Saturday, November 27, 2010 Love and Other Drugs
I am interrupting the series of posts I’ve been writing on cognition to make some comments about the new movie, Love and Other Drugs .
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Love and Other Drugs was released this week. It is a comedy-drama directed by Edward Zwick, based on the non-fiction book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman by Jamie Reidy. The movie stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway. The movie features lots of nudity and sex.
Ann Hathaway plays Maggie Murdock who is 26 and has early stage PD. She is a free spirit who meets her match with Jamie, Jake Gyllenhaal’s character. As their love story unfolds, the movie reveals an important subplot: the lack of effective treatments or cure for a progressive brain disease such as Parkinson’s, versus the extraordinary success of the sex drug Viagra. It’s delicious to see Hollywood take on pharma. In fact, the movie’s main theme is the moneyed relationship between doctors and the pharmacy industry.
When Maggie shows some symptoms of PD they are accurate -- but, for me anyway, unbelievable. Anne Hathaway simply does not look like a woman in the early stages of PD. However, several real-life PWP briefly play themselves in the movie. Their performances were touching, funny and tasteful.
My favorite part of the movie is when Maggie leaves a support group feeling exhilarated from meeting other people with PD who are living accomplished, independent lives. Reminds me of our group in Denver,
One particular scene in the movie was wrenching to watch -- at least for me: Maggie expresses to Jamie the painful fact that she will necessarily need and depend on him far more than he would ever need and depend on her.
One of the hardest things about having PD is knowing that – unless there are major breakthroughs soon - - as the disease progresses we may not be able to take care of ourselves. Maggie may need help with buttons now. Eventually she may need help with walking, eating, and getting in and out of bed.
Maggie also says something like, “I had things to do and places to see!” How many times have we all said that to ourselves with feelings of intense disappointment?
Love and Other Drugs is a great movie to see with a significant other. My husband and I saw it together and we both cried, with fear of what our shared future might bring. The good news is that after the tears came conversation. This movie will get a lot of us talking honestly with each other about what might be ahead, all the better for making realistic plans.
Betsy
Reader Comments (5)
Wow, Betsy, that was powerful. Will need to think about it for a while. For someone diagnosed for over a year and still not convinced I have PD, the leap to admitting to myself that I won't be able to go and do all I'd planned and might need significant physical help at some point -- it's a whack on the side of the head. Would I actually be able to sit through the movie? You've got me thinking about a lot of things. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for being you.
Sounds like a very trashy movie. We will find other avenues for our information.
I had no idea it was about a PWPD. This one goes on the Netflix list for sure! Thanks for the review.
I went with friends to see the Colorado opening of the movie. I hadn't expected to see so much skin in the movie, but for me that was secondary. The feelings Anne Hathaway showed were very similar to how I felt upon my young onset PD diagnosis. There's a part in the film where she struggles to do something as simple as open up a pop-tart package - been there! And when the husband of a wife with advanced PD gave Jake his "advice" at the PD convention, tears gushed. It's not a movie I would take my Mom to, but the story beneath the bare skin shots was very compelling and very real.
Thanks, Donna, for posting. Always welcome, Betsy