50/50 (2011)

Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis, and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.

Director:

Jonathan Levine

Writer:

Will Reiser

Stars:

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt	...	Adam
Seth Rogen	...	Kyle
Anna Kendrick	...	Katherine
Bryce Dallas Howard	...	Rachael
Anjelica Huston	...	Diane
Serge Houde	...	Richard
Andrew Airlie	...	Dr. Ross
Matt Frewer	...	Mitch
Philip Baker Hall	...	Alan
Donna Yamamoto	...	Dr. Walderson
Sugar Lyn Beard	...	Susan
Yee Jee Tso	...	Dr. Lee
Sarah Smyth	...	Jenny
Peter Kelamis	...	Phil
Jessica Parker Kennedy	...	Jackie

Storyline

Adam is a 27 year old writer of radio programs and is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer. With the help of his best friend, his mother, and a young therapist at the cancer center, Adam learns what and who the most important things in his life are.

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Plot Keywords:

cancer | best friend | doctor | therapist | spinal cancer | 

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Taglines:

It takes a pair to beat the odds

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language throughout, sexual content and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

I'm with Cancer

Filming Locations:

Seattle, Washington, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$8,644,095 (USA) (30 September 2011)

Gross:

$34,963,967 (USA) (16 December 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Summit Entertainment, Mandate Pictures, Point Grey Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Writer cameo Will Reiser: during Adam's party. He tells Adam "My Uncle had what you have".

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Goofs

Road signs, including One Way and Do Not Enter, have no text as they are Canadian road signs. The film is set in Seattle, Washington, USA.

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Quotes

Kyle: I was in the neighborhood - I was just on a date with Claire, the girl I met at the bookstore? My date did not go well, unfortunately, due to a lack of chemistry... and, I think, an overuse of profanity on my part. But, whilst on my date... I ran into Rachael.
Adam: Oh, yeah?
Kyle: And I would like to present to you what I am going to call Exhibit...
[Shows Adam a picture of Rachael kissing another man]
Kyle: *Whore*! Look at it! That's Rachael! And that's a fuckin' filthy, Jesus-looking motherfucker, and they're...

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Too Late For Dancing"
Written by Caila Thompson-Hannant, Rory Seydel, Nathan Gage and Jonathan Crellin
Performed by Shapes And Sizes
Courtesy of Asthmatic Kitty Records
By arrangement with Mixtape Music Ltd.

User Reviews

It's a balancing act.

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.