Trivia / 50/50 (2011)

• Actor Allusion:
  • This is not the first time on film that Seth Rogen has counselled someone with a terminal illness.
  • Anna Kendrick played an cute young woman who was very new at her job, tries to look tough all the time but insecure on the inside, met and ignored by the aloof male Protagonist, but then somehow she started to grow on him and helped him overcoming his problems along the way. Sounds familiar?
  • Once again, Joseph Gordon-Levitt starred in a dramedy that has number "50" on its title, and he got Golden Globes nod for it.
  • Victoria can't seem to smell anything wrong with Jessica, but is back in Seattle.
  • Moloch now gets cancer treatment in Seattle, rather than New York.
• Actor-Inspired Element: Bryce Dallas Howard was the one who came up with the film's title on the set of the art gallery scene, though the crew were sceptical. She was reportedly surprised when she found out it had been changed to her suggestion. The original title was I'm With Cancer.
• California Doubling: Vancouver becomes Seattle. An ad for Lotto 6/49, one of Canada's national lotteries, is seen, shattering the illusion for those who know. The film's opening 2 minutes contain shots of the Lionsgate Bridge, Vancouver Lookout, VFS, and Stanley Park. Amusingly, one of the things Adam regrets before his life-threatening surgery is that he's "never been to Canada".
• Dyeing for Your Art: Joseph Gordon-Levitt really did shave his head on camera.
• Executive Meddling: The studio wanted a kiss between Adam and Katherine for the end of the movie. Filmmakers were planning to film it as an option to appease them, but Joseph Gordon Levitt protested. As such the movie ends on a Maybe Ever After between Adam and Katherine.
• Real-Person Cameo: Screenwriter Will Reiser, on whom Adam is based, cameos as the guy saying "my uncle had what you have" during Adam's party.
• Throw It In!: The head shave scene wasn't in the script and was entirely improvised.
• What Could Have Been:
  • James McAvoy was cast in the lead role, but he left the production due to personal reasons.
  • According to this interview, Seth Rogen Would like to see Chris Pratt or Jonah Hill playing Kyle.
  • Seth Rogen claims he was actually on the toilet when Will Reiser told him he had cancer in real life. They both found this hilarious but too disgusting to put into the script.
• Write Who You Know: Will Reiser based the main characters off of himself and his friend Seth Rogen. So basically, Rogen is playing himself.

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