50/50

There’s a reason why there aren’t many comedies about cancer. Because not many of them can be as sensitive and hilarious as 50/50, a smart and sophisticated character study featuring an exceptional lead performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

The film from director Jonathan Levine (The Wackness) chronicles the life of an otherwise healthy young man from the time he receives his diagnosis with a rare malignant tumor in his spine through his treatment, knowing that his survival rate is likely about 50 percent.

Adam (Gordon-Levitt) is a New York radio reporter whose life changes in an instant following an appointment for a lingering back injury. He scrambles for more information on his condition, tries to remain calm, and frets about telling family and friends.

His best friend and colleague (Seth Rogen) remains his brash self, trying to bring humor and normalcy during a difficult time. His girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) struggles to stay committed. His mother (Anjelica Huston) tries to lend support amid her hysteria. And his therapist (Anna Kendrick) becomes Adam’s outlet for his frustrations.

The film knows it must strike a delicate balance with subject matter that can turn sour in a number of different ways. It could have trivialized the disease or become offensive with its comedic treatment. Or it could have gone the other way, exploiting Adam’s condition by turning into a sappy tearjerker.

Fortunately, it does none of these things. The screenplay is witty and insightful. And the ensemble cast is superb, led by Gordon-Levitt’s balance of strength and vulnerability and Rogen’s turn that carries more weight than it first appears.

Much of the film’s focus is outside the hospital and into Adam’s day-to-day life. His relationship with everyone around him changes as a result of his diagnosis, and he’s keenly aware of the stress and discomfort his family and friends are feeling.

The point seems to be that no one knows how to react in this type of situation, when a healthy young man is instantly faced with a life-threatening illness. Try to be supportive without becoming overbearing. Treat the disease seriously but not so much that you forget about who you are. And 50/50 brings home those points to its audience.

Rated R, 100 minutes.