Love & Other Drugs (2010)

A woman suffering from Parkinson's befriends a drug rep working for Pfizer against 1990s Pittsburgh backdrop.

Director:

Edward Zwick

Writers:

Charles Randolph (screenplay), Edward Zwick (screenplay),

Stars:

Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, Oliver Platt

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jake Gyllenhaal	...	Jamie Randall
Anne Hathaway	...	Maggie Murdock
Oliver Platt	...	Bruce Winston
Hank Azaria	...	Dr. Stan Knight
Josh Gad	...	Josh Randall
Gabriel Macht	...	Trey Hannigan
Judy Greer	...	Cindy
George Segal	...	Dr. James Randall
Jill Clayburgh	...	Nancy Randall
Kate Jennings Grant	...	Gina
Katheryn Winnick	...	'Lisa'
Kimberly Scott	...	Gail
Peter Friedman	...	California Man
Nikki Deloach	...	Christy
Natalie Gold	...	Dr. Helen Randall

Storyline

Maggie (Hathaway) is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie (Gyllenhaal), whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love.

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Plot Keywords:

prozac | 1990s | viagra | zoloft | love | 

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Taglines:

Accros aux nuits sans lendemain ou dépendants l'un de l'autre? (Addicted to one-night stands or dependent on one another?)

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, pervasive language, and some drug material

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [de] Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 November 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hard Sell

Filming Locations:

USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,606,253 (UK) (31 December 2010)

Gross:

$32,357,532 (USA) (11 February 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox 2000 Pictures, Regency Enterprises, New Regency Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The anti-parkinson drugs Sinemet and ropinirole mentioned in the movie can cause sexual hyperactivity/hyperarousal in some patients as a side effect.

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Goofs

When Jamie is presenting TV-Sets in the opening scene, he introduces three 52-inch Flatscreen (or bigger) models by Philips, Samsung and Magnavox. The scene is set in 1996. 1997, Philips introduced the first 42-inch plasma display (US $14,999) to the retail public in 4 Sears locations in the US. 52-inch displays weren't among their Flat-TV range until at least 2003.

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Quotes

Jamie Randall: Let's just say in some alternate universe, there's a couple just like us, okay? Only she's healthy and he's perfect. And their world is about how much they're going to spend on vacation or who's in a bad mood that day, or whether they feel guilty about having a cleaning lady. I don't want to be those people. I want us. You. This.

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Connections

Features Independence Day (1996)

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Soundtracks

"Show-Biz Blues"
Written by Peter Green
Performed by Fleetwood Mac
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records Inc.
By Arrangement with Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing

User Reviews

'Love and Other Drugs' are enticing

Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway deliver inspiring, charismatic and dimensional performances in Edward Zwick's latest directorial venture. The film, like the performances, arcs from shallow objectives and arguably questionable behaviors to capturing the essence of love. It's the classic tale of boy meets girl except as Maggie (Hathaway) puts it, "...this isn't about connection for you, this isn't even about sex for you. This is about finding and hour or two of relief from the pain of being you, and that's fine with me because all I want's the exact same thing." Maggie's quote is perhaps the single most foreshadowing moment that will cause their parallel paths to intersect, putting forth a moving story of human compassion and love. Jamie (Gyllenhaal) is intent on becoming the most successful sales rep for the pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer. His aspirations are simple; sex, the Viagra account, and getting to Chicago. Maggie's objectives are a bit different. While she too is intent on the escapism she finds in sex, it's subtly presented that her goal is to be an artist - a goal that may be no longer achievable. What transpires is a character arc for each person and the realization that meaningless sex may have led to the ultimate human goals of companionship and love.

'Love and Other Drugs' is a nicely told story that keeps you laughing and hoping but will ultimately leave a tear in your eye. It exudes, to perfection, human emotion and leaves you feeling the reality of the situation and of each character, while doing its best to present a diagnosis with antidepressants and Viagra. It's cinematically beautiful and nicely paced to deliver a stand-out film containing all the chemistry Gyllenhaal and Hathaway had in years prior while filming 'Brokeback Mountain'. Acting is where the film garners much of its success through beautiful nuances, flawless delivery and strong eye contact. It leaves you hoping for the future, of both Maggie and Jamie and of a reuniting of Gyllenhaal and Hathaway.

Grade: A+