BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY

US, 2014, 91 minutes, Colour.
Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Monaghan, Jane Fonda, Ray Liotta, Norbert Leo Butz, Ben Schwarz, Ken Howard, Harrison Holzer.
Directed by Geoff Moore, David Posamentier.

Well, the title is certainly arresting. Since this is not a science documentary, the title can be taken as somewhat satirical, even with the touch of cynicism.

The focus is on Doug, a pharmacist in a small town, played very effectively by Sam Rockwell. His wife, Michelle Monaghan, is a dominating character, who has discovered skills in bike riding and winning all the races and trophies in the town. He has a young adolescent son who takes no notice of him, lives in a darkened room, plays the guitar, and is revealed to be persecuting, with excrement, some of the bully boys in the school. His pharmacy belongs to his father-in-law, Ken Howard, who is bequeathing it to him but keeping his own name on the signs. In some ways, he seems content, and runs his pharmacy with integrity – though his assistant for deliveries, Noah, is completely unreliable and an addict himself.

The drama changes when Doug delivers an order to a mansion where he finds the glamorous Elizabeth, Olivia Wilde, who, we are not surprised, attempts to seduce him. We are, however, surprised that Doug succumbs and begins quite a wild affair with her, even manipulating the drugs, making his own, living a literally high life, and even using drugs to beat his wife in a cycling race. He does, however, make friends with his son, and they go on vandalism spree on the pharmacy.

The film becomes a touch absurd with things going wrong, Doug being investigated by the authorities, his planning to leave his wife, and then planning with Elisabeth to murder her husband – Ray Liotta who turns up in two scenes and turns out to be more sympathetic than we thought. But, the best laid plans…

The film is narrated by Jane Fonda who turns up at the pharmacy at the end, as herself, with a bit of a joke at her expense, but an interesting device which we may not have been expecting.


1. The impact of the film as a drama, comedy, satire, fable?

2. The small American town, homes, streets, the square, shops? Mansions? The musical score?

3. The title and its tone? The pharmacy, drugs, taking them, creating them? The law?

4. And Jane Fonda and her narration, perspective, ironic comments, the narrative, her final appearance in the shop?

5. Doug, in himself, his wife and the past, the present, relationship with Ethan, his son ignoring him? The shop and his work? His father-in-law, heading over the shop? Ownership but the domination of Bishop? The sign? His reliability, reputable, the range of customers, his treatment, knowing their problems? His staff, the young woman? No and his deliveries, not being reliable?

6. Kara, tough, her father’s daughter, relationship with her parents, visits, the meals? Ethan and his ignoring his mother? Her cycling, the races, her winning, the team? Doug and his having to ride bikes? Her studio, the clients? Looking down on her husband? Going to the principal, the story about Ethan, her anger, refusal to believe?

7. Noah, not delivering the parcels, his being on drugs, his excuses, the final night, Doug relying on his delivery, his being found dead, the drugs Inspector, Doug let off the hook?

8. Elizabeth, in herself, relationship with her husband, the audience hearing about him, taking a dislike, then seeing him at the bar? Her wealth, style, boredom? Doug and the delivery, her reaction, her vampish behaviour, the seduction? Doug allowing it, the repetition, the affair, the collage of their being together, the effect on Doug? The drugs, his preparing them, the exhilaration? His taking the drugs, winning the cycling race, Taras reaction? The planned to kill Elizabeth husband?

9. Ethan, at home, the guitar, his room, refusing to talk? The principal, the explanation? His mother’s reaction, refusal of therapy? Her father, his gift, trying to help? Ethan, his explanation to his father, his enemies, the bullying, the excrement as an instrument of the ninjas? An ally with his father, they going out on the town, the vandalism of the sign in the window? The later explanation, the police, ducks father-in-law and his reaction?

10. The drug Inspector, nervous, searching, the infantry, his suspicions, the roof term visits, the discrepancies? And the discovery of Noah dead?

11. The planned to kill the husband, relying on the delivery, no phone calls, the delay, Doug meeting the husband in the bar, pleasant, talking about his wife, paints the drinks? His return to the pharmacy, the headache? The phone call to Elizabeth, meeting her, breaking off the relationship?

12. Jane Fonda in the shop?

13. Doug, his note, Kara reading it, wanting a reconciliation – and his refusal? The future?