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:

Pennsylvania, 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

This is the second film that Jake Gyllenhaal and 'Anne Hathaway' (qy) have worked together on since 'Brokeback Mountain' (qy) (2005).

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Goofs

When Jaime is on the couch eating cereal at Maggie's house, the box reads "corn flakes". The label switches from facing the camera to facing away from the camera. Also, the box switches from the corn flake box to what appears to be a Honey Nut Cheerios box.

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Quotes

Jamie Randall: [on the bus] I need you.
Maggie Murdock: Please go away.
Jamie Randall: I drove a really long way to say that!
Maggie Murdock: What, am I supposed to be impressed?
Jamie Randall: I don't know, yes?

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Anne Hathaway/Florence and the Machine (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Also Sprach Zarathustra"
Written by Richard Strauss
Performed by Symphony Orchestra
Baden Baden - Ferdinand Leitner
Courtesy of Selectracks / Denon Classics

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+