50/50 - 2011

Director: Jonathan Levine
Writer: Will Reiser
Starring: Joseph Gordon-levitt, Seth Rogen, Bryce Dallas Howard, Anna Kendrick, Anjelica Houston, Philip Baker Hall


"A tumor? Me? That's impossible. I don't smoke, I don' t drink...I recycle." 50/50 tells the story of 27-year-old Adam (Gordon-Levitt) who's nothing short of shocked to discover he has a malignant tumor, and how the challenges of his treatment affect him and his close friends and family.

• Denial: "They'd never make a comedy about a guy with cancer."
• Anger: "I still can't believe James McAvoy didn't get the lead role in this!"
• Bargaining: "I'll see What's Your Number instead. That could be funny, right?"
• Depression: "It'll just be Brian's Song all over again. I don't want to cry this weekend."
• Acceptance: "This actually looks pretty good."

See this movie. The cast is superb, with each member fitting into their niches perfectly. Relative newcomers like Gordon-Levitt and Kendrick compliment the seasoned veterans of Houston and Hall surprisingly well. The script is full of laughs while still being serious when it needs to be, and it runs the entire emotional gamut repeatedly. Even if you know as much going into the film as I did, you'll still walk out wholly satisfied. A