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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Since actor-coproducer Seth Rogen helped to bring Superbad to life, 50/50 might also suggest a sex comedy, except Jonathan Levine's film is more like a drama with comedy sequences (some of which involve sex). In a switch from his Inception smoothie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a strait-laced 27-year-old who works in Seattle public radio with his hedonistic best friend, Rogen's Kyle. Back pain brings Adam to an oncologist who diagnoses cancer, prescribes chemotherapy, and recommends counseling, which leads him to Katie, a doctoral student (Anna Kendrick) who makes up in compassion what she lacks in experience. If Kyle takes the news with good humor, Adam's girlfriend, Rachael (Kendrick's Twilight costar Bryce Dallas Howard), puts on a strained smile, while his mother (Anjelica Huston) goes into freak-out mode. At the hospital, Adam also befriends two cancer patients (Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer) who share their foul-mouthed wisdom--along with marijuana-laced macaroons--but Rachael finally cracks, leaving Adam to fend for himself, except that he isn't as defenseless as he thought, which comes in handy when he finds out the chemo isn't working. Will Reiser, who wrote the script, drew from his own experience, and the results ring true, even if he's too hard on Rachael, who sincerely tries to be supportive. In his follow-up to The Wackness, which centered around a congenial dope dealer, Levine treats the other characters with more respect, and avoids the sentimentality that mars most movies about potentially fatal illnesses--plus, it's a lot funnier. --Kathleen C. Fennessy
Product Description
Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen team up to beat the odds in a film that Rolling Stone calls achingly hilarious and heartfelt. Diagnosed with spinal cancer, 27 year old Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) navigates the road to recovery with the sometimes overbearing support of his crude best friend (Rogen), his smothering mother (Angelica Huston) and an inexperienced therapist (Anna Kendrick). Inspired by a true story of writer Will Reiser, 50/50 is an honest yet hysterically funny account of a young man's journey toward healing.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
60 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
This might just be my new favorite film.
I went to see this, primarily, because I've always loved the previous works of both Joseph Gordon-Levitt as well as Seth Rogen. The premise, a young man is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and tries to cope with it through humor, was appealing too. On a small sidenote: I'm from Vancouver and the majority of the movie was filmed there, so that was a pleasant surprise.
Adam is 27 years old and is shocked when he is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer on his spinal cord. He relies on his hilarious best friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen); his unreliable girlfriend, Rachel (Bryce Dallas Howard); and his overbearing mother, Diane (Angelica Houston), while he struggles with chemotherapy, doctor's appointments and losing all his hair. His interactions with each of these characters are ultimately hilarious, even when they aren't intended to be. Along the way his doctor sends him to a therapist named Katherine (Anna Kendrick), who is wet behind the ears but wants to specialize in helping cancer patients cope with their diagnoses.
Kyle is a very genuine character who wants to do everything he can to help Adam, although he stumbles along the way. He also takes advantage of Adam's situation as a way to meet girls, much to Adam's chagrin. He makes light of the situation whenever the chance arises, but shows himself to be a very sincere friend at every opportunity. Seth Rogen, actually playing the role he embodied in the real life story this movie is based on, is perfect as the somewhat dimwitted, but loveable best friend.
Rachel is the villain, if there is one. She is a typical flighty young woman who is torn between feeling guilty about Adam's condition and feeling freaked out and trapped by it. The audience can't help but dislike her from the get-go, which ultimately grows into loathing. Bryce Dallas Howard does really well in this role.
Diane is the kind of mom that almost everyone can relate to, whether as their own mother or one of a friend or loved one. She throws herself off the emotional cliff as soon as Adam tells her about this cancer, doing her utmost to support him, even when he keeps her at arms' length.
Katherine, the love interest, is a young woman who genuinely wants to connect with her patients, but who is, at the same time, insecure about her lack of professional experience. She connects with Adam (despite his initial reluctance) and ends up struggling with going above and beyond the appropriate protocol as a therapist.
Last, but never least, Adam: Adam is the everyman. He is hopeful, idealistic and passionate about his job as a radio broadcaster. He is committed to his girlfriend, whom he adores, despite her aloof behavior. He has a tight relationship with his best friend. He loves his mother, but avoids her at all costs because of her smothering behavior. His sudden cancer diagnosis throws his life into a tailspin, but he spends the majority of the movie trying to remain calm and rational about it. He makes friends with his fellow chemotherapy patients, he allows his best friend to use his cancer diagnosis as a way to garner the sympathy of pretty girls, he (reluctantly) follows his insensitive doctor's advice to talk to a therapist about his cancer. As one thing after another seems to go wrong we see him unravel and I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance was downright inspirational. He teeters back and forth between denial, anger, despair, pain, fear and humor. Although this role might not be typical Oscar fare, I think a nomination was definitely earned.
The story of 50/50 is based on the real life experience of the writer, Will Reiser. He was diagnosed with spinal cancer at the age of 26 while he was working on Da Ali G show with Seth Rogen. Rogen, much like the character of Kyle, supported Reiser and tried to help him cope through the use of humor. Fortunately, Reiser beat cancer and is alive today to tell the story he went through. Although this movie is a comedy it has an equal number of dramatic moments and is incredibly touching. You'll be struggling not to cry at moments. Making cancer funny is a tricky thing and could easily crash and burn in offending audiences, but Reiser pulls it off beautifully. You won't feel guilty laughing at humorous moments and you'll still empathize with the characters and each of their individual challenges.
I will definitely be picking this up on blu-ray as soon as it's released. Go check it out.
I went to see this, primarily, because I've always loved the previous works of both Joseph Gordon-Levitt as well as Seth Rogen. The premise, a young man is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and tries to cope with it through humor, was appealing too. On a small sidenote: I'm from Vancouver and the majority of the movie was filmed there, so that was a pleasant surprise.
Adam is 27 years old and is shocked when he is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer on his spinal cord. He relies on his hilarious best friend, Kyle (Seth Rogen); his unreliable girlfriend, Rachel (Bryce Dallas Howard); and his overbearing mother, Diane (Angelica Houston), while he struggles with chemotherapy, doctor's appointments and losing all his hair. His interactions with each of these characters are ultimately hilarious, even when they aren't intended to be. Along the way his doctor sends him to a therapist named Katherine (Anna Kendrick), who is wet behind the ears but wants to specialize in helping cancer patients cope with their diagnoses.
Kyle is a very genuine character who wants to do everything he can to help Adam, although he stumbles along the way. He also takes advantage of Adam's situation as a way to meet girls, much to Adam's chagrin. He makes light of the situation whenever the chance arises, but shows himself to be a very sincere friend at every opportunity. Seth Rogen, actually playing the role he embodied in the real life story this movie is based on, is perfect as the somewhat dimwitted, but loveable best friend.
Rachel is the villain, if there is one. She is a typical flighty young woman who is torn between feeling guilty about Adam's condition and feeling freaked out and trapped by it. The audience can't help but dislike her from the get-go, which ultimately grows into loathing. Bryce Dallas Howard does really well in this role.
Diane is the kind of mom that almost everyone can relate to, whether as their own mother or one of a friend or loved one. She throws herself off the emotional cliff as soon as Adam tells her about this cancer, doing her utmost to support him, even when he keeps her at arms' length.
Katherine, the love interest, is a young woman who genuinely wants to connect with her patients, but who is, at the same time, insecure about her lack of professional experience. She connects with Adam (despite his initial reluctance) and ends up struggling with going above and beyond the appropriate protocol as a therapist.
Last, but never least, Adam: Adam is the everyman. He is hopeful, idealistic and passionate about his job as a radio broadcaster. He is committed to his girlfriend, whom he adores, despite her aloof behavior. He has a tight relationship with his best friend. He loves his mother, but avoids her at all costs because of her smothering behavior. His sudden cancer diagnosis throws his life into a tailspin, but he spends the majority of the movie trying to remain calm and rational about it. He makes friends with his fellow chemotherapy patients, he allows his best friend to use his cancer diagnosis as a way to garner the sympathy of pretty girls, he (reluctantly) follows his insensitive doctor's advice to talk to a therapist about his cancer. As one thing after another seems to go wrong we see him unravel and I think Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance was downright inspirational. He teeters back and forth between denial, anger, despair, pain, fear and humor. Although this role might not be typical Oscar fare, I think a nomination was definitely earned.
The story of 50/50 is based on the real life experience of the writer, Will Reiser. He was diagnosed with spinal cancer at the age of 26 while he was working on Da Ali G show with Seth Rogen. Rogen, much like the character of Kyle, supported Reiser and tried to help him cope through the use of humor. Fortunately, Reiser beat cancer and is alive today to tell the story he went through. Although this movie is a comedy it has an equal number of dramatic moments and is incredibly touching. You'll be struggling not to cry at moments. Making cancer funny is a tricky thing and could easily crash and burn in offending audiences, but Reiser pulls it off beautifully. You won't feel guilty laughing at humorous moments and you'll still empathize with the characters and each of their individual challenges.
I will definitely be picking this up on blu-ray as soon as it's released. Go check it out.
33 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I can tell that this was inspired by the true story of screenwriter Will Reiser. He has got every detail down so perfectly that it would either be that or that the man was sharing an esp channel with cancer patients. His protagonist is diagnosed with spinal cancer. This is 27 year old Adam, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. He discovers his is a rare form of spinal cancer with 50-50 odds of surviving it. It has not yet metastasized so they will try to shrink it with chemo first and then operate.
Seth Rogen plays his crude, loud, yet amazingly supportive best friend. Touchingly he even sneak reads on the side a book about going through cancer with someone. He provides the perfect foil for Adam.
Adam makes and loses relationships along the treatment way, which is also very normal. Some people are just better at coping with grave illness than others' are and if one has never had to move beyond a certain level of commitment to people, it can be neigh unto impossible to cope with it.
One of the best turns of the whole film is the role of his smothering but loving mother. I kept saying to myself, why does the actress playing the Jewish mother so brilliantly look so familiar? I then almost fell off the sofa as I realized that it was Angelica Huston (who was raised by her loud, boisterous Irish father so is not a Jewish mother at all in real life). Huston, however, not too long ago lost her long time spouse under similar catastrophic illness circumstances so I can see why she was a natural for the role.
Adam even manages to connect with one of his medical workers played by Anna Kendrick. She brings a lot of humor to the role as he is but her third patient. She is interning as a therapist on the way to her PhD in psychology. What she lacks in polish, she makes up with sincerity and compassion.
I am a cancer patient and this film is totally authentic. It is not depressing. This is a trial in this character's life and you see him go through this trial. You live your life while you have cancer. It is another life event which sometimes ends in your death. You don't suddenly become another person with cancer. You are the same person facing a terribly difficult ordeal, which may be terminal. But then again, there is always one life event which always ends up bringing one's death. On that the odds are 100%.
Seth Rogen plays his crude, loud, yet amazingly supportive best friend. Touchingly he even sneak reads on the side a book about going through cancer with someone. He provides the perfect foil for Adam.
Adam makes and loses relationships along the treatment way, which is also very normal. Some people are just better at coping with grave illness than others' are and if one has never had to move beyond a certain level of commitment to people, it can be neigh unto impossible to cope with it.
One of the best turns of the whole film is the role of his smothering but loving mother. I kept saying to myself, why does the actress playing the Jewish mother so brilliantly look so familiar? I then almost fell off the sofa as I realized that it was Angelica Huston (who was raised by her loud, boisterous Irish father so is not a Jewish mother at all in real life). Huston, however, not too long ago lost her long time spouse under similar catastrophic illness circumstances so I can see why she was a natural for the role.
Adam even manages to connect with one of his medical workers played by Anna Kendrick. She brings a lot of humor to the role as he is but her third patient. She is interning as a therapist on the way to her PhD in psychology. What she lacks in polish, she makes up with sincerity and compassion.
I am a cancer patient and this film is totally authentic. It is not depressing. This is a trial in this character's life and you see him go through this trial. You live your life while you have cancer. It is another life event which sometimes ends in your death. You don't suddenly become another person with cancer. You are the same person facing a terribly difficult ordeal, which may be terminal. But then again, there is always one life event which always ends up bringing one's death. On that the odds are 100%.
26 of 30 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Cancer Comedy That Deftly Balances Laughs With Reality In Its Smart And Sophisticated Screenplay
January 19, 2012
Format:Amazon Instant Video
Striking the right balance and tone has got to be an incredibly difficult thing to do when you are centering a comedic picture around a serious topic such as cancer. I suppose that's why we see so few cancer comedies--it just isn't a particularly amusing topic. On TV, Showtime has a Laura Linney helmed program called "The Big C" which addresses cancer as its principle theme. That program, however, (despite being beloved by many, so send me your hate mail) has the deck stacked with wacky caricatures and unbelievable situations that make it almost unbearably over-the-top. Maybe that's why "50/50" was an incredible surprise! It's easy to see why its perfectly measured screenplay has won numerous year-end accolades because the story deftly juggles the hilarious with the heartfelt. This is comedy that comes from a very real place with exceedingly believable characters, and yet--it is also surprisingly hard-edged and never devolves into sentimental treacle. In a word, the film's tone is perfect. With its smart screenplay and a wondrous lead performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "50/50" is easily one of my favorite films of 2011.
Gordon-Levitt plays a relatively uptight professional whose life is upended when he is diagnosed with a particularly nasty strain of cancer in his back. Reeling from the news, he tries to carry on as normal as possible. But outside influences and those who care about him soon start breaking down some of the carefully erected barriers he's hid behind his whole life. Seth Rogan as his obnoxious best friend, Anjelica Huston as his somewhat estranged mother, Anna Kendrick as his hospital therapist, Bryce Dallas Howard as his girlfriend, and Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer as his chemotherapy partners round out one of the most effective ensembles of the year. Of course, when you're facing death--you figure out how precious life is and who is always going to be by your side. From a plotting standpoint, "50/50" may follow a somewhat expected course--but it is distinguished in the details and the performances. As Rogan pushes Gordon-Levitt to leverage his disease for moments of debauchery, the scenes expertly mix the disturbing with the hilarious with the real.
If you're looking for just another lightweight sex comedy, this might be a little heavy. But any emotional investment is earned and worth it. I laughed out loud frequently AND experienced many instances where I was genuinely moved. But the movie and its great screenplay (inspired by writer and Rogan's pal Will Reiser's real story) never turns into a maudlin weepy. It may be one of the least manipulative films to deal with a fatal disease that I've seen in years, and I mean that as a huge compliment. There are certain actors that I will follow on faith, and through the years Joseph Gordon-Levitt has become one of those people. He has managed his career with precision, bouncing between indie and mainstream fare as well as lead and supporting roles. I always appreciate a young actor who is willing to take chances, to pick roles and movies that they're passionate about or that might challenge them. Gordon-Levitt rose to the top of his generation with an eclectic bounty of great performances in oddball films (Brick, Mysterious Skin, The Lookout) and, in my opinion, recently served up Oscar caliber work in "(500) Days of Summer" and stole every scene he was in during "Inception." "50/50" is a worthy addition to his resume. I absolutely loved it! KGHarris, 12/11.
Gordon-Levitt plays a relatively uptight professional whose life is upended when he is diagnosed with a particularly nasty strain of cancer in his back. Reeling from the news, he tries to carry on as normal as possible. But outside influences and those who care about him soon start breaking down some of the carefully erected barriers he's hid behind his whole life. Seth Rogan as his obnoxious best friend, Anjelica Huston as his somewhat estranged mother, Anna Kendrick as his hospital therapist, Bryce Dallas Howard as his girlfriend, and Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer as his chemotherapy partners round out one of the most effective ensembles of the year. Of course, when you're facing death--you figure out how precious life is and who is always going to be by your side. From a plotting standpoint, "50/50" may follow a somewhat expected course--but it is distinguished in the details and the performances. As Rogan pushes Gordon-Levitt to leverage his disease for moments of debauchery, the scenes expertly mix the disturbing with the hilarious with the real.
If you're looking for just another lightweight sex comedy, this might be a little heavy. But any emotional investment is earned and worth it. I laughed out loud frequently AND experienced many instances where I was genuinely moved. But the movie and its great screenplay (inspired by writer and Rogan's pal Will Reiser's real story) never turns into a maudlin weepy. It may be one of the least manipulative films to deal with a fatal disease that I've seen in years, and I mean that as a huge compliment. There are certain actors that I will follow on faith, and through the years Joseph Gordon-Levitt has become one of those people. He has managed his career with precision, bouncing between indie and mainstream fare as well as lead and supporting roles. I always appreciate a young actor who is willing to take chances, to pick roles and movies that they're passionate about or that might challenge them. Gordon-Levitt rose to the top of his generation with an eclectic bounty of great performances in oddball films (Brick, Mysterious Skin, The Lookout) and, in my opinion, recently served up Oscar caliber work in "(500) Days of Summer" and stole every scene he was in during "Inception." "50/50" is a worthy addition to his resume. I absolutely loved it! KGHarris, 12/11.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
RESEARCH!
A good idea but not well researched. Rogen is vile enough in the first few minutes that you may just turn it off because its not even funny. Read more
Published 25 days ago by X
4.0 out of 5 stars
Really liked, but I can't explain why
I really liked this movie and would recommend it, but can't really explain why. The young characters are realistic and relatable.
Published 1 month ago by Rachel A. Flavin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny drama
When I first heard of this movie, I thought it was going to be just a flat out comedy. It actually turned out to be somewhat of a drama but with quite a bit of comedy thrown into... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Augustisburning
5.0 out of 5 stars
True Test of Friendship
A comedy about cancer? Truth IS stranger than fiction because this dramedy is a fictionalized account of what happened to writer Will Reiser ("Red State Diaries") and his best... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Jay B. Lane
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great
We bought this to add to the video library and it has been a pretty popular item since purchased. Great!
Published 1 month ago by Jolene Esterline
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice story
Nice touching story and good acting by both actors......Joseph Gorden Levit and Seth Rogen both excel in their roles...its comedy in parts and touching in others.... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Neerav Shah
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow.
This movie is kind of really heartbreaking. There are some funny moments throughout but it will make you cry. The actors and the plot make for a wonderful story.
Published 1 month ago by dreamshadows
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Movie!
Funny movie, unfortunately had to own on Amazon rather than just renting. May watch again. Didn't fall asleep, Seth plays typical character.
Published 1 month ago by Jennifer
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great quality and sound
I enjoyed very much the movie, quality and sound performance were great, no flaws whatsoever. I play it on my kindle.
Published 1 month ago by Rodrigo Rodriguez
5.0 out of 5 stars
arlinda's review
this is a great movie. i cried during certain moments in the movie. seth and joseph were awesome. the 1st girlfriend was evil.
Published 1 month ago by Arlinda Johnson
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