You’re not alone if you’ve spent the last few days refreshing your feed, hoping fora glimpse ofMeryl Streepin a silver boborAnne Hathawayback in her Andy Sachs heels.The Devil Wears Prada 2is officially happening, and nostalgia has us in a headlock. It’s not just the iconic coats and cutting one-liners we’re hungry for — it’s that gleaming sense of transformation, of watchingHathaway’s Andyturn from a fumbling intern to someone who knows how to walk into a room like she owns it. But as we wait to see what Miranda Priestly might be plotting next, there’s another Hathaway performance worth revisiting — one where she trades Prada for raw emotion and delivers some of the best work of her career.
In between scrolling through set photos of Hathaway and Streep, check outLove & Other Drugs,currently streaming on HBO Max.It may not have the fashion, but it has something better: Hathaway in full command of her emotional range as well as electric chemistry withJake Gyllenhaal.
What Is ‘Love & Other Drugs’ About?
An adaptation ofJamie Reidy’s memoirHard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman,Love and Other Drugsrevisits the pharmaceutical boom of the ‘90s. Released in 2010 and directed byEdward Zwick, the film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Jamie Randall, a charming Pfizer rep who starts by peddling antidepressants before being tasked with selling Viagra. Jamie is confident and wildly promiscuous, taking advantage of any environment, including the workplace, to hunt for potential flings. In fact, he was fired from his previous job for sleeping with his boss’ girlfriend.But his philandering hits the brakes when he meets Maggie Murdock (Hathaway), an artist with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. For different reasons, they share the same no-commitment philosophy and embark on a no-strings-attached entanglement that soon turns into something serious, and neither of them is prepared for it.
Beyond beingsteamy and sexywith plenty of bedroom antics, especially in the first half of the film,Love and Other Drugsis a heartfelt picture that explores vulnerabilities that manifest as avoidance— something both Jamie and Maggie must face. But it is also a bold film that is not afraid to explore extreme tonal messaging. On the one hand, it is funny, but it’s also heavy and heartbreaking in its tackling of one of life’s dreaded fates, Parkinson’s disease. We can relate to Maggie’s body betraying her, the messy, all-consuming love she shares with Jamie, and even root for his idea of what it means to show up for someone. What makes it all land is the way Hathaway and Gyllenhaal throw themselves into their roles, not just as individuals, but as a pair with potent chemistry.
Anne Hathaway Pours Everything Into Maggie
It’s easy to forget how many different versions of Hathaway we’ve met over the years, fromthe wide-eyed titular character inThe Princess Diariesto the emotionally frayed Fantine inLes Misérables. But inLove and Other Drugs, Hathaway channels a more grounded and lived-in character. Her Maggie is funny and often sarcastic, using humor to push people away. ButHathaway plays her with a physicality that avoids the cliché territory. Maggie is constantly aware of her body and its betrayals. We see it in the way she hides a tremor and inspects a mark on her breast. Hathaway’s portrayal of these details is not loud, but rather, she relays them as someone who acknowledges a fight she’s always in as a “small” part of her life. Hathaway’s performance helps the film not to feel sensational and helps to maintain the light tone. YetHathaway also gives Maggie an emotional texture.She lets the character be angry, afraid, and occasionally manipulative. She does things to push Jamie away and pull him back in. She lashes out at the slightest provocation and breaks down when she can’t take it anymore.
Anne Hathaway Is Back on the Runway In First ‘Devil Wears Prada 2’ Image
Meryl Streep is also returning for the long-awaited sequel.
One scene that demonstrates Hathaway’s acting chops comes in the third act. The scene sees Jamie watching a black-and-white tape recording of Maggie’s expressive monologue about her happily-ever-after with him.It is a pure masterclass in acting with intensity where Hathaway puts to use every tool at her disposal, like facial expressions, intonation, and even the silence in her pauses.Maggie knows that because of her condition, her wishful thinking may just be that. But it’s the delivery of the monologue that moves Jamie — and the audience — to take action. Her acting earns our attention without the slightest glimpse of her begging for it. Maggie offers Hathaway a particularly unique opportunity to showcase her emotional range. While Andy’s transformation inThe Devil Wears Pradais about learning how to succeed in someone else’s world, Maggie, in contrast, builds her own terms with circumstances that force her to show every shade of emotion.The result is one of Hathaway’s most honest and affecting roles to date.
Gyllenhaal and Hathaway’s Chemistry Is the Heart of Zwick’s Direction
Edward Zwick shifts gears from the sweeping vistas he is known for in his epic dramas likeGloryandThe Last Samuraito provide a tight and intimate look at his characters inLove and Other Drugs. His camera zooms in on their faces to give us a hint of their headspace as well as to capture their inspiring shared moments.Zwick makes use of Hathaway and Gyllenhaal’s impeccable chemistry, letting their on-screen relationship be at the center of his narrative.Opposite Hathaway, Gyllenhaal shines. He plays Jamie with intelligence, believably transitioning from the classic smooth talker with all the charm and zero commitment at the beginning to the guy who’s head-over-heels in love. Zwick keeps it all in check by balancing humor and real emotional stakes, especially given the subject matter.
Like its imperfect characters,Love and Other Drugsdoes not strive for perfection. What it offers is a display ofmasterful acting from the Oscar-winning Anne Hathawayand a surprisingly charming portrait of romance worth revisiting as we wait for the release ofThe Devil Wears Prada 2.
Love & Other Drugs
