Five is a groundbreaking anthology that stitches together five intimate short films to examine how breast cancer reshapes lives, relationships, and self-perception, blending humor and drama as characters chase strength, comfort, and breakthroughs on the path to a cure.
CHARLOTTE
On the night in July 1969 when man first walks on the moon, a young Pearl [Ava Acres] is more concerned about why her family won’t let her see her mother, Charlotte [Ginnifer Goodwin], who lies in her bedroom dying from breast cancer. This moment plants Pearl’s lifelong resolve to help others facing the disease, a calling that will echo through the other stories and lead her to open an oncology clinic that quietly threads through the film. The segment’s ensemble cast weaves in supporting faces like [Jeanne Tripplehorn], [Josh Holloway], [Annie Potts], [Jennifer Morrison], and [Bob Newhart], adding warmth, humor, and emotional resonance to the intimate battlefield of illness and love.
CHEYANNE
Directed by Penelope Spheeris, this chapter follows Cheyanne [Lyndsy Fonseca], a sexy young stripper who, with her newlywed husband Tommy [Taylor Kinney], tries to redefine who they are as individuals and as a couple when a breast cancer diagnosis challenges their world. The prognosis pushes them toward hard choices and shifts in identity, and the couple’s journey illustrates how illness can redraw lines around passion, independence, and partnership, all set against a backdrop of vivid personal stakes.
LILI
Directed by Alicia Keys, Lili [Rosario Dawson] is a fiercely independent, career-driven woman who turns to her sister [Tracee Ellis Ross] to help tell their hard-nosed mother [Jenifer Lewis] about a breast cancer diagnosis. As past hurts surface, the family learns to rebuild trust and lean on one another, discovering that kinship can be a powerful medicine in itself. The story also introduces a male perspective with [Jeffrey Tambor] portraying a patient navigating treatment, adding another layer to the shared experience of this disease.
MIA
Directed by Jennifer Aniston, Mia [Patricia Clarkson] is a survivor whose two-year odyssey from diagnosis unfolds with both poignancy and humor. She releases attachments to material possessions, stages a lively mock funeral while still alive, and then enters into a hopeful second marriage to Mitch [Tony Shalhoub], the new love of her life. The chapter shines a light on resilience, the tension between humor and sorrow, and the way friendships—embodied by Mia’s friend Rocky [Kathy Najimy]—help sustain a person through the darkest days.
PEARL
Directed by Patty Jenkins, Pearl [Jeanne Tripplehorn] grows from childhood into a renowned oncologist who unexpectedly finds herself in the patient’s chair when breast cancer strikes. Her journey illuminates the empathy she carries from her own parents’ experiences on that fateful night in 1969 and culminates in a heartfelt vow to tell her young daughter that everything will be okay. The segment widens its emotional net by drawing in a stellar lineup including Patricia Clarkson, Tony Shalhoub, Jeffrey Tambor, Bob Newhart, Rosario Dawson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Jenifer Lewis, whose stories of care, courage, and community echo the film’s overarching message of hope, connection, and the enduring human spirit.
