The Trailer For 50/50 Arrives, Complete With Explanation Of The Name

About a month ago I had a chance to see 50/50, a movie starring Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt and directed by Jonathan Levine, who directed The Wackness. I really liked the film, despite the fact that on paper it sounds like the kind of terribly treacly crap they play on Lifetime; Levitt plays a young guy who discovers he’s got some serious cancer, and that his odds for recovery are just 50/50 (thus the title). Rogen is his manchild best friend.

See, that sounds like shit. But it’s not! It’s actually well-observed and pretty honest (especially about the Rogen character), likely because it’s written by Will Reiser, who based the film on his own experiences with cancer. The title is mezzo-mezzo, and I kind of like the original title, I’m With Cancer. This title feels pretty generic (as poked fun at by Rogen and producer Evan Goldberg in the intro below).