure helped that the writer, Will Reiser, had gone through this himself.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt did not even register in most folks' minds until recently. He was just THAT kid from "3rd Rock"--a rather inconsequential series at that. However, recently he's blown a lot of people away given his breakout performances in "Inception". He's shown here in "50/50" that he can do well now as a star. This is quite a jump from his TV days as a scrawny kid.

The film, as many people know, is about a guy who finds out he has cancer. The film is not the deepest thing--just one guy's experiences with the disease as well as the experiences of those around him. In some cases, people really come through for them and in others, folks show their inadequacy--just as in real life--and just like what happened when I was ill. I liked this and I also liked how the character was NOT noble--he was just a guy. Well worth seeing, that's for sure.

Now I do have a few minor reservations in this excellent film. First, while I liked Rogan quite a bit (such as his using his friend's cancer to help him score with women as well as the way he reacted to THE breakup), he is VERY crude. Funny, yes....but VERY crude. Parents might want to think about this Secondly, the psychotherapist character (Anna Kendrick) is possibly the worst therapist in movie history. She apparently has no boundaries, no training and is a sweet idiot. Hopefully folks WON'T think that any of her behaviors are acceptable!! And, I cannot imagine ANY college allowing anyone that dippy to go near patients!! I used to be a psychotherapist many years ago--and I actually trained young counselors to do therapy. Even the dumbest and most inept grad student I ever met was light-years better than this goof-ball! Enjoyable but 100% unrealistic and the character should have been rewritten a bit to at least make her a bit more believable.

How many drama movies about cancer treatment, with suffering performances and a true story of overcoming have been made and even became tiresome way? Well, the young director Jonathan Levine and Will Reiser (screenplay) found a formidable new vision of it all.

The film tells the story of Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a young man of twenty-seven years working for a radio company in Seattle. He is informed that he has a rare form of cancer called "Neurofibrosarcoma", and is told he only has a 50% chance to live with him. Frustrated, but moving day to day with a seemingly calm, with the help of his friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), Adam continues his long journey of recovery. Only to be bothered by his irritating, selfish girlfriend Rachel (Bryce Dallas Howard). But with the help of the, half embarrassed but very helpful, psychologist Katherine (Anna Kendrick). Adam then proceeds to deal with their illness and can remain calm during most part of the film.

There are so many forms of cancer, rare and common, harmless and that their chances of getting it are very high. Start is random, but dealing with it is even more difficult. While "50/50" is a moving, and sometimes it is emotion-test and tearful, he still has a strong comic relief thanks to Seth Rogen, and several occasions that Adam and Kyle meddle.

The film is a drama, that works as a comedy very well written. Some may find this a defect, but rather a quality. Adam throughout the film faces its situation near death in a lively manner. It's as if the film were telling us, "if it is your last minutes, let then be smiling!".

The cast is terrific, even comic, Seth manages to have an interesting dramatic performance; Anna Kendrick formidable as ever; Angelica Houston and Serge Houde as Adam's parents with great performances; but who shines above everyone is Joseph Levitt with a fantastic performance, proving to be an very promising actor.

Thanks to a wonderful third act, in terms of direction and screenplay that never fail or work against the film at any time, the public has an emotional breakdown all of the characters and the story itself and fantastic to witness.

I remember seeing the trailer for this when it came out,,, planned on seeing it, but got busy I guess. Well,, now this movie takes on a WHOLE new meaning that it wouldn't have then. I lost my thyroid to cancer 6 yrs ago,, and while that has a much, much higher survival rate than what this character in the movie has,, still,, it's life altering cancer.

Now,, all of that being said, this is an excellent movie! Levitt never ceases to impress me. Who'd have thought that kid from Angels in the Outfield would be giving performances like this (although,, he was pretty good as a kid). Rogen was his usual self,, but he brought the right amount of comedy. Kendrick,,, oh how i love thee ❤!! Especially when you play characters like this. Howard did a good job of playing the kind of woman I'm trying to avoid! Lol,, no really,, she's always great. Anjelica Huston rounds out the main cast as Levitt's worrying mother.

Seriously,, this was really good. Go watch it!!

A light hearted touch on a depressing subject ..loved it ,

Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Kyle (Seth Rogen) are best friends co-workers. One day Adam is told he has cancer. The news hit everybody in their own way. His girlfriend Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard) tries desperately to be helpful. His mother (Anjelica Huston) is shocked. He has trouble accepting help from his super young therapist Dr McKay (Anna Kendrick). It might be Kyle who deals with it the best.

This is based on Will Reiser's cancer story when he worked with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg on the 'Da Ali G Show'. Seth Rogen is really funny as the inappropriate friend and their funny cancer bromance. Anna Kendrick is super sweet and provided some great funny moments. Bryce Dallas Howard is oddly hilarious as the bad girlfriend.

This is a good happy cancer movie. So if you have cancer, I highly recommend it. If you don't have cancer, maybe get some before watching this.

50/50 walks a fine line in being comedy about a man in his 20s getting cancer, but it manages to find the sweet spot in finding genuine laughs amidst such a depressing story. Gordon-Levitt is terrific and Rogen and Kendrick work well in their supporting roles. It doesn't surprise you too much, but it is very effective in its telling of an inspiring and worthwhile story.

When it comes to high-emotion situations in real life, few are more extreme than a diagnosis of cancer. Add in the fact that when Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Adam Lerner is only 27 years old when he gets the news and you already have a story primed for melodrama and loaded with tears and cheers. First-time writer Will Reiser uses his own experience with cancer at a young age to play down the dramatic aspects of illness, and instead showcase the lighter side of things, showing that even when you have cancer you still want to get laid and stoned with your best friend. It's not a strict comedy by any means, there are quite a few moments that got me a little choked up, but Reiser clearly set out with a goal to show things a little lighter than cancer is usually treated in the film. For the most part this works and, although at times I felt it was a little too light, I enjoyed Reiser's more authentic portrayal of a diagnosis like this.

The film sets out to be an unconventional cancer movie, and it achieves at that but it's still so much a cancer movie that there isn't any room for anything else. Yes, getting a severe diagnosis like this still leaves room in your life for comedic moments, but it also doesn't control every second of your life. It felt like every frame of this movie was about cancer, and there wasn't any room for just...life. When Adam's best friend is a jerk it's about cancer, when his mom is too worried it's about cancer, when his girlfriend does something awful it's about cancer. Adam learns his diagnosis early on in the film and we're not given enough time to understand the character before this, so the whole thing ends up revolving around the cancer. The whole thing would have benefited so much by getting us to have a stake in him before he gets the news, but instead Reiser builds the entire movie around cancer; which it should be, but not to this extreme.

Reiser focuses everything on the cancer, and as a result there's a lot of stuff that gets left behind, namely the supporting characters. In approaching Adam, they take on the guy full force, helped by a great performance from Gordon-Levitt. I was a huge fan of Gordon-Levitt in the mid-2000s when he had this incredible streak of solid performances, but then he kind of faded for me and I was worried that I wasn't going to be impressed by him again. Thankfully I found this to be a return to form for him, taking on a character who shuts himself off and meets people's desire to help with aggression but quickly making him likable and easy to root for. As I said earlier, I wish we had met Adam earlier so I could have had more of a stake in him, but Levitt makes up for it with a very sympathetic performance that taps into the root of what it's like to have something like this take you over so young.

It's when we get to the rest of the characters that I think Reiser slips up. For the most part, all of the supporting characters are so thin that it's hard to really appreciate any of them as real people. Reiser works so hard on making the cancer aspect feel more genuine and unique that he doesn't spend enough time with the characters to make them feel as such. They all just feel like these movie types we've already seen instead of real people, the most offensive of which being Adam's therapist played by Anna Kendrick. Buying Kendrick as a therapist is hard enough to get over, but the way that they treat this relationship is honestly one of the most offensive and ridiculous things I've seen all year. From the second they meet it's such a Hollywood display of incorrect cutesiness in a film that, for the most part, was dealing with things in a pretty realistic way that it was honestly jaw-dropping to this absurd relationship develop. Kendrick and Levitt try their best to make up for it, they do have a very sweet chemistry between them, but for me there was no getting around how absolutely ridiculous this whole relationship was. It dragged the film down a lot for me.

For a while the title of the film was going to be Living With Cancer, and I feel like that would have been a more accurate name for it. Reiser should be admired for his approach to dealing with cancer, especially at such a young age, but I wish he had spent a lot more time on the actual living side of things. There are a lot of genuine emotions going on here and I appreciate Reiser and director Jonathan Levine not going the easy route with melodrama and emotional manipulation that you find in most stories dealing with this topic, but the film has quite a few contrivances that betray the characters in order to benefit story progression and the therapist relationship is something that left a bad taste in my mouth all the way through. There's still a lot to be admired though, so at the end I've come down pretty much in the middle when it comes to the overall product.