With the Stand Up 2 Cancer ( standup2cancer.org) telethon/celebrity extravaganza set to air tomorrow night, I got to thinking about cancer. I’ve had a few family members who’ve had it, but they all survived and lived elsewhere, meaning I didn’t much have contact with cancer itself. In fact, the closest I’ve probably come to cancer is in the movies and on TV. And as cancer is something that seems to have an impact on almost everyone these days, it’s good that there are films out there that deal with it - and thus help us all deal with it.

Below are my Top 10 Cancer Movies - some are real weepies, others simply address the spirit of living while we can. The film directly below however, looks at it from a different perspective…

10. Fight Club - When Edward Norton’s character starts to attend cancer group support meeting to help him sleep we get a sneak peak into the dark world of dealing with cancer. As the movie goes on we get an important message about how we should live our lives. Although I have to say, that white ball of healing light thing has never helped me….

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9. Stealing Beauty - Bertolucci’s film about a young woman looking for love and sex works mainly because of her relationship with an older man played by Jeremy Irons. In the film Iron’s character is dying from cancer. Their discussions about the importance of human contact couldn’t be more right on.

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8. None But the Lonely Heart - A classic and somewhat not classic Cary Grant film about a young man returning home when he hears that his mother has cancer. Upon his return he reforms himself, and helps his mom run the shop. Soon however, each becomes involved in illegal activities. (also there was no youtube clip I could find for the film - so below is a clip of a song by the same name..)

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7. Forrest Gump - This is one of the first films I remember watching where someone has cancer. Sally Field’s speech to Forrest when she is on her death bed couldn’t be better put. If you aren’t too cynical it may even make you cry.

6. Terms of Endearment - I’ve never seen this film, but I’ve heard enough about it to know it belongs on this list. I guess I’ve never been in the mood for this womanly weepie film where Shirley Maclaine’s daughter dies of cancer. I’ll add it to the list.

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5. Cleo From 5-7 - A beautiful film from Agnes Varda about a beautiful woman who roams around Paris (from 5-7pm) while she waits for results from a biopsy. Please please please check this one out.

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4. The Royal Tenenbaums

As it turns out no one actually has cancer in this film, but the story hinges on Gene Hackman’s Royal and the fact that he fools his family into thinking he has stomach cancer. From here the quirky crew finds the importance of family and we find a good soundtrack.

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3. My Life - A tearjerker if there ever was on, My Life follows a soon to be dad that finds out he has cancer. He then spends his time trying to get better and recording videos for his soon to be born son. It’s cheesy for sure, but poignant no doubt. Sometimes its good to cry.

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2. My Life Without Me - Director Isabel Coixet tells the story of a 23 year old woman with a life that has been filled with limited experiences and how she deals with the news that she has terminal stomach cancer. It’s a film about living life to the fullest and the different ways people deal with illness.

Also, I’ll never forget when I went to the stomach doctor myself and we go to talking about movies. my doctor asked if I had seen a different Isabel Coixet film, The Secret Life of Words, I replied that I hadn’t but I’d seen her earlier film, A Life Without Me. My doctor asked what it was about, to which I replied, “it’s about a young woman who goes to the doctor and is told she has terminal stomach cancer.”

He paused for a moment before telling me, “I don’t think you have stomach cancer”

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1. Ikiru - Akira Kurosawa’s powerful exploration of a man’s death (again with stomach cancer..) Told in the present and in flashbacks, there isn’t a better tale about finding meaning in life and in other people.

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takepart to get involved with Stand Up 2 Cancer and stay tuned to TakePart for updates and information on cancer and how you can help.

Read on:

• Stand Up to Cancer : Everyone is Getting Involved
• Cell Phones and Cancer: Can You Hear Me Now?
• Stand Up 2 Cancer - Amen! : Videos of the Day