Better Living Through Chemistry
Tags: entertaining, clever

Plot synopsis:
Doug Varney (Sam Rockwell), is unhappily married to Kara, (Michelle Monaghan). They have a son Ethan who is acting weird. Kara isn't interested in anything but staying fit and cycling; she teaches spin classes and wins the town's cycle race every year. Straitlaced Doug is bullied by his retired father-in-law, whose small-town Pharmacy he took over.
Elizabeth (Olivia Wilde), is a bored trophy wife, prescription drug abuser and one of Doug's best clients. She seduces the unhappy Doug and they begin an affair and do lots of pharmaceuticals. Doug's life is transformed by "better living through chemistry". Elizabeth persuades Doug to murder her husband Jack (Ray Liotta) so that they can run away together by tampering with the dosages of his heart medication. The plan fails when the delivery boy ODs on stolen pharmaceuticals. Doug realises that he can't abandon his son who needs him and straightens up. Elizabeth leaves Jack and heads overseas.

Review: Nothing Special, But Still Fun. A strait-laced pharmacist's uneventful life spirals out of control when he starts an affair with a trophy-wife customer who takes him on a joyride involving sex, drugs and possibly murder.This film comes across as your standard indie comedy with a solid cast.
Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell and Ray Liotta, to name a few.
Maybe not quite funny enough to recommend, but worth the time it takes to watch..
Both those things do apply to our main hero here (played with much gusto by Sam Rockwell, whose presence alone elevates any and every movie).
well her character does.For a "small" movie that is quite an impressive cast that assembles here and it does show on screen.
There are a few things that might feel a bit cliché, but that can be attributed to once cynicism or the fact that one has watched too many movies (I'm mainly talking about myself here).
Sam Rockwell can do that to you (the character he's playing)..
Although I am still not a fan seeing adults curse in front of the kids on screen but I guess it slowly become normal nowadays.Sad thing is I met many men and women and they mostly go through the same similar crisis as they do in this movie.
Very common situation.In some moment another woman pushes him in right direction to change: to become a free-spirit person and start taking care about himself.
Of course, there are some lucky coincidences which help our main character to come out clean from all the problems finally.
But once more: haven't you ever had situations in your life, when you are very close to get into troubles when trying to make things better and finally as a reward for all your trials you are saved in some magic way?
Sam Rockwell has done some really great work.
Ditto Michelle Monaghan, Olivia Wilde and Ray Liotta.
Sadly, all their hard work is pretty much wasted, and combined with the unnecessary Jane Fonda Narration I found Better Living Through Chemistry to be one of those movies you might watch some rainy, boring night - one of those nights when this is the only possible choice.Rotten weather tonight?
Rockwell in this movie comes off more like the new Rick Moranis (Honey, I drugged the kids) and I don't recall ever seeing Michelle so tired around the edges.
This movie strikes at some interesting subjects as a dramedy, but besides a couple of nice twists, it offers nothing to enjoy.
The actors are doing a great job, especially Rockwell and Monaghan, but it's all for nothing.
His life spirals out of control when he meets a beautiful female customer."Better Living Through Chemistry" spends an adequate amount of time building up a picture of Douglas' the unpleasant life.
I feel for him, and I think Sam Rockwell does well in making me care for his character.
I enjoy watching "Better Living Through Chemistry" a lot, as it gives people bits to chew on, reflecting on their own lives..
You'll watch this because you know it has Sam Rockwell and this is a comedy and he will be acting like a wild man in it.
No, this is not the funniest thing you're going to watch this year and it has hiccups and isn't perfect but it is fun, especially once it Rockwell's characters starts getting high off his own supply.
This romantic comedy was extraordinary.The plot twists were not clichéd.Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde were fantastic.
Ray Liotta acting as a nice guy was quite odd to watch, but also exciting, he really did the job well.
And the whole acting crew in general did not mess up in general, very entertaining.I really enjoyed my time watching the movie.
I have to say I am a big Sam Rockwell fan so might be a bit biased but this movie was so much better than what I expected.
I am happy to see Sam Rockwell and some of the other not so known actors at this time Olivia what an incredible actress getting a great part in a great movie.
The fact that many people did not see or know of this move goes to the whole hype based Hollywood BS machine.One of the greatest lines period in all of the recent movies you have seen...I'm here to bake a Red Velvet Cake just classic when he said that at that moment just so fricken funny and so Sam great stuff!!!Well written with great performances from all involved no matter what you sheeple think!.
This was a decent movie, kind of what you would expect if you could mate Friends with Breaking Bad but with a lot more sex.
It always helps to have a hot girl to look at when you've written a plot that's guessable by my 8 year old.
Oh and Ray Liotta is a nice guy for once, but he looks old.
The actor who played the main character made this movie unbearable to watch.
His bad acting almost made me turn the movie off.
The actor did do a slightly better job playing the second version of the character (when he started being more confident), but it still was not a great performance..
I mean by that that it's not a comedy where you will not stop laughing but thanks to Sam Rockwell it has his funny moments.
He's a pharmacist with a pretty boring life, with a wife he doesn't really love, a stepfather that can't stand him, and he then falls for a rich blond pill popper played by Olivia Wilde that introduces him to all the drugs he actually has been dealing with for years.
It's an easy movie to watch, nothing to think about.
Although the story almost got stretched too wide, the movie managed to anchor it down by keeping the focus at Doug at all times.
By this the movie instead shows a wider aspect of Doug's problems such the things with Ethan, Kara, and also his own father in law.
Yet I feel that this movie unevenly built the characters in it.The character Kara is well built and developed as the main character's wife, but Kara never had any real significance within the story besides being Doug's wife.
Meanwhile the character Noah only shows up a couple of times before he appears drunk and then dead, thus being an easy scapegoat for Doug.
Sam Rockwell did a balanced acting, using his usual carefree character and adding a little bit of fatherhood to it.
Olivia Wilde's character is also quite strong in her acting, successfully depicting th lonely trophy wife.
Nothing new, nothing funny, but Sam is great!.
PLOT Small town pharmacist Douglas Varney (Sam Rockwell) is tired of his uneventful life, his bitchy wife Kara (Michelle Monaghan) and don't really take time for their distant 12-year-old son Ethan (Harrison Holzer).
He spirals out of control when he starts an affair with a trophy wife customer Elizabeth (Olivia Wilde) who takes him on a joyride involving sex and drugs.
let's just say actors are trying very hard to make this a nice little comedy (Sam is really good) but sadly their hard work is pretty much wasted.
After first 15 minutes you're like: 'I can't watch this crap anymore', but when you go on, it gets a little better, the ending and the message are solid.
Doug Varney (Sam Rockwell) is a reserved small town pharmacist.
Doug starts an affair with Elizabeth Roberts (Olivia Wilde).
Sam Rockwell is miscast and he only shows his true colors when Doug livens up.
It's also noticeable that Ray Liotta is missing for most of the movie.
In this case the main characters and actors are fairly unlikable, and everybody just seems to be going through the motions.Those on the periphery promise a little more entertainment but they're very much bit-part players.
Review: This is a average movie about a pharmacist who gets high on his own supply after falling for a lonely woman in his neighbourhood.
I'm quite a fan of Sam Rockwell, who puts in a good performance in this movie, but I was hoping for something that was a bit more interesting.
You get to see a different side to Oliver Wilde and Michelle Mohaghan which was refreshing, but the movie just seemed like it was made for TV.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $75,000I recommend this movie to people who are into there comedy/romance dramas about a pharmacist who gets high on his own supply.
Loved your review of Better living Through Chemistry.
On to bigger and better things....thanks again for a stand-out review of this movie.....it is very much welcomed!.
Sure, everyone has, and while most people would just chalk it up to a healthy dose of reality, small town pharmacist Douglas Varney (Sam Rockwell) is searching for something more.
He's not entirely sure what that something is, until a chance meeting with local millionaire's wife Elizabeth (Olivia Wilde) results in the type of mind-blowing, toe-curling sex that he's only dreamed about.The fact that Doug is married should serve as a major deterrent to this sort of activity, but when his wife (Michelle Monaghan) is a highly competitive cyclist who doles out sex and respect in equal amounts (read: none at all), it's easy to see why this lonely schlub would be driven into the arms of a femme fatale.
It doesn't hurt that Doug's place of business gives him unfettered access to a wide array of prescription drugs, and soon he and Elizabeth fall into a steady cycle of psychotropic carnality.The illicit affair instills a newfound confidence in Doug, and much like Kevin Spacey in American Beauty, he begins to rebel against everything and everyone that has been holding him back all these years.
The always charismatic Rockwell radiates cool from every pore as he struts from scene to scene, a cigarette drooping lazily from his lip as he schemes to beat his wife at her own game: a local bike race dubbed the Tour de Woodbury, which she has never lost.There are a few other side plots, including an ill-conceived murder plot and a surprisingly sweet moment that finds Doug bonding with his troubled, distant 12-year-old son, but the crux of this film is Doug's transformation from put-upon loser to swaggering, cocky bad boy.
Rockwell takes the ball and runs with it, and the effective (if underutilized) supporting cast gives him plenty of room to put his own stamp on this familiar story..
Nice 'little' movie...
"Better Living Through Chemistry" (2014 release; 92 min.) brings the story of Doug Varney (played by Sam Rockwell), who is stuck in an unhappy marriage, and who has just bought the pharmacy from his father-in-law.
"Better Living Through Chemistry" (2014 release; 92 min.) brings the story of Doug Varney (played by Sam Rockwell), who is stuck in an unhappy marriage, and who has just bought the pharmacy from his father-in-law.
One evening, Doug is making house deliveries of prescriptions, and one of those deliveries is to a McMansion, where the doorbell is answered by Elizabeth, a beautiful yet bored and unhappy housewife (played by Olivia Wilde).
One evening, Doug is making house deliveries of prescriptions, and one of those deliveries is to a McMansion, where the doorbell is answered by Elizabeth, a beautiful yet bored and unhappy housewife (played by Olivia Wilde).
In a parallel story, Doug is dealing with his 12 year old son who is going through a tough stretch himself.
In a parallel story, Doug is dealing with his 12 year old son who is going through a tough stretch himself.
Third, the character of Doug is of course crucial to the success of the movie.
Originally schedule to be played by Jeremy Renner (who bowed out due to schedule conflicts), Sam Rockwell, whom we saw excel just last year in "The Way, Way Back", gives a commanding performance as Doug, and basically carries the movie on his shoulders.
There are many other smaller choice roles, including of course Olivia Wilde, but check out also Ray Liotta as the husband of Elizabeth (max 15 min.
"Better Living Through Chemistry" is definitely worth checking out, be it in the theater, on DVD or on Amazon Instant Video..
The story doesn't make a great deal of sense, but the setting is beautiful and the story unfolds in an intimate way that got me invested in Sam Rockwell's character.
Rockwell and Heneghan in the school classroom is a marvelous piece of writing and acting, perhaps the movie's best moment.
Ken Howard adds some heft as the father-in-law, but Michele Monaghan is disappointing as Rockwell's wife.
I found Jane Fonda's narration to be choppy, but Sam Rockwell is engaging and inspiring.
As usual Sam Rockwell﻿ is able to be all things in one people, taking Doug from zero to hero and back and forth across the blurring lines like a master.
With no spine, and bullies in all directions all Doug needed was that little push, and Wilde is just the right level of force to make it possible to care about Doug even while watching him go from the guy who judges the junkies to just another one himself.
So of course your kid, who is desperately crying out for help (and a father figure) will be "better off" if you abandon the family home to "find yourself." And cheating on your wife, well, that's cool too because, well, just because it is, damn it!
So, you allow yourself to become addicted to drugs because that is what your mistress likes and it does make sex so much more fun, particularly if you are a pharmacist who can whip things up right in the lab.
A dull and unfunny comedy by director David Posamentier, "Better Living Through Chemistry" stars Sam Rockwell as a small town pharmacist who has an affair with the zany wife (Olivia Wilde) of a customer.
Bloated, poorly written, needlessly narrated and overly proud of its ironies (a pharmacist who can cure everyone but himself), "Better Living Through Chemistry" is almost unwatchable.
The main character of BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY, pharmacist "Doug Varney" (played by Sam Rockwell), almost lets himself get sucked down Armstrong's brimstone path, concocting a bike racing drug more effective than any Lance used.
However, Doug eventually comes to his senses before it's too late, and eradicates the bike crazies from his life to ACTUALLY achieve "better living.".
It's all about Sam Rockwell in this one..
If a movie lacks a certain buzz or thrill, Sam Rockwell can be relied upon to sugar-coat the mess.
Better Living Through Chemistry feels bogged down, even when on the surface the plot's intact.
Rockwell saves the day, turning a boring character and his day-to-day routine into a life of revelry.
Rockwell's life is spun 180 degrees when he meets Olivia Wilde's wealthy drug addict.
Olivia Wilde's character is flat.
Ray Liotta is Wilde's unsuspecting husband, whose screen time barely reaches five minutes.
Jane Fonda's voice-over, accompanying Rockwell's story, is pointless, other than to tell us she was/is one of his customers.
If it weren't for Rockwell's class acting, Better Living Through Chemistry would be one to avoid..
Actually Rockwell's character really does try to confess, and pay up for the bad parts of his growth period, but he lucks out with kinds of "gift" options, and maybe a fairytale like path after having learned big lessons about how to live better.
Doug Varney (Sam Rockwell) has a fitness compulsive wife (Michelle Monaghan) an unruly child (Harrison Holzer) and an irritating narrator (Jane Fonda).
Stuck in a rut he meets rich wife Elizabeth (Olivia Wilde) who breaks Doug out and instills confidence in him through an affair and pills.The film reminded me of a generic Magnolia indie.
To begin with, this movie is actually pretty good.
Besides, Sam Rockwell's wife is the most unpleasant character in the movie.
I just finished watching this movie and the first thought that comes to mind is: what an audacious flick.
From the get go, we're very told that the main couple has no chemistry whatsoever; the two characters are quite different from each other.
There are great twist all the way through, and if you like surprising films, this one is indeed a good choice.
This indie is a winner - great cast and good story.
This indie comedy is a winner because there are enough laughs to carry you through, the characters are sympathetic and funny and the story ties up neatly.
Sam Rockwell is a versatile actor and he acts well as the down trodden pharmacist.
Olivia Wilde is well cast and looks very attractive as the bored married woman he has an affair with.
Michelle Monaghan performs well as the wife who takes him for granted.Overall worth a watch.
The title of this movie is a play on that theme.Sam Rockwell is small city pharmacist Doug Varney.
His wife is Michelle Monaghan as Kara Varney and she and Doug started casual bicycling when their son was young, as a way to get outside for a bit of exercise and fresh air.
She seems to be a wealthy semi-abandoned and lonely woman who takes a quick liking to Doug, but he is cautious and manages to leave.Well if that would be the end of the story then we would not have any movie at all.
This creates some issues in both families, and a brush with the DEA needing to account for drug inventory irregularities, but in the end it is sort of like Lester Burnham in "American Beauty", he becomes a totally different person, but Doug doesn't get shot and killed in the end.I found it on Netflix streaming movies.
There is a narrator of sorts throughout and it turns out to be Jane Fonda as herself, and near the end we see her as a customer of the pharmacy.Just an "OK" movie, the overall message isn't necessarily a good one.