Cedric_Catsuits Nothing new here, just rehashing plots that are centuries old. That might work if the characters are interesting - or even likable. 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. In the main, what we get is just dull, uninspired, uninteresting, unoriginal, mediocre quality writing and acting.Please take my advice and don't waste precious moments of your life on mindless drivel like this.

Raul Faust 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. Varney is that kind of a guy whose wife is capable of ordering him whenever she wants to-- and in this case, she wants it all the time. Mrs. Varney is a woman with a strong personality who tries to live the American dream, in which she is the strongest out there and has the most perfect family. In fact, her character is a Freud's classic, mainly for avoiding conflict and trying to pretend everything's alright-- when it's really not. For that reason, I got admired in how well developed the characters were. That being said, Mr. Varney, by admitting his life is just miserable, begins going out with another woman: some woman whose life is ruled by prescribed drugs. Mr. Varney, albeit being a pharmaceutic, sinks into this crazy addicted life, delivering plenty of funny moments-- and remembering me of 1996's "The People vs. Larry Flynt". There are great twist all the way through, and if you like surprising films, this one is indeed a good choice. In the end, spectator is not given any beautiful message about life or relationships, but it's easy to see how sometimes circumstances can help you out.

TxMike Way back last century DuPont's advertising phrase was a variant of e "Better Living Through Chemistry". They adopted it in 1935 and it was their slogan until 1982. The title of this movie is a play on that theme.Sam Rockwell is small city pharmacist Doug Varney. He is married to the daughter of the owner of the pharmacy, who is now retiring, and Doug is set to become the main man. Doug is a nice guy, helpful to others, keeps their medical secrets, and does everything by the book. 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. But Kara got carried away over time, she found out she was good at cycling, began training hard, opened an exercise parlor, competed to win every race, and when we meet them Doug and Kara don't have a very close relationship.One day the unreliable delivery boy doesn't finish the day's prescriptions deliveries and Doug has to step and finish. One client is younger and prettier Olivia Wilde as Elizabeth Roberts. 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. Eventually Doug gives in to her charms, and she teaches him to compound certain drugs to get a better effect for everything. 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.

xXx "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). It's not long before Doug and Elizabeth hit it off, setting Doug on a path of personal discovery. In a parallel story, Doug is dealing with his 12 year old son who is going through a tough stretch himself. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.