I'm in Edmonton, Alberta this week doing some consulting and running a training course.  On Monday, the temperature dropped down to -27 degrees Celsius - that is the main reason Canadians like to cuddle! :)  I'm counting down the days until Saturday, when we leave on vacation to Hawaii for 2 weeks....Aloha!

With the Oscars approaching, everyone's talking about movies.  On that theme, here are my picks for 5 Cancer Movies That'll Make You Go Hmm.

#5 Patch Adams

"All of life is a coming home. Salesmen, secretaries, coal miners, beekeepers, sword swallowers, all of us. All the restless hearts of the world, all trying to find a way home."

A classic!  Based on the real guy, Patch is a medical student in the 1960s who takes bedside manners to new extremes - making patients laugh and smile. While his tactics to help patients are forbidden by hospital administration, his belief that humour can cure never waivers.  A true non-conformist, Patch is a model of determination and he definitely shows us what is possible when people connect, letting go of their social identities and roles.  I like this movie because it's meaningful and fun. What if your oncologist was like Patch Adams?

#4 Life As A House

"Sam, if you were a house, you would want to be built on rock over-looking the sea."

Truly one of my favourite movies of all time.  Kevin Kline is George Monroe, architect, whose life appears to be in shambles - he's got a troubled childhood, he's divorced, his teenage son is a piece of work, and he's just lost his job.  (See, I think this situation mirrors real life on a lot of levels - this seems to be when people get cancer.  Their lives are in turmoil and crisis, they are unhappy and then boom! Here Comes Cancer)  He trashes his office (great scene!) and promptly collapses.  A few days later, he's diagnosed with terminal cancer. So he decides to build his dream home with his bare hands. 

For me, Life as a House captures a lot of realities about cancer, and the journey of acceptance and defiance.

In this scene, George has just been given the news about his job....oh yea! He trashes the office and I'm there with him for every swing of that beautiful bat!

#3 Sex and the City

Ok, Sex and the City (the movie) at first glance doesn't say squat about cancer....Samantha had cancer in the series, not the movie. Ah, but look a bit closer, deary.  There's a super-excellent reason I chose this movie.  Because, Samantha has to deal with the aftermath of her cancer and her relationship.  She struggles big time with her desire to break-up with Smith - the man that stood by her through her cancer battle.

In fact, I felt this movie demonstrated this real-life cancer relationship dilemma so well, that I posted this right after I saw it in the theatre.

Q: So how you do break up with that special person that stood by you through cancer?  With love in your heart for what was and love in your heart for what's next in your life.

#2 Fight Club

"Fuck off with your sofa units and strine green stripe patterns, I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say let... lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may."

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.  A strange, but interesting portrayal of the world of support group meetings held in darkly lit gymnasiums.

#1 The Bucket List

"The simplest thing is... I loved him. And I miss him. Carter and I saw the world together. Which is amazing... When you think that only three months ago, we were complete strangers! I hope that it doesn't sound selfish of me but... the last months of his life were the best months of mine. He saved my life... And he knew it before I did."

Who doesn't love Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman?  Edward Cole and Carter Chambers are both dying of cancer and meet in the hospital.  Cole, very wealthy, decides he's going to go out with a bang and he convinces Carter to join him.  They write down all of things they want to do in life before they die on "the bucket list."  And then they set off to check each one off.  But each task is not always easy.  They challenge each other big time, and hold each other accountable to what they agreed to accomplish.  The result : skydiving is easy, mending relationships is hard.

A great flick about the highs and lows that cancer can bring into your life.  Warning---tears may flow. 

What are you favourite flicks on cancer?  Which movies inspired you or just made you laugh?  What movies would you recommend to others facing cancer?