Entertainment Weekly summed up this movie by calling it “500 Days of Cancer.”
I definitely felt the vibe of 500 Days while watching this movie, but the reality of the plot was more than just a roller coaster love story. In fact, I hoped by the end of the movie that my generation had some realization that we aren’t invincible. Being so much different than our parents and theirs before them, I feel like some knowledge and awareness of important health issues are left to the way side.
Cancer is one of them.
I went to see this movie with my boyfriend over the weekend. I wanted a date night; perhaps this movie was not the best choice for a romantic night out, but it struck me as a reality check in the best way. It was more a drama than comedy, much like Due Date when it came out. You see a star like Zach Galifinakis playing the sidekick and you automatically think comedy. Seth Rogen was the deceiver in this title.
My uncle is dying of cancer. The same cancer that appears in the movie for Joseph Gordon Levitt’s character. 10 years ago, doctors gave my uncle less than a year to live. As you can see, he’s a fighter and has lived 10 years longer than expected. Over the last year, he drove himself to chemotherapy several times a week, but lately, it’s not having as strong of an impact as it used to.
This topic, already being a sensitive one, had me fighting back tears early on. Imagine being told you have cancer. Who would you tell and how? Then what’s next? Do you accept it and move on? What’s moving on when you are given a 50/50 chance of living?
*SPOILER ALERT* For those of you who are unaware, 50/50 is based on a true story between writer Will Reiser and co star Seth Rogen. Reiser went through most of what happens in this film, though not exactly what he wrote for his character. That, alone, is an inspiration.
Adam, this perfectly normal guy, is experiencing back pains so he goes to get checked out only to be told he has a tumor on his spine. Throughout the movie, it shows his coping mechanisms, as well as how his best friend, girlfriend, and parents react to the news and what their next plan of action is. His best friend uses it to get chicks, but is really trying to get a handle on his own emotions. His girlfriend says she’ll take care of him, but only because she feels obligated. His mother wants to move in. Ha.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and hopefully you’ll think. It’s a scary world of medical unknowns, but it’s humbling to see a true story come to life and that in the end, everything stands a chance to be ok.
