Odds are good

Few great movies can evoke emotions from both sides of the spectrum without missing a beat — "50/50" does.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Adam, a 27-year-old Seattle resident who struggles with a rare type of spinal cancer. As his disease complicates, his personal life runs parallel.

Adam encounters problems in dealing with his overprotective mother, played by Anjelica Huston and a cheating girlfriend portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard, while visiting his medical-student therapist and love interest, played by Anna Kendrick.

A common theme in "50/50" is coping and acceptance. Adam, for example, must learn to cope with the recent breakup — in a rather humorous way with his buddy Kyle, played by Seth Rogen.

On top of everything, he must also eventually accept his odds of survival by learning sometimes situations can't be changed, but how you deal with them can be.

Dealing with cancer is a subject not everyone's witnessed firsthand.

What made "50/50" enjoyable was how it made it relatable to the audience through the characters and concepts.

Whether you want to say the actors did a great job or congratulate the casting crew for picking actors who were just themselves, the movie does a fantastic job in making the characters believable.

Gordon-Levitt has come a long way from his days as Tommy Solomon or the kid who saw angels in the outfield.

His depiction of being a mellow, run-of-the-mill guy is something I've expected to see following his performance as the logical and unemotional sidekick Arthur in "Inception."

His peanut-gallery comments make for subtle humor in awkward situations.

Gordon-Levitt's performance surpassed my expectations, especially during his nervous breakdown. What made it exceptional was the visible development of his character from the suppression of his emotions in the beginning until his inevitable breaking point towards the end.

At one point in the movie, I took off my glasses and cleaned them because I couldn't believe my eyes — Seth Rogen's acting improved from "Funny People."

Granted he was still playing a twenty-something stoner who does whatever he can for the sake of getting laid — which sounds like some of my friends — but regardless he is an unlikely loyal companion.

Although Rogen and Gordon-Levitt are opposite in their personalities, they complement each other perfectly and form an enjoyable duo.

Huston definitely served as comedic relief by taking the concept of a suffocating mother to the ultimate degree, a character I think most college students can relate to — either that or they based her off of my mother.

As mentioned earlier, "50/50" evokes a wide array of emotions and the audience rides the ups and downs along with the characters.

The soundtrack's minor keys assist in this as well as the dim lighting.

A good movie can capture and hold your attention but a great movie engages the audience by allowing them to connect emotionally with the characters.

"50/50" is a great movie. The skeptics who feel "50/50" will be depressing should get over it. This movie will break your heart but five minutes later, have you laughing at a pee joke.