Trailer Trashin’: Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde Live It Up in Better Living Through Chemistry
Hello again, dear readers. It’s the last week of January, and that means that we’re almost halfway through the early-year movie doldrums. This week’s installment of Trailer Trashin’ takes a look at this spring’s upcoming comedy-drama Better Living Through Chemistry.
Premise: Straight-laced pharmacist Douglas Varney’s (Sam Rockwell) uneventful life spirals out of control when he starts an affair with Elizabeth Roberts (Olivia Wilde), a seductive trophy wife customer who takes him on a joyride involving sex, drugs, and possibly murder.
My take: As I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, there have been several times in my history of writing this column that I’ve featured a movie which I hadn’t even heard of before seeing the trailer in question. Such is the case with this week’s subject, Better Living Through Chemistry. Before anyone gets too excited, the film has nothing to do with either the 1996 Fatboy Slim album or the Queens of the Stone Age song of the same name. This is the first trailer for the film, and while I’m not sure I’ll seek it out in the theater, I’m definitely interested in checking it out at some point.
The main thing that interests me in Better Living Through Chemistry is the cast. Few actors can play the loveable loser better than Sam Rockwell, and I’m interested to see the journey he gets to take us on as Doug Varney. In my review of Rush last year, I described Olivia Wilde as “a very talented actress as well as one of the most beautiful women alive today,” and it looks like she’ll get to show off both of those qualities here. Her character Elizabeth Roberts is, of course, mesmerizing to look at, and it looks like she gets some great comedic moments, too. The always-reliable Michelle Monaghan plays Kara Varney, Doug’s wife, and I imagine she’s going to totally hit the roof when she finds out what her husband has been up to. Ray Liotta plays Elizabeth’s husband, and I can only guess what he’ll do or threaten to do to Doug if he finds out the truth.
Ben Schwartz – best known as Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation and Clyde Oberholt on House of Lies – shows up briefly as Noah, one of Doug’s employees at the pharmacy. Character actor Ken Howard plays someone named Walter Bishop, presumably no relation to the character of the same name from Fringe. And the legendary Jane Fonda has a small role as a pharmacy customer.
Sam Rockwell and Olivia Wilde in “Better Living Through Chemistry.
I also like what we see of the humor in this trailer. The moment where Rockwell is trying to fill the medicine bottle and accidentally scatters pills all over is funny, and I’m sure it’s something that many real-life pharmacists can relate to. That brief shot of Rockwell being chased across the lawn by the small dogs gave me a good chuckle. Of course, “guy who’s unhappy with his lot in life tries to break free” is a well-worn plotline, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad, especially with the talent of the people involved here. And I’m not sure why, but I just love that final line from Wilde at the end of the trailer.
Ultimately, this is a solid trailer for what could be a fun little movie. It’s got a great cast, and the humor looks spot-on. However, there’s not really anything here that screams “must see this in the theater,” so I feel like I could probably wait until it’s available via other means. But however I end up seeing it, I’m definitely interested in how Better Living Through Chemistry turns out.
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Olivia Wilde, Michelle Monaghan, Ray Liotta, Ben Schwartz, Ken Howard, and Jane Fonda
Directors: David Posamentier and Geoff Moore
Writers: David Posamentier and Geoff Moore
P.S. As I’m sure the majority of you already know, Super Bowl XLVIII is this coming Sunday. Enjoy the festivities, please stay safe, and I’ll bring you my thoughts on the movie spots aired during the game in next week’s column.
Timothy Monforton
