This weekend saw news of a new comedy on the way from Seth Rogen: a comedy called I’m With Cancer. The film is based on an autobiographical screenplay by Will Reiser, who beat the disease in his twenties, and who worked on Da Ali G Show and Best Week Ever.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the story, produced by Rogen, Evan Goldberg, and Ben Karlin, will focus on a 25 year old man who discovers he has cancer. As comedies go, that’s a pretty dark idea right there. And I’m not sure if it’s just a little too dark and depressing for me.
As this is based on a true experience, and written from the point of view of someone who has been through the illness, you can’t really complain, and with Rogen involved, it’s likely to be funny. But could you really see yourself going to a cinema to watch a comedy about cancer? I’m not sure I could.
I’m all for laughing in the face of adversity, and illnesses such as cancer shouldn’t be treated with reverence to give them power, but anyone who has been touched in any way by cancer may have trouble seeing the funny side of the disease.
It’s a brave film to make, and will probably receive plaudits from critics and fans alike, but this may be a movie I’ll choose to give a miss purely because the subject matter is too depressing for me to take light-heartedly.
I’d see it. Comedies have been made about all kinds of depressing things and have succeeded… So far, I trust these guys at the wheel.
I just read an early review of Zach and Miri Make a Porno It looks fricken awesome! I love Keven Smith (even Jersey Girl) and can’t wait to see it.