Based on the book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, Love and Other Drugs is a pleasant, cleverly-written film with a surprisingly poignant center.
When the film came out last fall, it received mixed reviews. The main problem critics seemed to have with it was that it had too much going on at once. Indeed, I originally wrote a review attempting to explain the plot that went on for about 6 long paragraphs. Instead of subjecting you to that, I'm going to outline the plot minimally here (spoilers):* Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jamie Randall, a young man who is natural salesman (and ladies man) who becomes a pharmaceutical rep for Pfizer after dropping out of medical school.
* In the course of his interactions with Dr. Stan Knight (Hank Azaria), whom Jamie is trying to convince to switch from prescribing Prozac to prescribing Zoloft, Jamie meets Maggie Murdock (Anne Hathaway). Maggie is 26 years old and suffering from early on-set Parkinson's disease.
* Jamie and Maggie begin a relationship based purely on sex since neither of them is particularly capable of intimacy.
* Meanwhile, Jamie's star rises at Pfizer. When a new drug for erectile dysfunction premieres (a little blue pill called Viagra--hard to believe it's just over a decade old), Jamie becomes a top seller.
* But Jamie is not satisfied with earning a ton of money and being promoted. He's falling in love with Maggie and attempting to convince her to deepen their relationship.
* Maggie's Parkinson's is getting worse and Jamie is set on finding a cure for her. It becomes a single-minded focus of his, and soon Maggie realizes Jamie can love her only if there's hope that she may be cured. She breaks up with him.
* Jamie is given a big promotion, which will take him to Chicago. Instead, he performs a Grand Gesture of Movie Love (tm) and convinces Maggie to take him back. He quits Pfizer and decides to go back to medical school.
See? Even my bare bones outline takes forever! The critics may be on to something. But when you think about it, there are really only two plot lines going on here: 1) Jamie's career trajectory at Pfizer and 2) Jamie and Maggie's relationship (annoyingly, we're told little about Maggie's personal life and job). It's just that the two plots are fully fleshed out and we see what happens over the course of a couple years, so it *seems* like the plot is stuffed full, when really it's just very detailed. I actually found that the two stories buoyed each other and made each one seem more real. If the movie had focused entirely on Maggie and Jamie's relationship, it may have fallen into Lifetime movie territory (womanizer learns how to love when he meets a dying woman). If it had focused on Jamie's career at Pfizer, it would have lacked the message about accepting vulnerability in life and love that comes across so sweetly in the end. Together, the plot lines intertwine to create a unique film about balancing a difficult relationship with a high-powered career, and growing as whole person too. It's about evolving, sacrificing, and accepting limitations. Maggie and Jamie start out damaged: Jamie is a talented, intelligent man who secretly dislikes himself and focuses on making money and having sex to avoid facing his problems. Maggie considers herself damaged goods and thus protects her pride by refusing to get close to anyone. Together, the two characters learn that it's okay to let others help you, even though it's scary to put that much faith in another person.
It all sounds so cheesy when I write it, but Love and Other Drugs nearly had me in tears multiple times. A scene where Maggie attends a convention for Parkinson's victims is both heartbreaking and uplifting. When Jamie nearly has a panic attack before blurting out "I love you" to Maggie (something he never said to anyone before), it has a feel of familiarity--the feeling of fear, exhilaration, and surrender when we realize we love someone. Although the film is cliched and flawed in many ways, it didn't strike me as typical Hollywood fluff where no one has any real problems and the obstacles are minor and easily overcome. This is partially due to the acting chops of Gyllenhaal and Hathaway, who, in addition to both being absurdly pretty, have depths and abilities that other absurdly pretty A-listers don't. The two are natural together, and they make you believe in their love and pain.
In addition, Love and Other Drugs has a surprisingly funny and cavalier script. Viagra is referred to as a "fuck drug" or a "dick drug" in casual conversation. For some reason (I'm immature?), I found that to be hilarious. One review said that the movie's relaxed attitude toward nudity was almost "European". I wouldn't say that, exactly, but the film is infused with a laid-back sense of humor that somehow manages to be dirty without being crude.
I don't know. Love and Other Drugs can be annoying and silly at times, but I got a lot out of it.
4 out of 5 stars
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