Sue and I went to see "Love and Other Drugs" yesterday.
It's a movie not so much about Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (YOPD), as it is about being a young beautiful, 27 y/o woman living who is living in the “now” as she is faced with an incurable progressively debilitating disease. This movie IS NOT FOR KIDS!
It's a movie not so much about Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (YOPD), as it is about being a young beautiful, 27 y/o woman living who is living in the “now” as she is faced with an incurable progressively debilitating disease. This movie IS NOT FOR KIDS!
The Official Write Up
Maggie (Hathaway) is an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie (Gyllenhaal), whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love. Written by Twentieth Century Fox (Link to Love and Other Drugs)
The Bad
While I didn’t mind the sex scenes and strong language, Anne Hathaway’s Maggie, is good scenery; I did pause to think that this movie would be a totally different story if made from the perspective of a man who had YOPD. I became a bit obsessed (yes… I have YOPD) during the movie thinking that this young attractive woman did not have to control her sexual urges; she had many partners from which to choose from in order to satisfy her seemingly insatiable sexual urges. Impulsive behavior in the form of acting on urges may have been Maggie’s nature pre-existing her PD diagnosis, or Maggie’s choice of dealing with the profound sense of loss of control that accompanies people with PD (PWP), or Maggie may have been a victim of the side effects of some PD medicines. This sexual compulsion as well as gambling, shopping, and drinking to excess are well documented, not well understood, statistically affect males more than females, and may in the extreme case end sadly in suicide.
I couldn’t help but think, if this story was told from the perspective of a man with YOPD, I feel I can quite safely say the man would have probably and most sadly ended up in jail, rehab, or worse. It is quite odd to think that a woman would be as receptive to a man with the same sexual voracity experienced by Maggie, for whatever the reason, naturally, emotionally, or chemically induced. But then again, this thankfully and wonderfully a Hollywood story! In my thankfully never to be published reality show, Maggie under most circumstances also would have ended up legally detained or in a mental disorder treatment facility as well.
The Good
It was appropriate to see Maggie accurately show the subtle signs of Parkinson’s, the left hand resting shake, the morning stiffness, as well as have a couple of bad “off” days caused by her being either emotionally compromised or from her medications not working that day. It was “real” to see that she smoked marijuana and drank alcohol; both substances are known to mitigate the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It was also very real for me to see sit through her attempt to open of a medicine bottle over a sink. I sat in fear just knowing that she would open the bottle only to dump the remainder of her needed pills down the sink. Pills can, with difficulty, be picked from the floor but not from the drain or a toilet’s watery death trap. In Maggie’s case it turned out she was out of her much needed medication, another very real fear that I live with each day. She coped with this loss by drinking a boat load of vodka in her attempt to either mitigate her PD symptoms, drown her loss, or both.
The movie is dated to about the 1997/1998 time frame, when Viagra hit the market, and as such is probably appropriate and accurate with respect to the treatment of Parkinson’s. In the past 10 years major leaps have been made in Parkinson’s treatment especially in the area of YOPD, thanks to Michael J. Fox’s hard work spreading the word and raising much needed research money. Bearing that in mind it was refreshing to see Maggie stumble upon a small Parkinson’s group and gain a sense of hope and energy from the group. On the other hand it was also very real to have her “boyfriend” Jamie show up at the Parkinson’s group meeting only to talk to a husband, and now long time care taker of his wife with Parkinson’s. His advice to Jamie is pointed, “Pack your bags and run now!”
This husband, now turned care giver of a person with Parkinson’s, advice is the basis for the rest of the movie. How does “Love” for a person known to have Parkinson’s and the as yet unknown and untold selfless personal investment and sacrifice in someone’s long termed illness, the inevitable years of thankless care, and being faced with the impending physical and potentially mental demise of that person fit into a young professional, upwardly mobile, highly rewarding, financially lucrative, and active lifestyle?
To find the answer:
1. 1. Watch the movie if you want the feel good Hollywood answer… or
2. 2. Ask my wife for the real day to day answer from someone who is living it.
Roger out!
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