Love and Other Drugs tells the story of Jamie and Maggie, two people in 1996 who don’t want anything to do with a committed relationship but ultimately end up needing each other.
Jamie, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, is a budding pharmaceutical sales rep who wants nothing more than to outsell his competitors—and if he has to bed unwitting receptionists in order to reach his goal, so be it.
When Jamie meets Maggie (Anne Hathaway), a free-spirited artist with early on-set Parkinson’s disease, he sets his sights on her as his latest conquest. He soon discovers, however, that she feels the same way he does about relationships: nothing serious, just sex.
The two embark on what can only be characterized as a no strings attached or friends with benefits arrangement, but soon Jamie realizes that he wants something more. While reluctant at first, Maggie eventually comes around to the idea, though not without hitting a few speed bumps first.
Jamie’s career really takes off when he begins selling his company’s new wonder pill: Viagra. As the cash starts rolling in, Jamie begins to take ownership of his life and grow up.
The scenes where Jamie and Maggie begin to connect on a more personal level, rather than just hopping in bed together, are the film’s highest points. Hathaway plays Maggie with such conviction and heart that her character far out-shines Gyllenhaal’s, who seems to be stuck in romantic comedy/drama mode of superficiality; Hathaway commits to her role with more emotion and passion.
The film suffers from an uneven tone at times, shifting from heartfelt scenes where Jamie totes Maggie around to different doctors searching for cutting-edge Parkinson’s treatments, to a sex-filled pajama party thrown by a fellow sales rep that feels as though it’s straight out of a teen sex comedy. And to make matters worse? Jamie takes some Viagra at the behest of the party’s host, and has to be rushed to the hospital when he has an adverse reaction to the little blue pill. Tasteless boner jokes and hijinks ensue, and the focus of the film is momentarily lost.
Once regaining its control and focus, the film ends nicely with a good message: Life isn’t what you expect, it can surprise you and things you never thought you wanted are suddenly very important.
Director Edward Zwick, whose past endeavors include Blood Diamond, Defiance and The Last Samurai, falls short on this one. The irregular tone stands out far more than it should and detracts from what could have been a more touching film about two people who fall in love despite each other’s baggage and commitment issues.
Bottom line: Hathaway’s performance makes the film worth seeing and she is already generating Oscar buzz for her role.
