When I read the description for this movie prior to the Friday film, I figured this would be another very serious and tragic movie about the extents to which disease can wreak havoc on your body. While we did get to see the extents to which cancer took a toll on the main character’s, Adam, body, it was also a bit of a comedy mixed in with the super emotional tone of the movie. I think that this went on to aid de-mystifying illness as things like cancer and other life-changing diseases are almost like taboo in our society.

Joseph-Jordan-Jeremiah-George Gordon-Levitt. The few minutes before the movie was spent just debating with no absolute basis but high confidence that the actor’s name was one of the stated. But jokes aside this movie was absolutely gem. Seth Rogen is hilarious and made the hardness in facing death, the main topic of the movie more bearable. Also, there was certainly more upbeatness in this movie than what its description suggested.

I was worried that 50/50 was going to be another incredibly dark and serious movie that I’d walk away from feeling off. I was very pleasantly surprised at this comedy and feel good movie. I certainly didn’t believe that a movie about cancer could be so positive in so many ways. I was a bit disappointed that all ended well, as too many movies have super happy endings. Regardless, from everything I know they showed the process of psychologically dealing with the illness very accurately. It showed some of the difficulties of therapy, though it would’ve been better had they not made his therapist his love interest, as that is obviously not ethical and mental health professions have trouble enough maintaining how the world sees them.

I think it’s really important that people can think about and talk about virtually anything without immediately going somber. When concepts get blocked off in our brain as “do not approach!” We lose some control of the situations in which that concept is important. Cancer is such a common disease that most people have experienced it in their family. It’s very easy to let it take on a horribly negative connotation and breed sadness. 50/50 did an incredibly good job showing that it can exist within positive, happy situations at times. Not that cancer is at all good, but that it doesn’t have to be something we cower from.

When I was seeing 50/50 I was for the most time in shock just by seeing how terrible of a life people have to face when diagnosed with Cancer especially with only a 50% survival chance. However, what stood out to me was the important of being strong during such hard times as hard time come to pass and not to last (his surgery ended up being successful helping the main character lead the normal life). In my own life many a times I have faced issues such as not getting enough sleep during finals week but I made sure I fought through and never gave up and eventually things did end up getting better.

In the movie “50/50”, the main character, Adam, finds out that he has a spinal tumor. The title is based on the fact that he has a fifty/fifty percent of either surviving or dying. What has to mentioned is the way he was trying to cope with his health issues and never gave up. Possessing such mentality will always be useful in all aspects of life. In the end, he has to undergo a surgery that could cure him but it could also end his life. Thankfully the surgery was successful and he could slowly return to his normal life. As already stated, never losing belief is what will allow a person to overcome many obstacles, whether its health related, academic, or sports.

It takes a lot to make me cry during a movie and well 50/50 did just that. The last time I watched a movie about a cancer patient I bawled my eyes out but it was mainly because it really struck a chord with me. I have a very close family friend who died because of cancer. She and my mom were best friends and seeing my mom cry as well as seeing our family friend suffering at the hands of cancer was very hard. The movie I watched before really showed the pain and suffering that people with cancer go through. Anytime I see that it really hits me because I can’t imagine what it would be like to personally go through that. This movie however did not make me cry as much as the other one did. In fact I really liked this movie a lot because it did an excellent job of highlighting society’s error in approaching the topic of cancer in a comedic way. Whenever anyone finds out that someone has cancer their behavior towards that person immediately changes whether they realize it or not. We treat the person like a child and we look at them like they are completely helpless. Having cancer does not make you any less of a normal functioning human and we should treat them as we normally would. I realized that I myself have done and said some of those things that the movie calls out as being rather dumb and insensitive. We think we are helping the person when in fact by treating them differently for having cancer we are not helping them at all. It is nice to see a movie that is able to bring up these ideas and make you think about important topics like this while also being entertaining. I am really glad that I decided to attend this event.

The film was connected on a deep emotional level with me. Recently, one of my close family members was diagnosed with cancer and we, as a family, went through a similar experience of getting a loved one back to normal and life. From trying to treat them as normally as we could and easing their return to regular life post a successful surgery all took an emotional toll on us. However, it is in times of need that you figure out how much you really love someone and how close you are to them. I could relate a lot to the friendship between Adam and Kyle and how Kyle displayed tough love to get his friend back on track to a normal life. All in all, I thought it was a very sentimental and sound movie, and I loved watching it!

The “50/50” has been different from the cancer related movies I have watched before. The plot tried to showcase the reality that one goes through when experiencing this situation. It also showed the perspective from family members and friends. I consider it essential to learn how to approach this situation when you know someone who has cancer. Sometimes support is the most important thing that a person needs. However, as shown by the movie this can only be done if the person is ready and open to talk about their situation. Once this occurs it is important to listen to them. Listening is a key concept when being there for someone. Sometimes we go the extra mile and provide people with advice, but this can come off the wrong way and make the person feel worse. It can be hard for us to stop giving advice since if we really care about the person we would do whatever it takes to help them feel better. Consequently, it can be hard to sympathize with a person in this situation, so listening can be a good way of showing your support.

I had never heard of the movie “50/50” before this event and I did not know what to expect.  The film ended up being very emotional and tackled the unthinkable circumstances of being given a 50/50 survival rate for cancer.  The main character, played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, is confronted with how he is going to spend potentially his last few months.  This got me thinking as to what I would do if I were given the same diagnosis.  I don’t know if I would be able to remain as calm and determined as he did.  I do feel, however, that I would probably react the same way to the initial diagnosis as he did in the way that I would be in total disbelief.  Similarly to the main character, I also think telling my parents would be difficult.  An aspect of the movie that amazed me was how accurately it portraited the responses of his friends and co-workers.  They all attempted to sympathize with him and his situation though they were not able to, making things worse.  It really showed how isolating receiving a potentially terminal diagnosis can be.  However, the main character was able to rely on his best friend, played by Seth Rogan, to keep up his morale while receiving help from a psychologist to discuss his mental state.  This movie really illustrated that battling cancer is just as much a mental battle as it is a physical one.

An interesting element of the movie 50/50 is that it conveys real-life tragedies and how people deal with them. This can be helpful in de-stigmatizing people who are openly afraid of discussing their illnesses and also helps to put their illnesses in perspectives. In contrast to many Hollywood films which only seem to showcase the positive “high points” of life, I appreciated how this movie could relate to people facing tough life situations like cancer. The idea of remaining positive when faced with unexpected situations isn’t always as easy as the main character demonstrates and in that regard, I wished the film made his series of emotions more accurately in terms of describing a potential denial phase, then rebellious phase than acceptance phase since it may paint the picture that all people who encounter that they have cancer are supposed to take it that positively at first which may not be realistic. However, overall the movie could relate to people generally about the importance of continuing to live life properly even upon being hit with such news. I often times feel that when people are initially hit with negative news, it can be difficult to switch the voices in our heads that are making us feel sorry for our circumstances. Learning to appreciate hardships and not consider them the end of the world is an experience that can’t be turned on or off like the switch of a light. Thus, as people navigate difficult situations be it classes at Cornell or other life problems, they must evaluate how they can slowly lead themselves to look at their situations in a different angle instead of expecting them to do this on the onset. The idea of being happy even in the face of difficulties also makes me question the degree to which people ignore their challenges in order to be happier. In that regard, by being positive during negative situations are we really happy or just temporarily ignorant? Ignorance doesn’t seem to be the best solution either way, but can sometimes help alleviate pain or stress. I’m curious what suggestions people have for promoting long-term happiness that doesn’t involve dismissal or denial of harsh circumstances?

I watched 50/50 movie for the first time last Friday. I liked how this movie gave hope to people and taught the importance of positive relationships. Despite being in a negative situation, one’s positive mindset and the continuous attempt could result in a happy ending. The most valuable lesson that I learned by watching this movie was the importance of family and friends in any situation. I believe that the main reason that Adam was able to combat the malignant tumor was due to his mother and other surrounding characters’ support, love, and care. These positive relationships and support from one another encourage us to not only accomplish our goals but also overcome any challenges. Lastly, meeting someone who actually survived cancer was even more meaningful.

Friday night, I joined house fellow Jason Hungerford and GRF Shiv to watch the movie “50/50” and to discuss Jason’s experience being a cancer survivor. I think the whole movie was very well done, and, having a mom who was diagnosed with a dangerous form of cancer a few years ago (she’s healthy now 🙂 ) , seemed pretty spot on. Of course, I cannot speak from a survivor’s perspective, but the words “you have cancer” are probably three of the worst. Everything about your life has to change to accommodate for this disease. A lot of things are put into perspective. I really enjoy how the movie also incorporated humor throughout, both so as to lighten the mood and to get the point across that cancer does not mean a person suddenly has no sense of humor, and sometimes that is the only way to get through it. The movie was overall just a great one (I cried like four times) and Jason’s story was very enlightening about what it is like to receive a cancer diagnosis.

I had heard of 50/50 before so I had high hopes for the movie — and my hopes were not betrayed.

I loved all the characters. I strongly relate to the mother-son relationship, and loved that it kept popping up briefly until the very end, when the mother and son came together and talked honestly about how they felt. What touched me the most was the main character’s relationship with his best friend. His best friend was more or less a wreck; he was horrible at taking care of the main character and often was insensitive, but it was also obvious how much he cared. In particular, I loved how perfectly his actions the night before the main character’s surgery and on the day of portrayed lightly masked love.

I am a little wary of how the movie almost ridiculed therapy, but I also appreciate the message that therapy alone is not enough (and I am also a fan of the romance that emerged from the bad therapy in the movie).

My favorite part, however, was listening to a cancer survivor speak about how 50/50 affected them after the movie. Hearing someone who had experienced the hardships that come with cancer explain how different scenes in the movie aligned with their real experiences helped bridged the gap between fiction and reality in my mind.

This past Friday I went to watch the movie 50/50. I had already seen it before but I realized I had forgotten most of it. Watching it again made me appreciate it so much more. It depicted the reality of someone who has been diagnosed with cancer. It highlights the mental and physical toll that such diagnosis can bring, but it also shows the importance of not isolating oneself and of not giving up. Adam went through a huge journey that ended up in a happy ending. He was strong but the experience was very stressful. In the end it all worked out but sometimes that is not the case. I have never been through this but this movie helped me understand what needs to be done if I do or if I know someone that gets the news. The movie did a great job at depicting everyone’s part in the situation and what they do wrong or right and how it all affects the person. It also showed how it equally affects those near him like his mother. It emphasized that everyone is going through a hard time and that they should lean on each other for support.  I really liked the movie and hope that it will continue to help people in this situation and serve as a way to learn for those that have loved ones going through this.

Because I have never been diagnosed with cancer, I do not truly know what it is like. However, after watching the film 50/50, I was able to catch a glimpse of it. This film brought me to tears…literally. Knowing that anyone on this earth can just randomly fall victim to such a terrible disease is heartbreaking to me. The toll that cancer has on a person’s body is disheartening. Chemotherapy and other medications that are given to cancer patients even make them feel worse. Although the movie ended with the main character winning his battle with cancer, I still left the movie feeling sad because I thought about all of the lives who were unable to defeat cancer.

Last night, I had the chance to watch the movie 50/50. The movie was based on a true story. It was about a young guy who was diagnosed with cancer and given a 50,50 chance of living.

A scene of the movie really stood out to me, the protagonist seemed to cope well with the fact that he has cancer as opposed to the devastation of his friends and his family. However, when he drove crazy on the road and screamed in hysteria definitely revealed his facade: anger and despair.

Overall, the film was heartwarming and encouraging. It shows the reality of the patient, family, and friends’ reaction to finding out cancer. Jason Hungerford, the house fellow sponsoring the event, relates to this movie more than anyone else.  He talked about his own experience and how others tried to comfort him and treat him differently. It was not that helpful because it is difficult to relate to the patient. Lastly, it is extremely important to have a strong supporting group like Adam at dark times.

This weeks film, 50/50, was a humorous and inspirational movie about a young man who was diagnosed with cancer and given a 50% chance of surviving. The part of the film that stood out the most to me was the differences between Adam and his friends/family in terms of how they tried to cope with his diagnosis. At first Adam seemed to be handling his diagnosis and treatment well, continuously insisting he was “fine” an “okay” with everything that was going on. Yet as the movie progressed, we saw the true extent of Adam’s emotions, and how he was unprepared for what might happen next. In contrast to Adam, his best friend Kyle always seemed to be upfront about his illness and tried to make the most out of a negative situation. His mother, as one might expect, was devastated, and was continually worrying about Adam. I think this film does a great job of showing how people are affected by cancer differently, and how everybody tries to deal with it in a different way. For Adam, he just wanted everything to be normal; he wanted to keep going to work, hanging out with Kyle, and live a normal life. Kyle tried to use humor to come to terms with what was happening, to try and make Adam happy, and also to help himself deal with having his best friend get cancer. Yet, as we saw in the scene where Adam sees Kyle is reading a book about cancer, Adam realizes that his diagnosis has affected Kyle more than he lets on. Similarly, after finding out his mother goes to a support group, he realizes that his illness has had a major impact on her too, and he feels guilty for not returning her calls, or talking with her about it as much. These instances show that the people around Adam were just as affected by his cancer as he was, just in different ways, and I think he eventually realized that he wasn’t the only one struggling to come to terms with his situation.

The film 50/50 presents a sincere, yet surprisingly-witty, depiction of cancer. The central character, Adam, is a young man living a happy, yet somewhat unfulfilled life prior to his diagnosis. Over the course of diagnosis, chemotherapy, talk therapy, and, ultimately, surgery, Adam gains a new understanding of his life and relationships. I particularly enjoyed that this transformation, while still heartwarming, seemed genuine. He learned to recognize the one-sidedness of many of his relationships, removing toxic people from his life and strengthening his bonds with those he loves most. The movie does not attempt to present terminal illness as a means of getting a wholly optimistic, newfound appreciation of life; instead, it depicts the shift in perspective that accompanies such a physically and emotionally taxing experience. By forgoing such a cliche depiction of near-death experiences, the film captures a realistic, heartwarming road to recovery. Beyond Adam’s character development, I also like that the film offers an oftentimes humorous, but ultimately valid, critique of people’s response to cancer. This is best seen when his coworkers throw a well-meaning, yet strange, party for him. A similar behavior is seen in his mother’s responses, like when her first reaction to his diagnosis is making him tea, claiming it reduces the risk of cancer. More frequently than not, Adam was put in the position to essentially comfort the other person, consoling their own fears about his own illness. While witty at times, these scenes reveal another uncomfortable, often unrecognized aspect of being sick. Overall, the film presents a genuine, heartwarming story; it acknowledges the hardship of cancer and encourages a greater sense of awareness of how to valuably interact with those afflicted.

I really loved the movie 50/50 for the relationships that Adam lost, formed, and strengthened when faced with the devastating news of cancer. I think that the movie showed the different ways that people around a person with cancer can show their care and love, from Kyle’s brash, vulgar ways of distracting Adam from thinking about death, or Adam’s mother’s overwhelming wish to do everything for him. It also revealed the person that wasn’t truly there for him, Rachel. I think that although Adam being diagnosed with cancer was terrible, it was also fortunate in some ways. It showed him the people who really cared about him and made him want to do things he might not have done otherwise, like connect and apologize to his mother, or tell Katherine about his feelings for her. I thought that these actions of trying to not have any regrets about what they didn’t do were very realistic for someone who was uncertain about whether or not they had much longer to live.

I was most touched by the when Adam realized that Kyle was simply putting up a front as well, and had been really trying to be a good friend for him and I also felt that the scene where Adam finally let out all the anger towards his situation in the car was very powerful, as well as the scene where he panics as he’s being injected with anesthesia before his surgery, not knowing if he would wake up.

After the movie, hearing Jason talk about his own experience with cancer was really enlightening. From his own mother’s overbearing reaction, to his own experiences with people trying to help and failing or trying to make light of the situation, I saw that the movie must have helped out many facing Adam’s situation.

Getting diagnosed with cancer at any age is shocking and sad, but when it happens to a young person, it’s even more shocking. It flips their whole world upside down and suddenly everything about them revolves around their health. In the movie 50/50, the protagonist, Adam Learner, gets diagnosed with cancer at just 27 years old. The movie is about his journey through dealing with it and the people he meets along the way. Adam went through many ups and downs but his best friend Kyle and his family stayed constant. Kyle, though it seemed like he didn’t always have Adam’s best interests in mind, was always there for him, driving him places and making him laugh. Towards the end of the movie, Adam finds out that Kyle had been reading the book “Facing Cancer Together” and taken notes, demonstrating that he really was supportive and going through this with him. In terms of him parents, his mother was overbearing and constantly worrying but I think this is a normal reaction of any mother finding out their child has cancer. One of my favorite quotes from the movie is when Katherine says “You can’t change who your parents are, the only thing you can change is how you choose to deal with that.” I think this is a very powerful message that pertains to any situation, not even just cancer. It’s important to realize which people really support you and will be there for you forever and which people won’t.

Jason Hungerford, the house fellow sponsoring the event, related much to the movie as he was diagnosed with cancer at just 33 years of age. He spoke to us about the similarities that he had with Adam, including the worrisome mother and the tuning out of the doctor when he first was told that he had cancer. We talked about how many people treat others with medical illnesses differently when in reality they are still a human too and others don’t realize that what they are saying isn’t helpful at all. Having the awkwardness portrayed in a movie helps audience members realize that some interactions don’t help the situation.

Tonight’s film 50/50 was one of the most realistic films I’ve seen – I really felt like I was looking into someone’s life rather than just watching a movie. Each character had so much dimension – my favorite scene was when Adam takes a drunk Kyle home and finds a book on cancer in Kyle’s bathroom. Up until that point in the film, I just saw Kyle as an immature best friend but after seeing that scene, I started to think about what Kyle must be going through as well as he tries to find ways to support Adam. While Adam went through so much to fight his cancer, the people around him went through a lot as well. For instance, Adam’s mother had been going to a cancer support group. Thus, in the beginning of the film, I was thinking a lot about what having cancer meant for Adam but towards the end of the film, I was also thinking about what Adam having cancer meant for his close friends and family members. We all live within our social networks and not everyone will support us the way we might want them to in a given situation. But that’s just part of life and we are overall so lucky to have people who care about our well-being and want the best for us.

Cancer can always be a sensitive topic. Unfortunately, I have first-hand seen what cancer is capable of and how seemingly unfair life can be to those undeserving of it. The film “50/50” invoked a broad spectrum of emotions, allowing me to better relate to and understand the consequences of cancer. The film follows the beautiful story of Adam, a 27-year-old man who is diagnosed with cancer, and his struggle to overcome the illness. But the film was about so much more than cancer and a man’s fight against it. It was about love, friendship, family, and perseverance. Watching Adam fight to regain his old life and struggle through the little things everyday was distressing. The fact that Adam tried to conceal how he really felt for the sake of others made the situation even worse. But the film’s subtle humor and realistic depiction of a 27-year-old man’s life humanized the story. A cancer diagnosis is so incredibly significant that it is easy to lose sight of the person and only see a crippling disease. The movie excellently portrayed a heavy, somber topic in a way that I could emotionally comprehend without being directly involved in such a situation.

Additionally, I recognized the indisputable value of having a loving support system available in dark times. Although misunderstood, Kyle and Katherine took initiatives to help Adam and stay by his side throughout the ordeal. While the tension of cancer is likely to disrupt and even harm relationships, it is important to realize that the loved ones may be just as burdened as the patient and must similarly persevere against the common evil.

As one of my peers mentioned after the end of the movie, part of what made this film so great was the casual undertone with which the movie was directed. I think we often associate cancer with feelings of consequence and sensitivity, that we overlook the fact that it’s a condition affecting another human-being (with a personality and emotions) whose life consists of more than just the condition. Adam was a character with the misfortune of a bad diagnosis, whose every interaction seemed to revolve around his condition; trying to comfort those around him; and a series of awkward interactions as he underwent treatments and his daily life activities. This isn’t the only medium through which similar themes of unnecessary alienation are portrayed through humorous encounters. (I compared this a lot with my experience reading “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green.) Quite frankly, it is, indeed, very humorous that we tend to overlook a lot about people and what makes them unique, based on their medical conditions. It happens in real life. In fact, it has happened to me for years. I think that while this was an extreme (though not uncommon) anecdote of what someone with a medical condition experiences from the outside world, we encounter these situations every day, whether we are on the giving or receiving end of this treatment — maybe even both. It could be a person in a wheelchair. It could be any kind of disability. It could be someone who looks different than you. This movie serves as a reminder that while these things can be traumatic or simply outside the scope of what we have previously encountered, how we react to them and the people undergoing those experiences can also be extremely impactful.

This Friday’s movie, “50/50” was a very touching story about a young person who gets diagnosed with cancer. Although I have not had, been a part of, or personally witnessed any of the experiences that were portrayed in the movie such as hearing the cancer diagnosis from a doctor, having to tell friends and family, and going through chemotherapy/surgery, the story resonated with me. Not only was the movie about the journey of a cancer survivor, but it was also about the meaningful relationships in life between a normal person going through an immensely tough and new experience and their loved ones. There was sadness, anger, isolation, fear, but also empathy, hope, connection, and many other well-portrayed emotions that captivated me and took me on a roller coaster ride. In addition, the scenes of awkwardness and sadness shared with Adam, the protagonist, and his loved ones made me think about how I should react and interact with a person in this situation and what I should not do. After hearing about Jason’s thoughts about the movie as well as his experiences with his own journey, I am now aware of things that are not helpful to say. It was enlightening to learn about this true story from the movies as well as to listen to Jason’s thoughts about why this movie resonated with him.

There are times when you are struck and lost of what to say. This film brings into the situation.

I watched the protagonist trying to get through all the little things in life. It’s not dramatic. It’s just pieces of life. It’s like…life. Especially when it turned out to be adapted from real life, and someone from real life was in front of you to say that they’ve gone through it. Every frame shown was like taking you through another different and difficult life.

Brooding and silent experience. I literally have nothing to say about–nothing I feel myself that is “worth” talking about, because I have been lucky enough to not have encountered cancer yet. Anything that I say seem to be marginalizing others, especially someone less lucky than I am, and putting an air of consideration which might be in fact schadenfreude. This might be something that put Kristine, the therapist in the plot, in an almost helpless situation. When someone near you is in a disastrous situation, it is hard to tell true caring from just pretending pity to avoid the condemnations of conscience. Trials, really.

But for someone who has really gone through all this, the whole feeling will be different…but as some “outsider”, there’s really nothing to do to walk inside of the person’s mind. All that is left is a sigh.