65 Thoughts I Had While Watching “Love and Other Drugs”

Grab your popcorn and Skittles because we are diving deep into the 2010 flick, Love and Other Drugs. If you have not heard of the flick, I will give you a brief synopsis.

The movie star is a pharmaceutical rep played by yummy, delicious, hottie pants Jake Gyllenhaal… that’s his full name if you didn’t know… who falls in love with a dynamic, beautiful, sassy young-onset Parkie played by the little unknown actress Anne Hathaway.

Parkinson's in the movies

There are not many films that depict the challenges that come with a young adult diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, so you can imagine how many times I have been asked what I think about the movie.

Now that you know the important parts, I will share my 65 thoughts I had while watching Love and Other Drugs.

1.  It’s Monday at 1 pm in afternoon, I really shouldn’t be watching a film.
2. Jake Gyllenhall aka “Hottie Pants” can sell a stereo to a deaf person.
3. Of course, he sleeps with his supervisor’s girlfriend and gets fired... what girl could resist his boyish charm?
4. Hmmmm... I wonder are all pharmaceutical company training programs full of dancing girls in short skirts, fireworks, and glitter bombs?
5. Love how Pfizer is making cheesy one-liners like, “Share this technology” (as a beautiful woman holds up a pill)... or even better, “Go fight illness”.
6. 6-week training is done and of course Hottie Pants sleeps with his training supervisor. The man is like a Vortex.
7. I’ve never seen a doctor’s office with such happy people in the waiting room.
8. Stealing the competitor's samples and dumping them into the dumpster. Sneaky, but genius!
9. Riiiiiggghhhtttt… like a physician would let a drug rep shadow him while he saw patients. But then again, Hottie Pants is quite charming.
10. The doctor says, “This can’t be right, a 26-year-old needs Parkinson’s medication?” If the world only knew...
11. Whoa, wait… rewind…what was her PD med list?
12. Is it crazy that I get excited to hear the word “Sinemet” being used in a movie?
13. Maggie throws in, “And Prozac, so that I am not too bummed about having a major degenerative disorder at 26.” Priceless.
14. “Good old-fashioned Parkinson’s” sounds way better than Parkinson’s disease.
15. Blotch on her breast? Really Maggie? Can’t be more creative in ways to take your shirt off in front of Hottie Pants.
16. Oh, now Hottie Pants you better run! She found out that you are a drug rep and now it makes sense why she is seeing red... you let her take her shirt off!
17. Get him! Ouch! She is whooping her butt, Parkinson’s or not!
18. “For once, I would like to hear someone from the medical community actually apologize”. Sassy Maggie delivers another great line!
19. Love the exit, but with getting that upset, my Parkinson’s symptoms would be off the charts. Don’t think I could flick my hair and articulate my words the way that Maggie does, but I love the strong female role.
20. Flirting with the receptionist to get Maggie’s phone number. Clever but sleazy.
21. Of course, Maggie is an intriguing artist that lives in a super cool loft, wears overalls, and smokes weed... for medicinal purposes I am sure.
22. How can she look perfect all the time? When my PD is acting like a Diva, I am lucky just to take a shower, let alone make adorable curls in my flowing locks.
23. She is casually stretching out her cramping foot. I hate dystonia.
24. Of course, you will meet Hottie Pants for coffee. Who wouldn’t if given the opportunity?
25. There it is! She has a small tremor while holding her cup of coffee. She so delicately hides her hand.
26. All the energy that I spend just trying to hide my symptoms. Just to make other people feel comfortable. It was nothing I could change, but yet I felt the need to hide it.
27. Of course, she has sex with him. “To alleviate the pain of being me.”
28. After a quick, rough and meaningless romp on the kitchen floor, she tells him, “ I need you to go”. Practically kicking him out the door with his pants off.
29. But then she texts him the next day for more sex. And again.
30. All of this sex is taking away from the message in the movie. It’s too distracting.
31. Oh, snap! That’s what Maggie is doing! She is using sex with Hottie Pants to distract her from the reality of having Parkinson’s. Superficial relationships allow her to easily disconnect if someone is getting too close.
32. Take a water break or something guys!
33. Hottie Pants is delivering food to Maggie’s home. How can she possibly look great all the time?! Come on girl, at least try to dull yourself down.
34. Don’t say “This is nice”... sounds too much like attachment to Maggie.
35. Oh no, now you did it! “Well, I wouldn’t want to be with someone who is sick either”. Maggie goes straight for the kill. Pushing people out of her life... I can relate.
36. Instead of having an intimate conversation, let's just have more sex. Yes! Now here is a real Parkinson’s moment. She can’t get the bag open of Pop-tarts, so after struggling, she hands the bag over and says with a smile, “Here is your breakfast!” She realizes that her Parkinson's is getting out of control and instead of asking for help; she reverts to what she knows... pushing people out.
37. Hottie Pants says, “I’ll call you” and Maggie responds, “Don’t."
38. No! He is falling in love with you! You're falling in love with him!!!
39. I am going to cut that doctor! To call Maggie “Neurologically damned... it’s not much of a life, is it?” Hold me back! Hold me back!
40. Hottie Pants just told you he likes hearing the sound of your voice and you hang up on him. Gurl, you stone cold!
41. Maggie is helping other Parkies get their medications by taking them by bus to Canada. To think that there are people struggling to pay for Parkinson's drugs, I am reminded that I am grateful.
42. Awwww, Hottie Pants waiting all night in the parking lot for her bus to come back.
43. The music changes to some Sarah McLachlan-like tune, and Maggie lets her walls down!
44. There is nothing more frightening than to be vulnerable.
45. Then more sex… these kids ate their Wheaties!
46. Holy smokes! He said he loves her!! Romance is not dead! There is help for us all!
47. No! Maggie is having an off day. Every Parkie has experienced this. Some days are better than others. For me, every hour is different.
48. What ‘s up with childproof caps? More like Parkie-proof caps.
49. Please tell me that doctors don’t prescribe certain medications based on their friendship with pharmaceutical reps.
50. Oh no, it’s about to get real! She is drinking and is angry.
51. No matter how hard you try, sometimes you just have to ask “Why me?".
52. But Hottie Pants is right there to hold Maggie’s hand. That’s all you can really ask for when you have Parkinson’s is someone to be there when you fall down.
53. Support groups can be depressing, but yet comforting to know you are not alone.
54. I want to reach through my T.V. screen and choke the dude that tells Hottie Pants, “My advice is to go upstairs, pack your bags and leave a nice note. Go find yourself a healthy woman.” Agggrrrhhh!
55. Just like men who need to fix everything, Hottie Pants is trying to find information, treatment options, and all the resources about Parkinson's that he can get his mitts on.
56. But he is missing a crucial point, he is so focused on trying to cure his girlfriend instead of just accepting and living in the moment.
57. “You need to know that I will get better to love me. News flash, there is no cure for Parkinson’s.” Ouch, that stings.
58.  No Maggie, don’t tell hottie pants goodbye!
59. Hottie pants finally realizing he is an idiot and that he needs Maggie. Duh!
60. He finds her on a bus headed to Canada to help people buy their Parkinson's meds, she is always trying to help others. That’s so Maggie!
61. It’s happening. The monologue to admit his eternal love for her. Ahhhh! I have butterflies in my stomach! I am such a girl!
62. Man, I could really go for some pancakes. Sorry, I crave comfort foods when I get emotional.
63. Sappy music is kicking in… “You need someone to take care of you,” Hottie Pants says with tears in his eyes. Wow! Going for the win!
64. “I'm going to need you more than you need me. And I can’t ask you to do that.
65. Of course you can’t ask, Maggie, but he is there to help carry you on when things get difficult, because he loves you, with or without Parkinson’s disease. Now don’t you feel all mushy and happy inside?