Missing on this year’s list of Oscar nominations: 50/50, which received two Golden Globe nominations (Best Motion Picture—Comedy/Musical and Best Performance by an Actor—Comedy/Musical) along with a huge number of nominations for Will Reiser’s screenplay from critics groups nationwide. Ironically 50/50 was released on DVD on Tuesday, but unfortunately the film won’t receive the Oscar bump everyone rightfully anticipated.
OK, yes, this is the film about the guy who learns he has a 50/50 chance of survival when a curt physician announces he has cancer. Sounds grim, I know, and yet this is an incredibly well-told, life-affirming story, and I highly recommended it.
Although no one in the film ever talks about being Jewish—much less turns to a Rabbi for advice or consolation—it has a Jewish vibe through and through. Almost all of the principals in front of the camera as well as behind it are Jewish, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt certainly earned the “Actor of the Year” award he received from the Hollywood Film Festival.
50/50 was directed by Jonathan Levine who brought us the wonderfully quirky Indie The Wackness a few years back, and I can’t wait to see what he’ll do next. Kudos to the folks at the Aspen Filmfest who gave him the Audience Favorite Feature award way back in February!
Photo Credits: © Ed Araquel/Filmdistrict
Bottom Photo: Seth Rogen (left) with Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 50/50.
