The film is based on the real-life experiences of Will Reiser, the film’s screenwriter, as he fought and overcame cancer whilst working with Superbad writer Seth Rogen; it was Rogen (and another friend) who encouraged Reiser to write a script of his experiences to help him come to terms with the illness.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a diverse and brilliant actor, and from the trailer he and Rogen seem to pull off the best friend relationship very well. It will be good to see Angelica Huston in this, especially as she hasn’t had a comedic role like this since the Darjeeling Ltd.
This is a rather unusual departure from the more in-your-face comedy that the Superbad crew are used to and I do hope that they’ve tread carefully; however, the fact that it was written by someone who’s been through the illness and come out the other side would indicate that they will have tackled the subject matter tastefully (you would hope). This film strikes a chord with me as part of the audience, having helped a family member through cancer treatment last year, as I’m sure it will with many viewers. Hopefully it will be as funny, original and touching as it claims to be. You can watch the trailer here.
