Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the Apatow gang is the creative endeavors of the three older "Freaks & Geeks" stoner dudes -- James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Jason Segel.
Franco has become the ubiquitous artist to a degree that frankly annoys some people. In some folks' eyes, James Franco is quite possibly doing too much -- multiple graduate degrees, Soap Operas, art installations, hosting the Oscars, and a relentless acting career that includes everything from the Spiderman movies to Pineapple Express to Eat Pray Love. Let alone an Oscar nomination for 127 Hours and an Oscar overlook for Milk. Hate all you want -- the man is out there getting it done.
Jason Segel not only has a near decade on "How I Met Your Mother," dueling through musical numbers with Neil Patrick Harris during set's downtime -- he penned Forgetting Sarah Marshall and is now the man behind the reboot of The Muppets. What else could you expect?
And then there's Seth Rogen -- The Green Hornet himself. Rather than using his first piece of writing as a star vehicle, Rogen wisely opted to settle in as a supporting character with Bill Hader, letting Michael Cera and Jonah Hill take the reins as the leads of Superbad. He and Evan Goldberg's follow-up, Pineapple Express is not only one of the greatest stoner movies of all time, it went on to score Franco a Golden Globe nomination in a year where he couldn't score one for Milk. Funny People seemed misguided on first view -- I must admit -- but Rogen is certainly not the weak link. Sharing a house with Jason Schwartzman and Jonah Hill had me wondering whether I'd rather slide in there as a fourth roommate or executive produce the television series -- much as I have neither the coin or station to do so. In short, Rogen is as out there and successful as his "F&G" compadres. His lone writing misstep seems The Green Hornet. Folks might like to rag on "Undeclared" or Drillbit Taylor -- but the truth is both are solid. "Undeclared" never found it's footing despite having great jokes and excellent actors -- Charlie Hunnam, anyone? Drillbit unfairly fell through the cracks. For those of you who haven't taken a gander, give it a whirl -- you won't be disappointed.
After all this it has folks wondering if Franco will rise to the heights of Sean Penn -- how far Jason Segel will go as the new helmer of The Muppets -- and whether Seth Rogen may be this generation's Albert Brooks. He certainly hasn't written a Defending Your Life as yet -- but give him time. As the producer of 50/50 -- which is based on Rogen's personal experience with a close friend's cancer diagnosis -- one wonders how far this ever-chuckling self proclaimed member of stoner royalty will go.
So let's get down to it... 50/50:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's continued string of exceptional and varied performances continue to launch his star farther and farther into the Hollywood cosmos. Brick and Mysterious Skin showed the world that the little boy from "Third Rock From the Sun" -- an underestimated, unnecessarily scoffed at television series -- was an unquestionable young adult talent. To have opted to prove that talent with such heavy fare was a bold move. Sealing the deal with 500 Days of Summer not only locked down his burgeoning adult stardom, he stole our hearts. This kid wasn't just a talent, he was a romantic lead with a smile and accompanying squinting eyes to be reckoned with. Oh, and by the way, Mr. Levitt -- Christopher Nolan's on the line.
Following up Inception, Levitt chose the off-beat Hesher -- one of this year's best indies. A brilliant move for America's sweetheart who may have been one upped by Tom Hardy in the Inception masculinity department -- drawing a line in the sand that there is always a bad boy inside -- just holler if you need him.
With 50/50 we get something entirely different from both Levitt and Rogen: an expertly measured emotional journey about illness, loss, fear, love, and death. Director Jonathan Levine and Writer Will Resier have taken Seth Rogen's personal experience and woven it into a heartwarming and heart-wrenching picture, the likes of which rarely takes place among the late-twenties and thirty-something set.
Luckily, I know nothing of cancer. I have seen friends and friends' parents succumb to the horrible disease -- but the odds have played in my favor well-enough to spare me having to deal with The Big C on a regular basis. What I know -- as nearly all of us do -- is that it is cruel, relentless, and illogical. For many, as is the case with 50/50 -- and don't worry, there will be no spoilers here -- the battle is a long one: life doesn't simply end the moment a diagnosis is pronounced. Which probably leaves folks wondering, "Is this a cancer movie like Dying Young (a film I refuse to see), that will plunge its audience into depression and leave a weepy crowd looking for the nearest watering hole?" In a word: No.
What's so wonderful about 50/50 -- and hats off to Mr. Levine, Mr. Reiser, and (frankly) Mr. Rogen for allowing the right people to tell his story and more or less getting the hell out of its way -- is that it is not a story of disease. It is a story of life going on in the face of horror. Young, romantic, humorous men don't have to throw in the towel and surrender themselves to the dark abyss the moment their doctor presents them with the image of a malignant tumor. There's life left. And it needn't be bleak -- not be a long-shot. What Levine, Reiser, and Rogen have expertly laid on the shoulders of Joseph Gordon Levitt is the necessity for each day to not only have its share of positivity -- but to be rife with the simple pleasures any young man desires. Hope -- with a capital "H" -- may be in question, but it simply does not mean life loses the uncontrollable daily hopes and desires of the average man. This is what is so killer when it comes to 50/50. As usual, the Rogen world and the Levitt eyes are bursting with hopeful wishes from underdogs who aren't asking for too much -- just their crack at the joys each of us seeks. The fact that this is combined with dick jokes, stoner moments, sex, booze, and cancer humor is what makes it a must see.
Let me ruin no specific moment. Let me step back from dishing too much about any specific relationship. Let me simply say Anna Kendrick and Bryce Dallas Howard continue to prove their endless talent. Perfect casting. As was the choice of Anjelica Huston as Joseph Gordon Levitt's mother. The matriarch of Wes Anderson-ville was the perfect choice. There are no two ways about the fact that there's a lot of Tenenbaum and Darjeeling here. But there's a smooth, grounded everyday tenderness that one only hopes to see more of in the future. Huston is a great: her limited screen time here proves it.
I don't know where 50/50 will end up come awards time. JGL may score a Musical/Comedy Actor nom at the Globes -- more than likely losing to Owen Wilson. The script, on the other hand, should not be overlooked when it comes times to play the fast and furious game of musical chairs for those five coveted spots -- even though that may ultimately be a Woody Allen slam-dunk, as well.
