''Better Living Through Chemistry'' is a 2014 American

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

film directed and written by David Posamentier and Geoff Moore. The film stars

Sam Rockwell Sam Rockwell (born November 5, 1968) is an American actor. He is known for appearing in independent films and also as a character actor portraying a wide variety of roles both comedic and dramatic in films such as '' Lawn Dogs'' (199 ...

, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Monaghan,

Ben Schwartz Benjamin Schwartz (born September 15, 1981) is an American actor and comedian. He has guest starred as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on the NBC sitcom ''Parks and Recreation'' and Clyde Oberholt on the Showtime series ''House of Lies''; voiced Randy C ...

, Ken Howard, Ray Liotta, and

Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of various accolades including two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, sev ...

. The film was released on March 14, 2014.

Plot

Doug Varney (

), 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 during which they both use Doug's businesses to abuse drugs. Doug's life is transformed by "

better living through chemistry The phrase "Better Living Through Chemistry" is a variant of a DuPont advertising slogan, "Better Things for Better Living...Through Chemistry." DuPont adopted it in 1935 and it was their slogan until 1982 when the "Through Chemistry" part was dr ...

". 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 steals the medication and overdoses. Doug realizes that he can't abandon his son who needs him and straightens up. Elizabeth leaves Jack and heads overseas.

Cast

as Doug Varney * Olivia Wilde as Elizabeth Roberts * Michelle Monaghan as Kara Varney * Ray Liotta as Jack Roberts *

Norbert Leo Butz Norbert Leo Butz (born January 30, 1967) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for his work in Broadway theatre. He is a two-time winner of the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical, and is one of only nine actors ever to have won the ...

as Agent Andrew Carp *

as Noah * Ken Howard as Walter Bishop *

as herself, a customer at Doug's pharmacy and the film's narrator

Production

On February 25, 2010, '' The Hollywood Reporter'' reported that Posamentier and Moore would collaborate on their directorial debut, with their own screenplay of ''Better Living Through Chemistry'', for Occupant Films. On January 7, 2014, Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired all the United States distribution rights to the film for a spring 2014 release.

Casting

In April 2010, Paul Rudd was expected to join the cast as a lead actor to play Douglas Varney. On September 15, 2010, Jennifer Garner and

Jeremy Renner Jeremy Lee Renner (born January 7, 1971) is an American actor and musician. He began his career by appearing in independent films such as '' Dahmer'' (2002) and ''Neo Ned'' (2005), then supporting roles in bigger films, such as ''S.W.A.T.'' (2 ...

joined the cast to play the lead roles in the film, with Renner to play Douglas Varney and Garner to play Elizabeth Roberts. On February 11, 2011, Judi Dench and Michelle Monaghan joined the cast of the film. Then, on July 15, 2011,

continued negotiations with Occupant Films to replace Renner, who left the project due to a hectic filming schedule. In August 2011, Garner was pregnant and expecting her third child with Ben Affleck, resulting in the actress' departure from the project. Olivia Wilde replaced Garner and was cast opposite the confirmed Rockwell. Ray Liotta also joined the cast on March 27, 2012 to play the husband of Elizabeth Roberts. On May 16, 2012,

joined the cast of the film as Narrator, as well as a cameo as a customer of a pharmacy run by Douglas Varney.

Filming

The filming of ''Better Living Through Chemistry'' began in May 2012 in

Annapolis Annapolis ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland and the county seat of, and only incorporated city in, Anne Arundel County. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east o ...

, Maryland. The duration of filming was five weeks and it occurred in different locations, including

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...

, Anne Arundel County and Eastern Shore of Maryland. On May 10, 2012, the filming crew was shooting footage at Maryland State House.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 22% based on reviews from 26 critics.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 1609479, Better Living Through Chemistry 2014 directorial debut films Films shot in Maryland 2014 comedy-drama films American comedy-drama films Entertainment One films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films