A Little Bit of Heaven (2011) User Reviews

light rom-com with cancer

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 7 July 2015]

Marley Corbett (Kate Hudson) is a strictly-single ad executive in New Orleans. She avoids any real commitments with her hookups. Her best friends are co-worker Sarah Walker (Lucy Punch), pregnant Renee Blair (Rosemarie DeWitt) and gay neighbor Peter Cooper (Romany Malco). She feels sick and goes to see Dr. Julian Goldstein (Gael García Bernal). While under, she sees God (Whoopi Goldberg) who gives her three wishes. She wishes to fly, $1 million and something for later. She has late stage colon cancer. Her parents Beverly (Kathy Bates) and Jack (Treat Williams) can't stop fighting even with their daughter sick. She wins a radio contest to learn hang gliding. Dr. Sanders (Alan Dale) tells her that chemo isn't working and she goes on a medical trial. She finally tells her boss Rob Randolf (Steven Weber) and he tells her about a million dollar payout from the life insurance. Peter sets her up with gigolo escort Vinnie (Peter Dinklage) nicknamed Little Bit of Heaven.

Is it really a bad thing to cross a cutesy rom-com with cancer? The critics seem to think so. I don't judge it like that. This is by no means perfect. Whoopi Goldberg as God is distracting as hell. Gael García Bernal is not fully committed to being a bad English speaker. He should really throw in a lot of Spanish. Kate Hudson is at home with these silly rom-coms. Her flightiness is more of a defense mechanism so I don't really take it as cutesy. The cancer stuff allows the movie to transition to heartfelt seriousness although it's very jarring sometimes. The tone is a tricky thing in this movie and it does struggle. However I don't mind treating cancer with a lighter tone.

Touching drama, not what you expect - take tissues

[amz_666_ · 6/10 · 4 February 2011]

After seeing two of this weeks other not-so-happy releases 'Rabbit Hole' and 'Brighton Rock' back-to-back I was looking forward to a bit-of-fluff rom-com but bloody hell that is not what I got. I don't know if it's because of the overly happy looking marketing or the lack of overall promotion but the people behind 'A Little Bit of Heaven' have kept it quiet for a reason, granted it's pretty funny but really depressing. Tears started falling about 20mins in and didn't stop until after I got home. I complained the other day that Kate Hudson never seems to do anything with substance these days I take it all back now. Her heartfelt and convincing portrayal of Marley Corbett a young 30- something with a successful career, great mates and who seems to have it all figured out certainly has substance. Marley admits she can be a bit of a slut, she's aware that she lives more like a 20-something and she doesn't care. Until one day it all falls apart – she's told she's got cancer of the colon (there are a few unnecessary medical scenes involving a colonoscopy. and those who have needle phobia – take a scarf to hide behind) and that it's not curable. After a quick visit upstairs to see God , (this time not Alanis Morissette or Morgan Freeman but instead we have Whoopi Goldberg taking on the job) Marley suddenly realises that she needs to change her priorities and as could only happen in movie world or in an episode of ER, in walks a dashing Dr (Bernal), a man who couldn't tell a joke if his mother's life depended on it who finds Marley's overwhelming but fun personality intoxicating and infectious. Not the usual boy meets girl story but it works – sorta and so a romance blossoms despite the fact that she's a dying woman. A tad sick? Yes but go with it. The rest of the film is Marley rapidly changing and getting more ill, now it's not as depressing as 'My Sister's Keeper' but it's not far off. When Queen Latifah took a stab at playing a woman with the big c she went on an extravagant holiday and it was all pretty annoying. Kate's film is more honest and as we watch her friends and family rally round her (even ordering her a mini-hooker in the form of Peter Dinklage to lift her spirits)) and help as you would expect in normal life you actually care about her awful situation. The casting at first seems odd, Gael García Bernal already proved that he doesn't act romance well in 'Letters to Juliet' so why try again here? Kathy Bates is great as always and Lucy Punch as the mad-cap friend (no change there then) is a nice compliment to Hudson.

It's a thoughtful and thought provoking film, anyone with a heart will leave the cinema wanting to tell their friends that they love them. Just take tissues.

Much more emotional then the preview let on. Very good and very much worth seeing. I recommend this. I say B+

[cosmo_tiger · 7/10 · 10 June 2012]

"I have cancer...who wants desert." Marley Corbett (Hudson) is a young and fiery ad executive. She has everything going for her. Great friends and a personal life that she is OK with. After a visit to the doctor changes her life she decides that a change to her personal life is needed, fast. Without trying to give too much away I have to say the preview was misleading (to me anyway). I was expecting a comedy along the lines of "50/50". While this did have some funny moments in this it is much more of an emotional movie then I expected. I don't want you to misunderstand me on this because this was a very good movie and I enjoyed it quite a bit, but don't go in expecting to laugh as much as you did at "50/50". I would compare this more to the TV show "Big C". The movie is good and definitely worth watching but this is more of a love story then I expected as well. Not to sound morbid, but I would call "50/50" more of a guy's cancer movie while this one is more of a chick flick. Both are good but I liked "50/50" more. Overall, funny and emotional and very much worth watching. I give it a B+.

It got to me

[avenuesf · 9 September 2011]

Okay, I'm a male and a cancer survivor. This looked like an interesting movie, albeit a "chick flick," but once I started watching I got completely hooked. Yes, the subject of cancer is again given the Hollywood-style treatment (no makeup, just a sallow look, and A FULL HEAD OF HAIR! Guess the filmmakers thought a bald actress wouldn't look so good in love scenes; also, I wish I had experienced the minor discomfort she does during chemo treatments, not to mention how energetic our heroine is when most of us feel like we're lucky to be able to just stand up). But all that aside, it was a beautiful movie message-wise, and after only seeing Kate Hudson in her first role many years ago in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous" (and not being that impressed by her), she has certainly matured as an actress. There were two or three scenes that really hit home to me and I could understand exactly what she was feeling at the time. I don't remember seeing this opening in theaters here in San Francisco, and if it did, it didn't play very long, which is a shame; I hope this isn't another film that's gone direct to video. "A Little Bit of Heaven" is about tying up loose ends, little by little, and realizing, finally, that life is a gift and to be celebrated in the short time we're all here. Don't deny yourself the chance to see this movie.

looks like a salad, weighs you like big mac

[TheMediumC · 6/10 · 26 October 2013]

In genre it also says "comedy"... well don't fall for that. It is very very dramatic. Like drama-wise; it's much more 'philadelphia' than 'the bucket list' and it should have been more like the second one. It's dark and the jokes or the dancing in the end doesn't make it any more bearable. Kate Hudson and Gael Garcia Bernal are not so bad but the thing is even though Hudson's character is dying, you wait for her to start making a list like how to loose a guy when you're dying because how is her acting here any different than that movie? Bernal is different however romance genre is not a very good fit to him yet, for me his acting is too stable.

I don't say the movie is bad, but it doesn't match to its poster, its colors, its actors... in the end: when this movie ends you feel you have been cheated. Because a movie is a whole with all its elements together (music, cinematography, casting, writing, etc.) and with the first look, you feel like you are going to eat a salad, and when you finished; nope! you just ate whole big mac with extra cheese.. that's just not you ordered! And believe me, once you ate it, you don't feel any good.

7

[Edvis-1997 · 7/10 · 26 February 2021]

It's really nice and warm movie. Maybe the main problem is actor. She's really talented but she fits better in comedies and I see it's difficult for her to be serious. The plot was good,I liked idea, maybe it's not unique but something that audience can relate to. I can't understand metascore 14 and Tomatometer 4%. You can say, oh,this movie is bad but it's impossible to give such low scores, that's just disappointing from critics. Movie is good, totally worth watching, don't let haters to misslead you.

I Actually Liked It

[hannahroseimagery · 7/10 · 8 September 2022]

Was this movie formulaic and cliché? Yes. Was it laughable and cringeworthy? Also yes. Was it a heartwarming tearjerker? Definitely. I cried a lot. I love Kate Hudson, she reminds me of my sister who I miss. Her romantic interest and her friends are fantastic too. I actually really liked this movie, despite some silly parts. Perhaps it caught me at a good time but I will remember it fondly. I found especially striking its depiction of grief, and how differently ppl can experience it. The most memorable part, to me, was her father begging her "Tell me what to do, Marley." 😭 And her last, one-sided conversation with her pregnant friend...

how about a little bit of research on oncology and some hope & awareness for cancer patients?

[eldiez4ever · 1/10 · 9 September 2012]

So anything goes in Hollywood movies to make them pretty and saleable! Granted! But how about some correct jargons and dialogue like a medical instead of "your cancer is all over your colon" ... and how about, can a patient on chemo go to a public place like a night club full of smoke? oh wait she is accompanied by her doctor who just a while ago asked her for a "drink"... a drink? really? in the middle of treatment? I donno what to say about this movie... I wish it promoted a little bit of awareness and hope for the cancer patients instead of making it look like oh so rosy and then have an ending to make it romeo-julietish! Gael Garcia is soo good in Spanish films, I don't know why he acts so weird in English movies. Casting was mismatched. There was no chemistry. Why did they cast Gael Garcia? Kate Hudson did not look like a terminal colon cancer patient. Losing so much blood (which is unavoidable in colon cancer sorry Hollywood) will make her anemic and very sickly...not so much color and energized eyes ... And why are we rooting for her? The character did not come up in anyway that likable or extraordinary, even with her constant grin. Oh and those jokes thruout the movie... !!!!! speechless

A great movie.

[hello-dean09 · 8/10 · 17 September 2011]

I saw this week "Something Borrowed", "Bridesmaids" and "A Little Bit of Heaven", and the rate seems so opposite to what I think. Bridesmaids 7.3 and "A Little Bit of Heaven" 5.9, I just don't understand how. This movie makes you laugh and makes you cry, I had seen some really really bad comedies that makes you cry! but this one really touches your feelings. This is my first review, the only reason I wrote this is because I think people should know it. In my humble opinion, this one was so much better . Kate Hudson's acting goes beyond to what we have seen before, I think she is doing it better and better with the pass of the time. Well that's it! Just to let you know what I think.. Thanks for reading it.

AMAZING and very heart felt.

[njoannen-22 · 7/10 · 16 October 2012]

A little bit of heaven was a very good movie. This movie made you sad,happy,and inspired. Kate Hudson was very convincing in her role as Marley. Gael Garcia Bernal was also very convincing in his role as Julian. The Director Nicole Kassell did an amazing job at telling the story in this movie. Her choices for the soundtrack and camera angles did an amazing job at setting the tone and mood for the movie. I would definitely recommend this movie to family and friends. i wouldn't change a thing about this movie. anyone who is interested in romantic/drama movies should definitely watch this movie. Overall i thought it was an amazing movie and everyone should watch it!

Irritatingly inaccurate!

[megan-robinson84 · 1/10 · 13 June 2014]

As a cancer survivor, I must say that this is one of the worst films that I have watched! The lead character goes through chemo like it's a minor cold, has a full head of hair throughout the whole film, and is incredibly active despite that fact that she is supposed to be dying of colon cancer.

The lack of information regarding basic oncology is an insult to those who have had to go through various rounds of cancer treatments. It also shows how the research for the film was either totally inadequate or non existent.

And just when they couldn't do any worse... she falls in love/lust with her doctor. And that has broken how many ethic codes? Pah! Cancer is no fairytale, so films that sugar coat it (like this one) really annoy me and belittle the long and painful journeys that cancer patients have fought for years.

A different review from a Man

[duane4321 · 9/10 · 6 February 2012]

Okay, I have read the other reviews of this movie, and I must say, I think the women are much more on base than the men. I believe the other men who have reviewed this, have some issues with what the world calls a chick flick... A Little Bit of Heaven, in my opinion as man, was actually the perfect blend of humor and drama, Kate Hudson's finest work that I have seen to date. Its a story of an individuals ups and downs of coping with death at a very young age. I felt this movie showed both the attempts to stay positive an upbeat as well as what I am sure happens, the anger to the people around you. For the reviews who gave this anything less than 6 minimum, but then rate "The Other Guys" a perfect 10, shows you they are just shallow. I am a father of 4 daughters, and can't imagine what it would of be like to go through something like this. I would recommend this movie to all, minus the men, who think they are too cool or tough to show a little emotion, as this movie in my opinion will bring tears to anyone...

Get the tissues out....

[trent_aaron · 7/10 · 24 October 2011]

This movie kind of dragged on a little in scenes but over all it was an enjoyable movie, very very sad ending, I blubbered like a big girl (and I am a 30 yr old guy).... life is short, enjoy and make the most of it. Kate Hudson is a nice actress, she could have been a little more expressive in this film, but the scenes where her character is dying, are played well. She is in denial and then realizes that hey I'm dying and I just gotta accept this and get on with the life that I have left.... I gave this film 7 out of ten. I have seen worse films. Kathy Bates was good but didn't have a lot of scenes in it...Whoopi Goldberg playing God, well that was a bit silly but that concept had its funny moments.

I Demand My Time Back, like Now.

[vabullard · 1/10 · 11 March 2013]

"I am a "young" white female. My father hasn't been the best father. My mom is a complete and total basket case so I have the right to insult them and behave like a 14 year old boy because I am dying. This message is o.k. because I am a "young" white female."

I wasn't allowed to shout in my summary but that summary was supposed to be all caps with an exclamation mark at the end. I don't review many movies but this one is so bad that I just have to say something in defense of women and children whose parents aren't "perfect", by the way, who IS perfect?

This character should REALLY get over herself. She is insensitive, mean spirited and stupid. She lacks any valid emotions. Everything she says and does is completely narcissistic and I want my time back. Seriously.

By the way, I am a female too. This is not a "chick flick" this is a butchering of the true spirit of femininity. Girls are soft, we want to be loved, we want to be treated well by the men in our lives and if we don't get those things that we want we are disappointed but at the end of the day we conduct ourselves as real women do: with dignity. We don't go around starting relationships that we know we can't finish and we don't create emotional wounds in others that will never be resolved (she is dying!).

Why would she lower herself to treating her parents like crap when they are clearly not well equipped? This is beneath any human being. It is better for the mental health of the woman and for the cohesiveness of the family to be graceful and do your best to help your idiot parents. Instead of condescending upon her mom and dad she should have done a better job of having some positive quality time spent with them before death.

She is dying! Doesn't she want to leave things on a positive note? Doesn't she want her parents to think that they aren't so bad? It isn't like they can have any MORE spoiled, entitled children to screw up. There are tactful ways of going about conveying to your parents that they suck and this character has absolutely no empathy toward the parents and for that and many other reasons I hate this movie. This movie teaches us nothing and is a complete waste of time, film and money.

My recommendation: Do not watch this piece of garbage.

A Nutshell Review: A Little Bit of Heaven

[DICK STEEL · 2 October 2011]

What made this film a winner, is the appearance of Peter Dinklage, who recently picked up an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for Game of Thrones, and whose character provided the name of this film, which of course puns on his physical size. Playing a social escort who got his services engaged for Kate Hudson's Marley Corbett, his support role was indeed one of the highlights of the film, coming in from the blue and serving up some great lines and moments, making a much welcomed lift for the story.

Which the trailer would have told you everything you needed to know from start to end, with Marley being a successful career woman who is climbing the corporate ladder with a zilch love life, but is soon cut down unfairly to size by Fate who had dealt her the disease hand. With cancer (colon, not very often mentioned on screen) treatment she meets her doctor Julian Goldstein (Gael Garcia Bernal) from Mexico, and tossing doctor-patient relationships out of the window, they spend an incredible amount of lovely time together even if both knows about their short lived romance should she choose to reject treatment, or if the disease would get the better of her. Whoopi Goldberg plays God, who grants her three wishes, two of which were used rather carelessly, though of no fault of the bubbly one given initial skepticism.

This film was ballsy in a number of ways, chief of which is in its treatment of a story about death without shirking from the nasty details of anticipation, and the inevitable execution. Many Hollywood films tend to cop out at the very last minute, but this one tackled it with a lot of dignity, and proved that one doesn't have to always compromise to do what gets reflected in real life. That, and Kate Hudson showing a lot of nerve in many scenes almost sans makeup, looking quite ghastly and pale as the story called for it. Written by Gren Wells, it's more about how one should approach life when given a death sentence, with the romance angle taking a back seat despite marketeers' efforts to skew this into a romantic comedy.

Which is not surprising since it's a film helmed by Nicole Kassell, whose previous film was the dark and brooding The Woodsman starring Kevin Bacon. A Little Bit of Heaven does steer toward a darker feel, although with some light at the end of the tunnel through overcoming challenges in difficult family relationships, and the maintaining of both established ones with good friends, and new romantic ones formed. Kate Hudson may be typecast for roles that may involve the devil may care attitude, and this one provides that opportunity for her to show off a little bit of dramatic acting chops. Gael Garcia Bernal though was relatively bland given his Doctor role, although does get some of the best lines in flubbing many jokes when the script called for it. Both leads share a nice chemistry although most of their romancing were reduced to a montage, leaving room for more of Kate Hudson and Kathy Bates to share some mother-daughter time, and that between Hudson and Lucy Punch playing her best friend and one of many close confidantes.

And in some ways this film made me think a little bit more about mortality, if one were to be struck by a serious illness which was detected late and the treatment really being a bitch, would you want to go ahead with trying to get cured, or to live whatever is left to the fullest? My choice will likely be the latter, although why not make the best of life with each day instead?

A very little bit of Heaven

[skay_baltimore · 6/10 · 14 February 2012]

Okay...here goes. This certainly wasn't the worst movie I've ever seen. But it certainly wasn't the best, either. Essentially, it fell short. And that's the problem -- when a movie tries to tackle something as fundamental as death, when it falls short it's much more noticeable. And while this film had its moments, it never really came together. It relied too heavily on sentimentality, rather than really carving out any new emotional ground. Consequently, at times it felt contrived, at times it dragged, and the ending just seemed to paint a nice little smiley face, without ever really resolving anything. I expected something much more powerful; instead, it was like that feeling you get a couple of hours after eating a Chinese dinner (i.e. not really satisfied). Or maybe a better example would be those game shows that show a person inside a booth with lots of money blowing around. You can see that there's the potential for the contestant to get very rich, but most of the money remains just beyond his/her reach.

Part of the problem is that the main character has lived a relatively superficial life to begin with. And the majority of the film is taken up showing how she has a difficult time dealing honestly with her own emotions, coupled with a general lack of insight into her own psyche. So it's no surprise then that the film, which is a direct reflection of her own thinness of character, feels weak and underdeveloped. Her generally upbeat, flippant attitude, mixed in with a dash of anger here and there, is not enough to allow the film to succeed as a comedy or as a drama. Like its main character, the film can't quite figure out what it is or where it should go or how it should get there. And to expect everything to be tied up in a nice, neat little bow in the end, simply because she decided to have an upbeat funeral, or because her father said "I love you", or because her previously allergic mother agreed to take her dog, is expecting way too much from the viewer to fill in the pieces that the film failed to do on its own.

6/10

Cute and quirky but never quite moves you

[Robert_duder · 6/10 · 22 October 2012]

Certainly the terminal disease angle in films has been done and then done again. If a really talented writer does the script justice then you can move people to really great heights of emotion. The film 50/50 buried that emotion under disgusting crude humour and this film buries that huge emotion under a very slapped together script, rushed performances, and honestly the cast just looks sort of bored, or forced into this. The film advertises itself heavily using performances by "Academy Award Winners" Kathy Bates and Whoopi Goldbergh, both of whom have just cameos in the film basically. The film tries to be a romance but also a drama, comedy and it never really finds its foothold in any one genre and that is a problem for it. The film is watchable and has some fun scenes but it misses the mark in so many ways. I knew right away that it wasn't going to live up to a mainstream theatre release because when a film like this comes out on DVD that you've never heard of but has a big Hollywood cast...there is a reason it didn't find a distributor/producer or an audience. You will like this...its cute but then that's all there is.

Kate Hudson has made her mark by playing the cute, fun, romantic lead type of girl. This film tries to give her some edge as promiscuous, career driven woman with an attitude who finds herself thrown off by a terminal diagnoses and then by falling in love. She's good but she doesn't even try to take it to another level. As I mentioned, I think it felt like she was obligated to do this film and didn't really give it her all. Gael García Bernal was almost downright boring in his role. The character was completely under developed, the chemistry between them was a joke and yet the driving force in this film is this magic, once in a lifetime romance that blossoms over two or three scenes. Very poor scripting on the part of the writer and sub par performances on both Bernal and Hudson. The highlight of this film is really the supporting characters. Kathy Bates is fun as Hudson's Mom, Treat Williams as her Dad in one or two scenes. Her best friends played by Lucy Punch and Romany Malco do a solid job but they are underused. A really fun cameo by Peter Dinklage ends up being the best scene in the whole film.

I might sound particularly bitter towards this film, especially since I am giving it a decent 6 but the film has such potential and its wasted and I feel like its just because no one gives any effort at all. TV director Nicole Kassell tries her best but the script is very weak and she does put together some decent scenes but it will leave you feeling empty. My guess would be that some studio had days or weeks left on contracts with the stars and/or the script so they churned it out. Its average in every way and while its not a waste of time you will feel as cheated as I did out of a great movie. 6/10

Another great performance from Kate...

[faithhopeamour · 7/10 · 18 September 2011]

If you're a Kate Hudson fan then you'll LOVE this movie! Kate has a way of making movies fun and believable! She's absolutely great in this movie! Kathy Bates' performance (another great actress) brings life to this movie as well.

There were a few scenes in the movie that were moving, however, they weren't to the extreme of bringing me to tears, but I'd be willing to bet that I'm one of the few that (didn't cry) ie: those that have had the experience of surviving cancer or losing a loved one to cancer - my heart goes out to them. This being said.....

***Definitely worth watching!!

One of the worst films I've ever watched - and I've watched a lot

[vickycain · 1/10 · 17 March 2012]

This film was badly thought out, badly acted, had no plot and is another film to add to Kate Hudson's list of films she should never have taken part in. Gael García Bernal is the only thing that makes this film remotely interesting (although the main character's dog does a better job than him, too). The main character (who I've forgotten the name of - it's that rubbish) is a successful business woman who has pains in her stomach, goes in for tests and gets told it's cancer. Despite treatment (and I think their portrayal of this process is offensive to people who go through chemotherapy), her illness progresses and she's told it's terminal. Much is made of the distant relationship with her mother and father and it doesn't ring true, especially when they find out she's dying. Her doctor is the guy who has to force her to take control of what is left of her life and come to terms with what is happening to her. They fall in love (despite the clichéd Kate Hudson character being too stubborn to take his help...just so badly acted again, it's painful). There are so many things bad about the film that I couldn't get through all of them, but it finishes with, one minute, KH sitting outside on a lake with a blanket over her and talking to her randomly placed (and again badly acted) friend then suddenly fainting/collapsing and not waking up. We see her in a random hospital room with all her friends/lover/parents standing watching her. It feels like the film makers had run out of steam at this point and just gave up. DO NOT WATCH THIS FILM. You will waste a couple of hours of your life in which you could be watching paint dry.

Romance, comedy and tears all in one film!

[katieburrans · 10/10 · 13 February 2013]

A Little Bit of Heaven. It's got romance, comedy and tears. This film gives you mixed emotions all the way through. With the amazing actors, Kate Hudson and Gael García Bernal ,who play the main characters, they do an amazing job at portraying how live is like with a terminal illness. It really does touch your heart. This film shows you that whatever happens in life you have to live it to the full and you don't take live for granted. I have recommended this film to my friends and family who have also said the film was emotional and funny. I recommend this to all of you reading this currently and I have rated this 10 out of 10. You will LOVE it.

Another touching, sad ending story of a cancer Patient.

[adityaprasadpathak · 7/10 · 11 April 2014]

Another touching, sad ending story of a cancer patient. The plot of the movie resembles with any other movie having a story of cancer patient. Marley(Kate Hudson) having a successful career, suddenly come across with a news that she had colon cancer, in the last stage. After having all treatment, her doctor Dr. Julian Goldstein(Gael Garcia Bernal) found nothing else can be done. Marley and Julian fell in love and they do their best to make rest of their time memorable. Meanwhile in the story, Marley's family issues come across which are very emotionally portrayed. Movie has some very emotional moments which you really feel. All over it's a nice movie to watch. Acting of Kate Hudson looks natural. Watch it.

Disappointing

[beverlywwfs · 1/10 · 12 March 2019]

If I could give this a zero, I would. I watched my cousin die in four months after a colon cancer diagnosis. This is such an inaccurate portrayal! Colon cancer that is beyond treatment ravages the body as well as any treatment efforts. This movie is actually an insult to all those who've battled this disease!!

Amazing movie

[wins-16522 · 10/10 · 27 November 2020]

I've watched this movie time and time again and still continue to make me cry and laugh and smile. This is one of the most memorable movies of Kate Hudson and definitely have a wonderful storyline. People should give it a try with open mind and heart and I can assure you that it's not a waste of time. You will really love this movie and will surely want to watch it again and again.

Funny and sad

[SCPA2019 · 7/10 · 22 January 2021]

Prepare to laugh and cry, I enjoyed the movie because it has in many scenes touched real life issues.

A Little Bit of Nausea...

[Howlin Wolf · 3/10 · 30 April 2012]

The script was all over the place. There were parts I liked, but they seemed to come from several different movies, and didn't fit into this one. Peter Dinklage's gigolo and Whoopi Goldberg's turn as "God" belong in a flighty movie, not in a film that's trying to be a serious look at how people cope with cancer.

The patient/doctor dynamic, was insultingly trivialised, too. I can accept that two people who fall in love might break the rules, but I would've thought there would've been a whole lot more soul searching going on. He turns her down initially, but then soon relents and says yes, with no real plausible explanation for the change of heart. Seems to me you might be a lot more cautious if agreeing to a date meant your career was on the line. His colleagues try to warn him off, but mostly the movie treats the relationship like it's a happy, frothy joke, when in reality it represents a serious ethical breach that deserves to be treated like a big deal, if it goes ahead.

The whole movie was like this, veering wildly between lighthearted and dramatic, without the characters being able to make the shifts feel convincing.

At one point another character says to Marley something like: "Why do you always have to treat everything like a joke?!" I feel the same way about Kate Hudson. "Raising Helen" was another movie with an ostensibly serious subject, but somehow it ended up as an inconsequential, disposable timewaster - just like this. Like mother like daughter, I guess; always trying to make light of things, instead of tackling the serious stuff.