By Jae-Ha Kim
Amazon.com
April 11, 2006
A well-intentioned film about a young pharmaceutical rep who is torn between earning a good living and living a good life, Side Effects tells the story of Karly Hert, portrayed by Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy, Roswell), who also executive produced the project. Karly works for a company whose motto is “To protect and prolong life.” But what they really mean is prolong their own) lives by making as much money as possible.
Based on writer-director Kathleen Slattery-Moschkau’s previous career as a legal pill pusher, Side Effects is a comedy with an agenda. Its goal is to educate viewers about the dangers of an uneducated sales force telling doctors which drugs to prescribe–regardless of the side effects.
While Slattery-Moschkau is heavy handed in her delineation of who is good (the patients) and evil (the drug reps), her semi-autobiographical Karly is relatable. When we meet her, Karly has no patience with her pod-like boss. When her employer rhetorically asks, “How do you think I ended up in management?” Karly zings back, “There are rumors.” But as she herself moves up in the company and earns expensive perks, Karly is seduced.
Heigl gives an earnest, likable performance, especially during scenes with Lucian McAfee, who plays her boyfriend Zach. While her Norma Rae moment at the end of the film doesn’t ring quite true, it gives the movie a fitting ending that ties together all the loose ends.
