Live with It
Encyclopedia
50/50 is a 2011 comedy-drama
film
directed by Jonathan Levine
, written by Will Reiser, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt
and Seth Rogen
. The film is loosely based on the life of screenwriter Will Reiser.
) is a young man who has a girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard
), despite Adam's best friend and co-worker Kyle's (Seth Rogen
) disliking her. One day, Adam decides to see a doctor because of back pains and discovers that he actually has a rare type of cancer
and must undergo chemotherapy
in order to reduce the tumor. The doctor gives Adam the phone number of a hospital therapist in case he needs someone to talk to.
Adam tells Rachael about the cancer and tells her that he won't mind if she prefers to leave him. She says she'll stay by his side. However, she eventually starts to display growing signs of detachment to him. Adam also tells his mother Diane (Anjelica Huston
), who is also taking care of Adam's father, Richard (Serge Houde
), who has Alzheimer's disease
; and Kyle, who worries for his friend's survival.
Adam starts seeing an inexperienced psychologist, Katherine "Katie" McCay (Anna Kendrick
), who helps him deal with his problems. He also befriends Alan (Philip Baker Hall
) and Mitch (Matt Frewer
), two older chemo patients receiving treatment alongside him, and grows fond of Skeletor, an ex-racing Greyhound
which Rachael rescued from the pound.
Kyle starts using Adam's illness to get dates, which annoys Adam. On one of these dates, he sees Rachael kissing another man and takes a picture of her affair on his cellphone, which he immediately shows to Adam. Frustrated at his friend's inability to stand up for himself, Kyle kicks Rachael out of the house.
The next day, Adam and Kyle go to a bar, where they meet two women. Adam has sex with one of them, but is unable to enjoy it due to his back pains. Adam and Kyle hang out with Alan and Mitch, and Adam becomes impressed with Mitch's loving relationship with his wife. Later on, Kyle urges Adam to use his cancer to get dates, but Adam doesn't want to do that. After a chemotherapy session, Adam encounters Katie who gives him a ride home, rather than waiting for a bus. This encounter results in the start of attraction between Adam and Katie.
During Adam's next chemotherapy session, Adam is told by Alan that Mitch died the previous night, something which shocks and leads him to believe that he has no chance of survival. After Mitch's funeral, Adam sees Katie, who advises him to stop ignoring his mother, who is already having a hard time taking care of his father without having to worry about Adam not returning her calls. Adam sees the error of his ways and reconnects with his parents, who drive him to a doctor's appointment in which Adam is informed that his tumor has grown and he'll need to undergo surgery in a few days in order to have a chance of making a full recovery.
Increasingly nervous about the procedure, Adam decides to go drinking with Kyle, but ends up lashing out at Kyle for being more interested in having sex with random women than being there for him. He proceeds to have something of a nervous breakdown and decides to call Rachael, but ends up calling Katie, who tells him they might have something after his surgery. Adam takes Kyle back to his apartment, where he discovers that Kyle has been following the instructions of a book on how to cheer up cancer patients and realizes that Kyle was doing his best to prevent Adam from reminiscing about the cancer.
Adam undergoes surgery as Kyle, Katie, Diane and Richard await. The doctor informs them that, although the journey will be long, Adam will survive.
Six months later, we discover that Katie and Adam are now dating. Katie asks him "Now what?" Adam smiles, and the screen cuts to black.
was originally going to play the lead role before he left the film due to personal reasons and was replaced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
. The screenplay is loosely based on the life of comedy writer Will Reiser, friend and frequent co-writer of the film's co-lead, Seth Rogen
. He is also close with Evan Goldberg
of Da Ali G Show
. Principal photography was scheduled from 22 February 2010 to 31 March 2010.
reports that 94% of 148 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.8 out of 10. Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 72 based on 40 reviews.
Sean Burns wrote in the Philadelphia Weekly
that Levine "knows how to stay out of the way long enough to let a very talented cast shine, and Rogen's fundamental, unexpected decency, which can often only be expressed through shoulder-punching obscenities, grows more quietly moving as the picture wears on."
David Schmader, writing in the Stranger, praises "50/50s stellar cast, from the omnipresent lead Joseph Gordon-Levitt
(whose Rankin/Bass puppet face is put to beautifully nuanced use) to the all-star supporting cast: Anjelica Huston
roars back to prominence with a twisty performance as Adam's barely contained mess of a mom, and Anna Kendrick's young medical student makes the film's rom-com aspirations not-ridiculous with her intelligent spontaneity and huge cute teeth. But the comedy star is Seth Rogen
, cast in the same role he played in screenwriter Reiser's life."
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Jonathan Levine
Jonathan Levine
Jonathan A. Levine is an American film director and screenwriter.-Biography:Levine won the Audience Award at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival for his film The Wackness. In January 2010, it was announced that he will direct a project entitled Warm Bodies...
, written by Will Reiser, and starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
and Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
. The film is loosely based on the life of screenwriter Will Reiser.
Plot
Adam (Joseph Gordon-LevittJoseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
) is a young man who has a girlfriend, Rachael (Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard is an American film actress and daughter of director Ron Howard. She made her acting debut in her father's 1989 movie Parenthood and went on to have small roles in films and make stage appearances for the next several years...
), despite Adam's best friend and co-worker Kyle's (Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
) disliking her. One day, Adam decides to see a doctor because of back pains and discovers that he actually has a rare type of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and must undergo chemotherapy
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
in order to reduce the tumor. The doctor gives Adam the phone number of a hospital therapist in case he needs someone to talk to.
Adam tells Rachael about the cancer and tells her that he won't mind if she prefers to leave him. She says she'll stay by his side. However, she eventually starts to display growing signs of detachment to him. Adam also tells his mother Diane (Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
), who is also taking care of Adam's father, Richard (Serge Houde
Serge Houde
Serge Houde is a Canadian film & television character actor. He is best known for his starring role in Jon Cassar's Emmy nominated miniseries The Kennedys playing the notorious Chicago mafia boss Sam Giancana opposite Tom Wilkinson and Barry Pepper.Houde began acting at age 35 and has made a...
), who has Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
; and Kyle, who worries for his friend's survival.
Adam starts seeing an inexperienced psychologist, Katherine "Katie" McCay (Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick
Anna Kendrick is an American film and stage actress best known for the role of Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up in the Air. Her other work includes the films Camp , Rocket Science , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , 50/50 , and the Broadway musical High Society...
), who helps him deal with his problems. He also befriends Alan (Philip Baker Hall
Philip Baker Hall
-Early life:Hall was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of a factory worker father who was from Montgomery, Alabama. He attended the University of Toledo. As a younger man, Hall served in the military, started a family, and became a high school English teacher. In 1961, he decided to become an actor...
) and Mitch (Matt Frewer
Matt Frewer
Matthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
), two older chemo patients receiving treatment alongside him, and grows fond of Skeletor, an ex-racing Greyhound
Greyhound
The Greyhound is a breed of sighthound that has been primarily bred for coursing game and racing, and the breed has also recently seen a resurgence in its popularity as a pedigree show dog and family pet. It is a gentle and intelligent breed...
which Rachael rescued from the pound.
Kyle starts using Adam's illness to get dates, which annoys Adam. On one of these dates, he sees Rachael kissing another man and takes a picture of her affair on his cellphone, which he immediately shows to Adam. Frustrated at his friend's inability to stand up for himself, Kyle kicks Rachael out of the house.
The next day, Adam and Kyle go to a bar, where they meet two women. Adam has sex with one of them, but is unable to enjoy it due to his back pains. Adam and Kyle hang out with Alan and Mitch, and Adam becomes impressed with Mitch's loving relationship with his wife. Later on, Kyle urges Adam to use his cancer to get dates, but Adam doesn't want to do that. After a chemotherapy session, Adam encounters Katie who gives him a ride home, rather than waiting for a bus. This encounter results in the start of attraction between Adam and Katie.
During Adam's next chemotherapy session, Adam is told by Alan that Mitch died the previous night, something which shocks and leads him to believe that he has no chance of survival. After Mitch's funeral, Adam sees Katie, who advises him to stop ignoring his mother, who is already having a hard time taking care of his father without having to worry about Adam not returning her calls. Adam sees the error of his ways and reconnects with his parents, who drive him to a doctor's appointment in which Adam is informed that his tumor has grown and he'll need to undergo surgery in a few days in order to have a chance of making a full recovery.
Increasingly nervous about the procedure, Adam decides to go drinking with Kyle, but ends up lashing out at Kyle for being more interested in having sex with random women than being there for him. He proceeds to have something of a nervous breakdown and decides to call Rachael, but ends up calling Katie, who tells him they might have something after his surgery. Adam takes Kyle back to his apartment, where he discovers that Kyle has been following the instructions of a book on how to cheer up cancer patients and realizes that Kyle was doing his best to prevent Adam from reminiscing about the cancer.
Adam undergoes surgery as Kyle, Katie, Diane and Richard await. The doctor informs them that, although the journey will be long, Adam will survive.
Six months later, we discover that Katie and Adam are now dating. Katie asks him "Now what?" Adam smiles, and the screen cuts to black.
Cast
- Joseph Gordon-LevittJoseph Gordon-LevittJoseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
as Adam Lerner - Seth RogenSeth RogenSeth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
as Kyle - Anna KendrickAnna KendrickAnna Kendrick is an American film and stage actress best known for the role of Natalie Keener in the 2009 film Up in the Air. Her other work includes the films Camp , Rocket Science , Scott Pilgrim vs. the World , 50/50 , and the Broadway musical High Society...
as Katherine "Katie" McKay - Bryce Dallas HowardBryce Dallas HowardBryce Dallas Howard is an American film actress and daughter of director Ron Howard. She made her acting debut in her father's 1989 movie Parenthood and went on to have small roles in films and make stage appearances for the next several years...
as Rachael - Anjelica HustonAnjelica HustonAnjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
as Diane Lerner - Serge HoudeSerge HoudeSerge Houde is a Canadian film & television character actor. He is best known for his starring role in Jon Cassar's Emmy nominated miniseries The Kennedys playing the notorious Chicago mafia boss Sam Giancana opposite Tom Wilkinson and Barry Pepper.Houde began acting at age 35 and has made a...
as Richard Lerner - Andrew AirlieAndrew AirlieAndrew Airlie is a Scottish-born Canadian actor.He has starred in television series including Breaker High and his TV credits include guest starring in popular television shows such as Monk, Smallville, Stargate SG-1 and The X-Files. He had television regular roles as Mr...
as Dr. Ross - Matt FrewerMatt FrewerMatthew "Matt" Frewer is a Canadian American stage, TV and film actor. Acting since 1983, he is known for portraying the 1980s icon Max Headroom and the retired villain Moloch in the film adaptation of Watchmen.-Life and career:...
as Mitch Barnett - Philip Baker HallPhilip Baker Hall-Early life:Hall was born in Toledo, Ohio, the son of a factory worker father who was from Montgomery, Alabama. He attended the University of Toledo. As a younger man, Hall served in the military, started a family, and became a high school English teacher. In 1961, he decided to become an actor...
as Alan Lombardo - Donna Yamamoto as Dr. Walderson
- Sugar Lyn BeardStephanie BeardStephanie Beard is a Canadian actress, voice actress and television and radio personality. Her radio host persona goes by Suga BayBee, and as co-host of The Zone, she was called Sugar.Beard was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada...
as Susan - Yee Jee TsoYee Jee TsoYee Jee Tso is a Canadian actor.His television roles include Sliders , and the 1996 Doctor Who telemovie, in which he played the character Chang Lee...
as Dr. Lee - Sarah SmythSarah SmythSarah Smyth is a Canadian actress who starred on the three seasons of the Canadian show Naked Josh. She was born in Nova Scotia, but grew up in Ottawa.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Jenny - Peter KelamisPeter KelamisPeter Kelamis is an Australian-born Canadian actor and comedian.-Life and career:Kelamis was born in Sydney, Australia of Greek origin. In 1985, Kelamis enrolled in the University of British Columbia...
as Phil - Jessica Parker KennedyJessica Parker KennedyJessica Parker Kennedy is a Canadian actress. She is perhaps best known for her recurring portrayal of the comic book character Plastique, in the Superman-inspired TV series, Smallville...
as Jackie - Daniel BaconDaniel BaconDaniel Bacon is a British actor. He is most known for his voice role as James "Rhodey" Rhodes/War Machine in Iron Man: Armored Adventures.-External links:* Daniel Bacon on the Battlestar Wiki...
as Dr. Phillips - P. Lynn Johnson as Bernie
- Laura BertramLaura BertramLaura Maureen Bertram is a Canadian actress.- Life and career :Bertram was born in Toronto, Ontario, and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. She earned her degree in history from the University of Guelph. She has two younger sisters named Heather and Jennifer , who are also actresses...
as Claire - Matty Finochio as Ted
- Veena SoodVeena SoodVeena Sood is a Canadian-based film and television actress of Punjabi descent.She works in both the UK and Canada. She starred in ITV's Compulsion featuring Ray Winstone and Parminder Nagra. She has also starred in the UK film Nina's Heavenly Delights,as well as the Canada/UK film Touch of Pink,...
as Nurse Stewart
Development
The film was originally going to be called I'm With Cancer before it was announced that this was a working title. The film was later renamed as Live With It and later, 50/50. James McAvoyJames McAvoy
James McAvoy is a Scottish stage and screen actor. He made his acting debut as a teen in 1995's The Near Room and continued to make mostly television appearances until the early 2000s. His notable television work includes State of Play, Shameless, and Frank Herbert's Children of Dune...
was originally going to play the lead role before he left the film due to personal reasons and was replaced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
. The screenplay is loosely based on the life of comedy writer Will Reiser, friend and frequent co-writer of the film's co-lead, Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
. He is also close with Evan Goldberg
Evan Goldberg
Evan Goldberg is a Canadian film screenwriter and producer. Goldberg attended Point Grey Secondary School and McGill University before joining the staff of Da Ali G Show along with his childhood friend and comedy partner Seth Rogen. Rogen and Goldberg collaborated the films Knocked Up, Superbad,...
of Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show
Da Ali G Show is the name of two related satirical TV series created by and starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen and featuring the character Ali G....
. Principal photography was scheduled from 22 February 2010 to 31 March 2010.
Reviews
The film received acclaim from critics. Review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reports that 94% of 148 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 7.8 out of 10. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 72 based on 40 reviews.
Sean Burns wrote in the Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly , is an award-winning alternative newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, published every Wednesday.The paper was founded in 1971 as a sister publication to the South Philadelphia Press. In 1995, the paper became Philadelphia Weekly...
that Levine "knows how to stay out of the way long enough to let a very talented cast shine, and Rogen's fundamental, unexpected decency, which can often only be expressed through shoulder-punching obscenities, grows more quietly moving as the picture wears on."
David Schmader, writing in the Stranger, praises "50/50s stellar cast, from the omnipresent lead Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Joseph Leonard Gordon-Levitt is an American actor whose career as both a child and adult has included television series and theatrical films....
(whose Rankin/Bass puppet face is put to beautifully nuanced use) to the all-star supporting cast: Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston
Anjelica Huston is an American actress. Huston became the third generation of her family to win an Academy Award, for her performance in 1985's Prizzi's Honor, joining her father, director John Huston, and grandfather, actor Walter Huston. She later was nominated in 1989 and 1990 for her acting in...
roars back to prominence with a twisty performance as Adam's barely contained mess of a mom, and Anna Kendrick's young medical student makes the film's rom-com aspirations not-ridiculous with her intelligent spontaneity and huge cute teeth. But the comedy star is Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen
Seth Rogen is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, producer, screenwriter, and voice artist. Rogen began his career doing stand-up comedy during his teen years, winning the Vancouver Amateur Comedy Contest in 1998. While still living in his native Vancouver, he landed a small part in Freaks and...
, cast in the same role he played in screenwriter Reiser's life."