The comedy/drama about a guy dealing with Cancer. They’ve been advertising it heavily.
I may go to see it this weekend. Anyone seen it already?
I saw it and adored it. It’s among the best of the year. It’s very funny, but in an amusing, life-is-like-that way, rather than laugh-out-loud jokes/gags. It’s very sweet and humane, sad but not maudlin. Uplifting but not not cheesy. Well-written, well-acted, well-directed.
My only problem with it was it treats one of the characters like a cartoon villain, when such people must be common around cancer patients and they need to be educated, not vilified. It was the only false note though.
To be more specific about the problem:
Bryce Dallas Howard’s character’s life is thrown for almost as much of a loop as Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s when he’s diagnosed with cancer. They’re not married, or engaged, they’re just going out. She has no obligation to him, yet she vows to stay by his side and help him anyway. When it turns out that she’s in over her head she gets flaky and flirty with another guy who doesn’t have complicated issues. I’m not defending her, but her character could have been dealt with with a little more compassion, to try and reach the people like her. It’s gotta be hard enough dealing with someone close in your life who has cancer, but when the relationship isn’t close, it’s damned-if-you-do-but-do-it-wrong or damned-if-you-don’t. I would like to have seen some suggestions of mental/emotional tools such people can use, which may translate into real life. I’m not explaining very well. Again I’m not defending her, but I felt sorry for her.
I have not seen it, but I heard an interview on NPR with the writer and lead actor that made me really want to see it. Turns out, the writer is a survivor of a very similar type of cancer, and Seth Rogan, one of his close friends, really did take care of him as depicted in the film. While the plot is only loosely based on the writer’s real life experience, it was essentially an idea that he and Seth came up with half-assedly back when the writer thought he was dying. Yes, Seth Rogan really did dress his friend’s wounds even though he was very squeamish about gore, and ‘‘complained about it the whole time.’’ He says he introduced Seth to his current fiance and totally threw him a bone by talking about all Seth had done to help him through his cancer. 
The writer was also instrumental in helping the lead actor to really understand what he was going through at the time.
All in all it just sounds like a very rich and interesting story.
I saw it and was underwhelmed. It’s definitely a downer. I didn’t like the ending, either.
To its credit, the girl who plays therapist is fantastic and makes the movie much, much, much better.
I saw it and loved it. It’s hilarious, incredibly sad, and uplifting, without ever feeling that the movie isn’t sure of its identity. Hell, it even made me like Seth Rogan, who I normally detest.
Best movie I’ve seen this year that I can think of.
Also, was I the only one who had no idea that was what chemotherapy was like? I had always imagined it to be something like targeted X-Rays or something…
I thought it was great. Pretty sweet without being too saccharine, and even though there were a few issues I thought they would delve further into and then they didn’t, it could be argued that that makes things a bit more realistic - it contributed to the idea that when something like cancer happens, it’s hard for anyone to know just what to do (a continuing theme).
I like that they went a bit further than simple caricature with the mother character - too often crazy parents are just left one-dimensional.
It probably helped that pretty much every reference was perfectly geared towards my generation (late 20s).
That would be the always wonderful Anna Kendrick, nominated for an Oscar as George Clooney’s upstart replacement in Up In The Air. Others might know her as Scott Pilgrim’s sister. She’s also been seen (by some) as Jessica, Bella’s high school friend in the Twilight movies. Hey, it’s a gig.
Good Lord, she is absolutely STUNNING…
I’d see anything with Joseph Gordon-Leavitt in it. He’s really an appealing screen presence and a good actor.
Just rented this online and really, really liked it. That this got completely shut out at the Oscars seems like a big misstep by the Academy (far from its first). Without looking at the nominees, it sure seems like it could have at least gotten a Best Original Screenplay nod.
Minor spoiler:
There is a brilliant and layered scene with the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” that made me fall in love with the song.
Saw it and enjoyed it, esp the rapport between JGL’s character and Rogan’s - idiot boys trying to wrap their brains around very tough stuff. The women are drawn too broadly as mentioned upthread and the ending is too clean, but the heart of the movie is wonderful.
I don’t usually cry at movies, but the scene where JGL is talking to his father before the surgery … sniff
I loved this movie so much. I can’t even begin to explain how much it touched me. I know that sounds cheesy but it was like one of those great novels you don’t ever want to end. I have always loved Joseph Gordon Levitt since Third Rock, but after this movie I went down the list and watched every other one I could find. He never does a poor job in any film. Seth Rogen did a great job playing Seth Rogen, and that’s okay because he and Gordon-Levitt worked so well together.
I liked the way they played out the girlfriend. She wasn’t a nice person, not really. She could have been made out to be a saint or even a saint that just couldn’t take it, but they made her a bitch who tried to be a saint but just couldn’t do it.
Loved the chemo buddies. The therapist was okay. She was cute in her somewhat bumbling ways but I didn’t think their relationship was very realistic at all.
That relationship was the only off note for me (and my wife as well). As soon as he walked in a saw a young cute therapist, I knew what was going to happen. I also knew it should not happen as it is a major ethics violation and could cost her career. They seemed to give a little lip service to how inappropriate it was, and if she stopped being his therapist after the surgery it is possible that enough time had passed before the date for her to be in the clear. It still felt wrong to have him end up with his counselor.
I saw this in the theater a few months ago; is it released again because of an Oscar nomination or something?
I really liked the movie, but I didn’t love it. There were a few false notes or easy outs. I did like Anjelica Houston as the mother, I thought she was just right. I don’t connect emotionally much with guys like Seth Rogan’s character, so that didn’t touch me or turn me off either.
I think the bottom line is if you or someone you love has ever been in a position like this, you will connect emotionally much more with this movie that if you haven’t. I haven’t, fortunately for me, but it made the movie less immediately emotional for me.
Roddy
It’s out on DVD.
Just saw it today, I thought it was great… and actually laughed and cried.
I thought Hugh Downs was great!
Seriously, I loved the movie. Having a strong family history of cancer (mother had it twice, father died of it, sister and nephew with it. Mother was one of 11, 6 had cancer) it really struck home with me. Cancer isn’t like in most movies, where someone gets pale (and pretty) and dies. Cancer’s long, drawn out and ugly. Cancer is waiting in hospitals, hoping surgeries go well and trying anything you hope your loved one might be able to keep down.
StG