Release Date: March 2, 2011
Rating: R
Running Time: 112 minutes

Academy Award Nominees Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway co-star in “the smartest, sexiest and downright best screen-melting romance of the year” (Parade ). Hathaway delivers an unforgettable performance as the free-spirited Maggie, who meets her match in a charming Viagra salesman named Jamie (Gyllenhaal). Maggie and Jamie leap into a no-strings-attached affair, but no matter how hard they try to keep things “casual,” they can’t help falling under the influence of the ultimate drug…love!

Love & Other Drugs is one of the sweetest and most moving romantic dramedies of 2010. This is a love story unlike so many that are made in Hollywood today as it openly shows the hardships in a relationship with genuine characters and conflicts. What may start out to be a typical love story involving a womanizer and free spirited artist turns down a completely unexpected path when viewers find out about Maggie’s Stage One Parkinson’s Disease. This is quite a turning point and really changes the characters for the better, even with or especially because of their highs, lows, and everything in between. Everything counts. Everyday matters. What a concept for a relationship in a film taking place in the late 90s, prior to 9/11 and the recession. These are two people who are trying to enjoy life in their own unique way and what they find is love which is far greater than what either of them could have dreamed of. The two are consistently passionate about their love making, so this may not be a film suitable for young viewers.

The supporting cast shines as well, especially Jamie’s younger brother, Josh (Josh Gad) who brings humour in every scene that he is in. There isn’t exactly an even balance of humor, relationship drama, medical drama, etc… but it is fair to say that there usually isn’t in real life either. The story flows at a steady pace while taking viewers on quite an extraordinary emotional journey with the characters as individuals and as a couple. What is really surprising is the way Jamie is so dedicated to marketing the cure for Parkinson’s when there isn’t yet a cure. Jamie is more ambitious in this venture than he has ever been about anything but the problem is, he is more dedicated to the cause than Maggie is.

Maggie has accepted that there is no cure and is content soaking up her time at the UN-Convention and then heading back to her life. It’s an unconventional power struggle and watching this colorful dynamic play out is more than I could have asked for as a viewer. It really makes you think about not just diseases but how disease affect the spouse, family, and friends. These characters are vulnerable and we see it. Characteristics that one may find charming at first turn into the reason why the character becomes unlikable later. But things come around full circle in the end, it’s just a matter of how. Watching the how play out is worth it in Love & Other Drugs. This film is very smart and could have gone in so many directions. With what it ultimately came to be and for a story that may have initially seemed to be all about a Viagra salesman falling in love…it turns out to be so much more.

Bonus Features:

Deleted Scenes – There are 3 deleted scenes on this DVD. Two of these scenes include both Anne and Jake. The first scene is unfinished. My favorite scene is the last, when Maggie decides to leave the hotel after seeing Jamie ignore her the entire night yet again for his job. There’a anger, there’s humor, there’s confusion, and more in this argument. It makes for a great scene but certain lines could have been thrown away and then it would have been perfect for the film. It’s a shame this did not make it in.

An Actor’s Discussion – Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal along with the Director, Screenplay Writer, & Producer, Ed Zwick, Screenplay Writer, Charles Randolph and Producer, Scott Stuber discuss the characters, their growth in the film, and how Anne and Jake made these characters their own. Anne and Jake also talk about working with each other on Brokeback Mountain and then working on this film now which is interesting since the dynamic obviously grew. This is a great introduction to the character profiles later on in the special features and is great to watch the actors on set working on a few scenes.

Beautifully Complex: Anne Hathaway is Maggie – This is a wonderful character profile led by Anne Hathaway who talks about Maggie’s fearlessness and “opening herself up to the reality of herself” as Anne puts it. Anne is so eloquent and so appreciative of this film and this character that her analysis of the character shines and gives viewers more reasons to love Maggie.

Reformed Womanizer: Jake Gyllenhaal is Jamie – This is an interesting character profile led by Jake Gyllenhaal who talks about Jamie’s struggle with his inability to truly be responsible and how falling in love with Jamie changes those negative qualities about him. Jake talks about how this character was a breath of fresh air for him which says a lot given the past characters that he has played. He also talks about being closer to the character than he initially realized. This feature in itself makes me appreciate Jake Gyllenhaal more than I ever did. It really made me see him for an actor who is really an artist with his work and

Selling Love & Other Drugs – This film is based on the book, “Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman” by Jamie Reidy. Reidy appears in this feature to talk about being a good salesman. Jake Gyllenhaal mentions that he was a consultant on set and what a fabulous one he was! If any viewer is interested in becoming a salesman, this is the feature for you! This feature also includes Director, Screenplay Writer, & Producer, Ed Zwick, Producer, Scott Stuber, and Actors, Josh Gad and Hank Azaria.

Own Love & Other Drugs on DVD today.