In an act of on-screen life imitating one-time real life, Justin Long and Drew Barrymore step outside their comfort zones (wink) to portray on-screen lovers in Nanette Burstein's long-distance relationship comedy Going the Distance. Considering their on-again, off-again relationship status in real life, I guess it wasn't too much of a stretch; however, based on their lack of on-screen chemistry, I'd say that neither would be willing to join forces again. Simply put, this film was painful to watch.
Working for a record company in New York City, Garret is aiming towards his dream job as a talent scout. But things hit a roadblock when he is dumped by his girlfriend for being clueless as to her wants and needs. Naturally, he ventures to a bar to drown his sorrows in beer and video games. While at the bar, Garret rudely interrupts Erin who is on a quest to extend her lead as the game's top scorer. Before you know it, both end up in bed together, setting off a wild ride of emotions as each attempts to make their newfound relationship work.
Everything in this movie happens rather quickly- everything that is, except for a resolution. At breakfast the next morning Erin informs Garret about her impending move back to Los Angeles. This doesn't stop them from enjoying six short weeks together. At the end of that term, as Erin is about to get on an airplane, they decide to give the long distance thing a shot. If they only knew what they were agreeing to"¦
Like in many romantic comedies, our two lovers are happy until their nosey friends and family interject. With everyone putting ideas of infidelity in their heads, both Garret and Erin suddenly find themselves insecure with their current situation. Long distance relationships are never easy, but add to that family and friends who are not supportive, and it only multiplies the stress. It is easy to see why Garret and Erin begin having issues, and as an outsider, all their problems could have been resolved had they each noticed the pit of their dilemma.
This movie could have appealed to a younger crowd but opted to include some unneeded nudity and vulgar jokes, which resulted in an R rating. Needless to say, that fact alone drops the appeal of this film ten fold and should make it a near impossible sell at the box office. Playing Erin's neurotic older sister, Christina Applegate was the only part of this film that made me laugh. Her role, however, was small thus her comedic talent highly underutilized.
The key to a great romantic comedy is to fall in love with your lead characters. I didn't find myself rooting for Garret and Erin, and I occasionally felt that the struggling couple should just call it quits and save everyone the time and energy. Barrymore and Long should have kept a far distance from this film but must have fallen victim to the allure of working together. They should have watched Gili, for there is one thing that movie taught the world: never act with your significant other. (Those movies are usually terrible and will one day serve as a painful reminder of a short-lived romance that suddenly went wrong.)
