 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
50/50
- Review Date: September 30, 2011
- R
- Genre: Comedy
- 2011
Common Sense Media says
Cancer patient questions his life in mature dramedy.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this fact-based dramedy (co-star Seth Rogen's real-life friend, Will Reiser, wrote the movie based on his own experiences) tackles some pretty heavy themes -- particularly the idea of facing the specter of death before the age of 30 -- that could overwhelm young teens attracted by the film's stars: Rogen and (500) Days of Summer's Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Expect plenty of strong language (including "f--k," "s--t," and more) and some sexually charged talk and scenes (including partial female nudity), plus drug use (both medicinal and recreational).
What's the story?
Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a 27-year-old public radio editor, discovers one day that the aches and pains that have been plaguing him signal a frightening reality: He has cancer, with a 50/50 shot of beating the odds. As he undergoes chemotherapy, Adam begins to confront his relationships and friendships, questioning whether they're satisfying and meaningful -- and, if not, what he needs to do about them. For example, is his girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) the right girl for him? Can his best friend (Seth Rogen) deal with his illness? Should he trust his new therapist (Anna Kendrick)? And is he who he wants to be -- as a son, a significant other, a friend?
Is it any good?
50/50 faces so many hurdles on its way to success. There are so many cliches that a movie about terminal illness has to skirt: How to handle the reveal without being overdramatic? Should there be a transformation -- and, if so, how to make it believable? So, good for director Jonathan Levine (and writer Will Reiser and the producers, including Rogen), for managing to create a refreshingly irreverent -- though still poignant -- film about the subject.
Far from being sappy and mawkish, the movie is unafraid to ask difficult questions: Does illness allow you to put yourself first all the time? How much can you ask of others when you're sick? And it's bold enough to mine the situation for hilarity without minimizing it or going for the easy jokes. That said, it's not perfect by any means; Adam's girlfriend turns needlessly villainous, and a storyline about Adam's father could have used more depth but instead peters out. But ultimately, it takes confidence to create a movie like this one, as well as a great actor like Gordon-Levitt, who has created an Adam we can root for easily and without pity. When you see 50/50, be prepared to laugh and think.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how the film deals with the subject matter of chronic illness -- in this case, cancer. Is Adam's reaction believable? Does it seem at all exaggerated?
Did you notice any sexism or stereotypes in the movie? How do the women in this movie compare to those in other Seth Rogan movies? Is this movie more or less crude than Rogan's other films? Do you think that has something to do with the subject matter?
The movie is based on the writer's own experiences. How true to life do you think it actually is? Why do writers/filmmakers sometimes change facts when they're making movies?
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- Teens & kids
AGE
Fantastic!
Great movie!!Just some suggestive language. :)
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AGE
Chances
50/50 is quite a good movie. It gives laughs to a heavy-handed topic that desperately needs it, while forming characters that feel truly human. The only thing to worry about is sexual dialogue (which happens profusely every time Rogen is around) and three scenes of pot smoking and a mild sex scene, but other than that, kids can handle the rest. Highly recommended because of the acting and a message about one's morality.
Oh, and it's actually funny too.
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Kid, 11 years old
October 13, 2011
AGE
Love the story
This is a heart warming tear jerker that blew me away. I cried and cried after this movie. You begin to fall in love with the characters in this movie. There is a lot of cussing and one sex scene. But , from middle to end there isn't as much language and sex. The sex scene wasn't bad. I highly recomend this movie to older teens. This has got to win best actor for Joseph Gordan Levitt.
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AGE
Sad sexual exploitation
It is sad that they had to sexually exploit a women to make this movie... if that was not involved, I would consider watching it. But having a woman bare her chest for money.. not cool.
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AGE
good movie
soooooooo good but not for little kids
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AGE
great movie
I cried in the theater. My rating: Strong emotions, A scene of sexual content, and strong language.
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AGE
I wish I had seen almost anything else.
If you like puerile humour, one-dimensional characters and a completely predictable plot, this movie is for you. Otherwise, there are lots of better ways to spend your time and money.
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AGE
Hillarious
A very serious movie, yet hysterical. Crude jokes and over use of medicinal marijuana make this movie too mature for young kids
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AGE
It's a comedy that talks about cancer, but not a "Cancer Comedy"
I just finished watching this movie, and normally I don't cry during movies (books make me cry more, for some reason) but this one made me, and my mom, cry. Maybe because it's relatable as we've had relatives with cancer, but I digress. The messages in the movie like overcoming adversity may be cliche by themselves, but they way they are presented are not. The main character, while sympathetic, is not presented as the perfect guy we should all pity on, but rather a real human being that is a victim of tragic circumstance. Other characters aren't as positive role models though; the girlfriend cheats on him, the best friend is pretty selfish, and the mom is kind of wackadoo. The movie isn't really violent except for a verbal lashing out between the best friend and soon-to-be ex-girlfriend and at one point when Adam breaks into hysteria and begins to drive the car recklessly (he can't drive) and pound on the steering wheel. At the beginning of the movie, there is a fair bit of sex talk (as in, how to get it) and when Adam does get with a girl after breaking up, there is a sex scene, but I didn't see these breasts that people are saying are visible. Maybe the DVD I watched was edited or I blinked or whatever, but anyway. (I actually took a look back, and I only saw the silhouette of one, and saying that the actual breast was visible on screen is misleading.) The one scene wasn't that bad and did not last for very long. There is a fair bit of language in this movie, but I didn't expect any different from an R-rated Seth Rogen film. Also, there is a bit of product placement in this movie like Toyota and The Colbert Report, but it's not overt and doesn't distract from the overall film. There is drug use, but come on, it's a film that has someone dealing with cancer. Most of the time the drugs are for medicinal use, except for Kyle, but again, not surprising coming from Seth Rogen. Overall, this is a movie that (like The Fault in Our Stars that I reviewed also) doesn't go for the easy way out for telling a story about cancer. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was phenomenal in this movie and I highly recommend it to teens who think the only kind of movies Rogen can make are stoner comedies.
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AGE
Not the best movie ever.
Honestly, I expected this movie to be more of a comedy but it actually more of a drama! It wasn't the best movie ever. If Seth Rogan wasn't one of the main actors in the movie then I probably wouldn't have even watched it in the first place. However, the main character in the movie is a pretty enjoyable actor as well!
I definitely wouldn't call it an appropriate movie for children. Violence isn't a big issue at all, but there is plenty of sexual content and lots of bad language. Not to mention graphic drug use.
Not all adults are going to enjoy this movie. It seems more like a movie that teenagers would enjoy, but I would only recommend it for older teens.
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| Studio: | Mandate Pictures |
| Director: | Jonathan Levine |
| Cast: | Anna Kendrick, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 99 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 30, 2011 |
| DVD release date: | January 24, 2012 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | language throughout, sexual content and drug use |
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