Going the Distance is not your typical rom com (Remember, it’s rated R). Sure, it has the romantic side for the ladies but the comedy is definitely for the dudes (women will get a kick out of it too though). Starring Drew Barrymore and Justin Long, Going the Distance delivers a nonstop (pun?) orgy of humor and emotions without going over the top and keeps it realistic. It has mass appeal but doesn’t sell out to conform…no wonder it was pushed back a week for the Labor Day weekend…I think a lot of people are going to love this one.
The premise is very simple: the problems and frustrations of a long distance relationship. Garret (Justin Long) is in New York and Erin (Drew Barrymore) is in San Francisco, you can’t get much farther than that. Erin is the girl of most guy’s dreams: she plays video games, likes good music, fooling around, and taking a hit from a bong every now and then. All of these characteristics are discovered during the first bar scene of the movie which is an awesome scene. Up until that point, the movie is actually pretty stale and iffy, but if you don’t walk out in those first ten minutes…you’re in for a treat. Garret is a bit more one-dimensional. He’s a guy who is terrible with commitment, at a job he thought he loved, and just going through life with no plan ahead. When they meet, it’s love at first sight but Erin is only in New York for an internship so they know it can’t last.
The typical airport scene...sponsored by Southwest Airlines
At first, they agree on just seeing each other and not having an actual relationship but they both fall head over heels for one another and end up in this long distance relationship. This is the bulk of the movie where they have to figure out how to make it work 3,000 miles away from each other. Enter the advice from friends. The supporting cast of Going the Distance is hilarious and includes Christina Applegate who plays Erin’s sister, Jim Gaffigan as Erin’s brother-in-law, and Charlie Day (Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and Jason Sudeikis as Garret’s two best friends. Every time Charlie Day opened his mouth I was cracking up…he’s pretty much the same character from Always Sunny in Philadelphia and talks about the most random crazy things like how he never sees baby pigeons in New York. He’s also Garret’s roommate which adds some of the funniest moments to the movie because the walls are so paper thin in New York. He adds a soundtrack to their lives.
I mean...we're sitting right here
Erin and Garret are so oblivious to long distance relationships and figuring out what each other wants that they take their friend’s terrible advice. For instance, they have the most awkward and confusing phone sex. This also helps the audience relate to the main characters no matter what level of expertise you are with relationships. The script is smart and contemporary so it feels very real. Since it’s rated R, it doesn’t hold anything back and “goes there.” You can expect a lot of curse words but it’s not vulgar…just written in a way that typical 20-30 somethings talk.
Drew Barrymore and on-screen sister Christina Applegate
Going the Distance has a lot of quirky elements that keep it fresh. Garret is a huge Top Gun fanboy and has Tom Cruise posters all over his room. Corinne (Erin’s sister) and her husband have weird sex habits and a daughter who is the opposite of a statue. Garret’s best friends, Dan and Will, have nothing better to do than have fun and laugh at each other. In the film, there are all types of comedy from one liners and running gags to physical humor and sex jokes. This movie has it all…even a shot at Transformers director Michael Bay and a shout out to Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg). I really liked this film and can’t wait for everyone to see it.
Don’t forget to check out our Q&A with Going the Distance Director Nanette Burstein post.
Tags: Charlie Day, Christina Applegate, Drew Barrymore, Going the Distance, Jim Gaffigan, Justin Long, Nanette Burstein, Ron Livingston
Matthew Fong created advancescreenings.com and is the lead contributor. He watches every type of movie and will try almost anything twice. You can follow him on twitter here: @matthewfong
