Beautiful portrait how friends and relatives cope with a maybe (50/50) fatal spine tumor

Rating: Null/10 (26 October 2011)

I saw this film as part of the Ghent filmfestival 2011, in the same week as "Halt auf Freier Strecke" aka "Stopped on Track" (Dresen; 2011) having a similar theme. Both portray how relatives and friends try to cope with the announcement of an immanent death due to a tumor diagnosis. Particularly interesting is how some evade the issue, while others rise to the challenge.
Both films succeed very well in showing how friends and relatives initially react, and how good or bad they find their own way in dealing with the issues at hand. The two films are very different in all other respects. The chances for survival for the spine tumor are 50/50, hence the title of the film, contrary to the brain tumor in Stopped On Track that is not curable in any way. Optimism is not appropriate for the latter film, because of the known fatal end result. In counterpart 50/50 a positive outcome is uncertain but feasible. This allows for humor and optimism, as that may well improve the chances for survival, according to popular belief.
Several nice touches are thrown in as extra ingredients. Firstly, we see the doctor explaining the diagnosis. His whole talk is directed to the notes and diagrams on his desk. He seems unable to look at the patient (Adam) before him. Secondly, when Adam's mother is invited to dinner, she apparently expects an announcement that he is going to marry his girl friend, or even that she is pregnant. Instead, when she learns about the tumor, she is annoyed that he waited two whole days to tell her. Thirdly, we see a group of four patients receiving chemo therapy on a regular basis. They gradually get to know each other, becoming sort of friends. At one day they discover that only three are left, after one died recently. Something everyone saw coming but still a shock for the three, emphasizing their possible near future the hard way.
Adam's friend Kyle has a very prominent role throughout, taking care of the humor department. In a delicate situation like this, his efforts might be considered inappropriate and too much to witness. In other words, you love it or you hate it. But he certainly has a better side, as appears later on. When buying support books recommended by the psycho therapist, Kyle abuses the sad story around Adam as opening lines to get girls interested in himself. But deep down he is not all opportunistic. We see with our own eyes that Kyle really has read the support books, shown by a lot of hand written notes in the margins.
The psycho therapy sessions with beginning therapist Katie could be hilarious, where it not that she does not act as a model for her profession. She does all the things that her tutors have forbidden, in her eagerness to comfort the patient. She can't help herself, sometimes even to the extent that it is embarrassing to watch. Can this be intentional??
Finally, an operation is needed to remove the tumor. I cannot reveal the end result of this operation, if only to avoid a spoiler. Anyway, the film comes to its finale soon after the operation. Its end result is less important than what happened in between, how everyone was able (or not) to deal with the situation. It lets us think how we behave ourselves when this would happen in our own lives. Maybe this film prepares us for this, and makes us a better patient, friend or family member.
All in all, I'm very satisfied with the film, the main actors and the ingredients for the story. You cannot help getting involved in how these people react, and their problems in doing their best, but not always succeed in that. I gave it 5 stars (out of 5) for the public prize competition when leaving the theater.