50/50

Witty, Comical, Sad, and Realistic Creates An Entertaining Film
50/50, R, ***1/2, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick, Dallas Howard, Anjelica Huston, Philip Baker Hall. Director Jonathan Levine – Written by Will Reiser. Length: 100 minutes.

“50/50” is based on a realistic friendship between Seth Rogen and his friend Will Reiser. Reiser wrote the screenplay based on his real life experience.
Everyone has their own idosyncracies. Friends understand this and accept the faults of others in order to keep their friendship intact. Friends are hard to find, so we must accept them with their strengths and weaknesses.
Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Kyle (Seth Rogen) are friends working at a local radio station in Seattle, Washington. Adam is quiet and reserved while Kyle is loud and outgoing. Their friendship is like most close friends.
Adam does not drive a car. In fact he does not have a license. His friend Kyle picks him up every morning, and they go to work together. Kyle is generally late while Adam is always punctual and dependent.
Adam runs and takes precautions to stay healthy. He has a girlfriend, but she does not seem to be truly interested in Adam. Adam likes the simple life and wants someone he can trust while being in love.
Kyle is happy-go-lucky and loves to party. He does not have a steady girlfriend. He just wants to play the field.
Adam is having trouble with his back. He decides to make a trip to the doctor. After several tests, the doctor walks in and promptly begins to tell him he has cancer and, and he will have to take chemotherapy. The coldness of some doctors is demonstrated with insensitivity. Individuals should have a more tactful way to deliver bad news. Surely there is a better way than Adam’s doctor uses to communicate shocking news to an individual with cancer.
The chemotherapy begins, and the sadness of a young person facing this situation is revealed with harsh reality. The music tracks with the story. Do not let this story stop the reader from seeing this exceptional film. It is funny along with sadness and reality.
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross introduced The Five Stages of Grief in her 1969 book On Death and Dying. The five stages are Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. They do not necessarily occur in the above order.
Adam has trouble telling his parents and friends about his illness. His mother is played by Anjelica Huston. She is very protective of Adam and wants to take care of him. His father is played by Serge Houde who has Alzheimer’s.
Katherine (Anna Kendrick) is Adam’s therapist. She is working on her doctorate. The two of them do not get along very well at first. However, that changes as the film progresses.
The song To Love Somebody by the Bee Gees says a lot in this heart warming film with the lyrics, “You Don’t Know What its Like.” It seems a lot of people want to help, but what they say or do does not exactly communicate the right words or gestures.
The film has some marijuana use by Adam, Kyle, and the chemo patients. Most of the use is for medicinal purposes.
I found myself becoming anxious as to how the film would end. Getting wrapped up in the characters and plot made me apprehensive about what was going to happen.
“50/50 is a refreshing look at an unusual film packed with realism. The title refers to Adam’s chances of living. I recommend viewing this film. It has a touching story and a unique cast. The viewer will leave the theater happy they experienced this film.