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| Left to right: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen |
Welcome to Alternative to What: a weekly column that tries to find a great alternative to driving to the multiplexes. Based on releases of that week, the selections will either be thematically related or feature recurring cast and crew. The goal is to help you better understand the diversity of cinema and hopefully find you some favorites while saving a few bucks. At worse, this column will save you money. Expect each installment to come out on Fridays, unless specified.
THIS WEEK:
50/50 (2011)
- Alternative To -
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
This week marks the debut of The Fault in Our Stars: a romantic drama involving teens with cancer. It has garnered almost universal praise with 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and looks to be one of the most successful tear jerkers in years. This isn't the first film about cancer during youth to strike a chord. Many will remember the iconic Terms of Endearment as being a major milestone in this genre. It has been a strange subject to handle largely because there is a line that must be blurred. Does a story go for melodrama or contemporary culture? The answer lies somewhere in the middle.
While Terms of Endearment's legacy is definitely important, there hasn't really been a film that has spoken to the current generation. Cancer has always been seen as an older person thing that happens after life is lived. This isn't always the case. It can happen at almost anytime. With director Jonathan Levine's 50/50, he managed to update the cancer drama and move it beyond the constrains of the impersonal. To say the least, there are a lot of jokes about Doogie Howser and smoking weed due to "night blindness." Without the cancer, it may seem like an average drama/comedy with typical romance and climactic resolution. In a sense, that is its greatest success.
50/50 isn't so much about succumbing to cancer, but realizing that it doesn't have to define you. Protagonist Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a healthy man who one day gets stricken with the news that changes his life. As he talks with his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen), he tries to find the right way to announce this significant change to his family and friends. The vulnerability in the scene sets the tone for the rest of the film to come. There may be plenty of compensating humor, but it reflects the discomfort with trying to stay optimistic beautifully while bringing out some lighthearted joy.
The film is based on writer Will Reiser's personal experiences with cancer treatment. There's plenty of moments that feel personal, including the third act when the reality sets in. During these scenes, Levitt turns in easily his best performance in his career. He is at times comical, sincere, and other times vulnerable. His interaction with varying figures in his life feel honest and real. Even Rogen's character has a heartfelt reveal that adds weight to the film. While it is true that the film gets sad, it does so gradually and never feels hamfisted about its actions. They all move progressively and reflect the uncertainty when your odds of living are, as the title suggests, 50/50.
The film has grown to be a personal favorite for many reasons. Seeing it in theaters was a revolutionary experience in that it made me realize how vulnerable that people may age (people in their 20's) were. Most of all, it didn't pander with melodramatic techniques and instead produced some hilarious moments. The film tries to see cancer as a partner and not a curse, which makes even hitting on girls in bars a little creepy. The other reason is more obvious. Since this film, I have had a few friends become diagnosed with cancer, including one in this general age group. To me, the film speaks to a generation that Terms of Endearment can't. While chemotherapy stories may not be all that different, people dealing with it have different worldviews.
While The Fault in Our Stars is likely to play more heavy towards emotion, it is also appealing to a different demographic. While it still falls in the youth with cancer genre, it is a teenage romance. Yes, 50/50 has a love story and maybe it is a little sexist. However, it feels more honest than most films of that year did. It continues to be a defining achievement in the genre by simply being honest. If you were young with access to medicinal marijuana, you'd laugh your head off in a hospital, too. In a sense, this is the Terms of Endearment for the 10's and there is little chance of it being overthrown anytime soon.
The film is based on writer Will Reiser's personal experiences with cancer treatment. There's plenty of moments that feel personal, including the third act when the reality sets in. During these scenes, Levitt turns in easily his best performance in his career. He is at times comical, sincere, and other times vulnerable. His interaction with varying figures in his life feel honest and real. Even Rogen's character has a heartfelt reveal that adds weight to the film. While it is true that the film gets sad, it does so gradually and never feels hamfisted about its actions. They all move progressively and reflect the uncertainty when your odds of living are, as the title suggests, 50/50.
The film has grown to be a personal favorite for many reasons. Seeing it in theaters was a revolutionary experience in that it made me realize how vulnerable that people may age (people in their 20's) were. Most of all, it didn't pander with melodramatic techniques and instead produced some hilarious moments. The film tries to see cancer as a partner and not a curse, which makes even hitting on girls in bars a little creepy. The other reason is more obvious. Since this film, I have had a few friends become diagnosed with cancer, including one in this general age group. To me, the film speaks to a generation that Terms of Endearment can't. While chemotherapy stories may not be all that different, people dealing with it have different worldviews.
While The Fault in Our Stars is likely to play more heavy towards emotion, it is also appealing to a different demographic. While it still falls in the youth with cancer genre, it is a teenage romance. Yes, 50/50 has a love story and maybe it is a little sexist. However, it feels more honest than most films of that year did. It continues to be a defining achievement in the genre by simply being honest. If you were young with access to medicinal marijuana, you'd laugh your head off in a hospital, too. In a sense, this is the Terms of Endearment for the 10's and there is little chance of it being overthrown anytime soon.
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