“Going the Distance” pleasantly surprises as a realistic romantic comedy with lots of heart.
“Going the Distance” is this fall’s newest romantic comedy. It stars Drew Barrymore as Erin, a 31 year old newspaper intern, and Justin Long as Garrett, the corporate record label associate. They meet at a bar in New York City over a game of the ’80s arcade game Centipede and instantly bond.
The pair begins their relationship and fall in love, but Erin’s upcoming departure back to graduate school at Stanford looms over them like a dark cloud. The couple tries to cope with the long distance, but it puts an unbearable strain upon their relationship.
However, the two are also a couple off screen. While this leads to undeniable chemistry, the pair is awkward at times, trying too hard to be something they already are. Barrymore and Long have been in an on-again off-again relationship for over two years, even costarring together previously in “She’s Just Not That Into You.” Even though it may be real, it sometimes comes across as forced in the movie.
The supporting actors in this fairly inappropriate movie, even vulgar at parts, (Rated R) are often the scene stealers and add most of the comedy to the movie. Charlie Day (Dan), best known for “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” is a comedy genius as Garrett’s off-beat, yet lovable best friend. Jason Sudeikis (Box), from “Saturday Night Live,” also brings in the laughs as Garrett’s mustached best friend with a knack for dirty jokes. Christina Applegate (Corrine) and Jim Gaffigan (Phil) shine as Erin’s uptight sister and dry brother-in-law. These characters often provide most of the laugh out loud moments in the movie. I would recommend this movie for Day’s and Sudeikis’s performances alone.
“Going the Distance” deals with the dilemma of long distance relationships.
In a time of silly fairytale romantic comedies, “Going the Distance” is a breath of fresh air. While is does have the typical boy-meets-girl plot, it is realistic in its outcomes. One of the movie’s main messages is “long distance relationships are hard and usually don’t not work.” But thankfully, just as the viewer starts to feel bitter about the hopeless situation , Garrett and Erin are given another chance at their relationship.
The movie does not try to deceive you with fairytale endings and Erin and Garrett do not ride off into the sunset. In the end, one must make sacrifices for them to be together. True love is a combination of give and take. The end of the movie leaves the viewer hopeful that things will work out in the end.
As the credits begin to roll, the audience finds itself rooting for Erin and Garrett, giving this realistic romantic movie more heart than expected. As the audience walks out the theater, they cannot help but feel good.
Rachel Dinsmore can be reached for comment at [email protected].