Cancer is scary. Being a 20-something is scary. Being attractive, successful and physically fit is (presumably) not all that scary, so seeing handsome little Joseph Gordon Levitt sidelined by a life-threatening illness could be jarring. Thankfully, due to thoughtful writing and sensitive acting, the end result is unexpectedly uplifting. Don’t get me wrong – there were moments of panic, moments of tears, moments where the characters’ internal conflicts seem all too familiar – yet the general feeling leaving the theater was one of comfort and cautious optimism.

The best word I can use to describe this movie is human. From the fear and isolation portrayed, to the flaws of the “villain” characters, not one character is one-dimensional. In fact, even the most easily vilified character (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) has moments of weakness so honest that you may wonder whether you’d handle the situation any better. Even the best friend character played by Seth Rogen isn’t there solely for comic relief – imagine that.