50/50 blends comedy and drama, sentimentality and detached observation, and comes up with a near perfect cinematic approach to the devastating diagnosis of cancer. Part buddy comedy, part coming-of-age tale, and part tragedy, 50/50 shoulders a heavy load in attempting to realistically portray the stages a cancer patient transitions through while struggling to come to terms with the ghastly disease. Directed by Jonathan Levine (The Wackness) and written by Will Reiser, who based much of the story on his own life experiences, 50/50 is a 'cancer comedy' with heart, soul, and pain. It's all there in this smart, genuinely sweet R-rated film.
The success of 50/50 rests on Joseph Gordon-Levitt's shoulders, and once again he distinguishes himself as an elite member of his generation of actors. Gordon-Levitt always dissolves into whatever character he's playing, and as a cancer patient faced with the very real prospect of dying from the disease, he weaves his way through a full palette of emotions, transitioning between a cool acceptance to heartbreaking sadness to full-on rage. 50/50 works because Gordon-Levitt isn't just playing this guy, he's fully committed to getting Reiser's personal story - which had to be a cathartic writing experience - absolutely right.
The Story
Adam's a decent guy, albeit one who does nothing to stand out from the crowd. If you were randomly glancing around a room, he's not the guy who'd catch your eye. He works at NPR radio, hangs out with his best buddy, Kyle (Seth Rogen), has a girlfriend who's the pretentious artsy type (played by Bryce Dallas Howard, slipping nicely into the role of the film's villain), and basically just...well...exists.
Much to Kyle's dismay, Adam's not overly concerned about the fact he and Rachael haven't had sex in weeks. But that's because Adam's not really overly concerned about anything. He's walking quietly through life, whether from a fear of making waves (a domineering mother could explain that) or just that he has no desire to step outside his safe little box - the end result is the same. Adam is being bypassed by life, but he doesn't care.
Adam's a healthy guy who takes care of his body, so when he feels out of sorts and goes in for a check-up he's not expecting to be told he has a malignant spinal tumor by an absolutely heartless doctor who doesn't even bother making eye contact while rattling off the diagnosis. Obviously this is a mistake, as he points out to the doctor. He doesn't drink, smoke, or do drugs and even recycles (which should earn him some good health karma) so this can not be happening to him. He can't have cancer; that diagnosis happens to other people. It just simply isn't possible that he could be dying.
The diagnosis has jarred him awake out of his comfortable little world, and Adam fights to put the blinders back on and continue as though he's just fine, an opinion of himself he steadfastly clings to despite his counselor at the hospital's best efforts to get him to say he's anything but fine. Gradually, as the realization of his mortality comes ever more clearly into focus with each chemotherapy treatment, Adam's forced into abandoning the blinders and allowing himself to really engage in what he's feeling.
The Acting
Adam's constant companion on his cancer journey is Kyle (Rogen), his BFF who initially takes the news of his condition ("I'm going to throw up!") worse than Adam even does. But then Kyle sees the silver lining of the situation and plots to use the fact Adam's a cancer patient as a way to pick up women in bars. And because Kyle's convinced him to break up with Rachael (she cheated on him with another pretentious artsy type), Adam goes along with the plan. Rogen's Kyle is loud, abrasive, and obsessed with sex - the polar opposite of Adam. He smokes pot and tells bad jokes, and the character seems tailor made for Rogen who's perfected these goofy best friend types. And in fact the role was written for Rogen who, in reality, is actually writer Reiser's good friend and was by his side throughout Reiser's battle with cancer.
Rogen and Gordon-Levitt make for an impressive on screen buddy team, with the two so in tune they can complete each other's sentences. There is a comfortableness about their characters' interactions that makes this 'bromance' (I hate that term, but it's fitting for this relationship) feel real. In particular, a scene in a small bathroom in which Adam uses Kyle's razor (that hasn't been cleaned in who knows how long and has been used to trim hair from all over his body) feels like we're eavesdropping on two naughty guys who shouldn't be allowed alone in a room with anything sharp.
Anna Kendrick (the Twilight films, Up in the Air) plays Adam's cancer counselor whose overly earnest attempts at getting Adam to open up are at first met with stubborn resistance but do eventually break through his shell. Kendrick's Katherine has only counseled two prior patients, and she starts out just as unsure at how to handle Adam's emotional needs as Adam is at how to adjust his thinking to include a cancer diagnosis. When Katherine reaches out to pat Adam, it's obvious this is something the rookie counselor has been told will comfort her patient but is not at all a natural gesture. It makes Katherine all the more endearing, and Kendrick does a terrific job of showing how Katherine's juggling so many emotions while trying to maintain a professional relationship with her patient. Kendrick and Gordon-Levitt have good chemistry, though more sibling-ish than romantic, which is the film's only real misfire. When Adam and Katherine's relationship moves beyond counselor/patient, 50/50 loses some of its realism.
The Bottom Line
The film hits a few slow spots, and some storylines get short shrift as the budding romance between Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Adam and Anna Kendrick's Katherine steals more of the spotlight than we wish it would. More of Adam's chemo buddies (scene-stealers Philip Baker Hall and Matt Frewer) would have been great, as would more of Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt exploring what it means to be diagnosed with a life-altering disease. And more time spent with Anjelica Huston as Adam's overprotective mom who's also caring for Adam's dad who suffers from Alzheimer's and with Bryce Dallas Howard's conflicted, cheating character would have worked. But as I'm typing this out, I'm realizing how much I liked each of the supporting characters. I'm also realizing there would have been no feasible way to work in more scenes with each of them. It just wouldn't have been possible, but my desire to share more time with these characters means the actors, director Levine, and screenwriter Reiser did their jobs exceedingly well.
Another aspect of the story Reiser and Levine handle incredibly well is portraying the discomfort Adam's friends, family and co-workers feel about Adam's cancer battle. But that discomfort is balanced by showing the 'upsides' of the diagnosis, including medical marijuana, sympathetic women, and Adam's new friendship with his partners in pain in the chemo ward. Adam learns important life - and death - lessons over the course of his battle with cancer, and 50/50 doesn't flinch away from the harsh realities of the disease. 50/50 has a lot of heart, and it's evident writer Reiser poured his soul into the screenplay. The actors and director Levine honor Reiser's story, as well as cancer patients and their families, with a film that uses humor as a weapon in the battle against cancer.
GRADE: A-
50/50 was directed by Jonathan Levine and is rated R for language throughout, sexual content and some drug use.
Theatrical Release: September 30, 2011
Also of Interest: Top 10 Comedies of 2011
