Going the Distance

Real-life off and on again couple Drew Barrymore and Justin Long star in this romantic comedy about the hardships of long-distance relationships.  When Erin (Barrymore) and Garrett (Long) meet cute at a NYC bar in front of a vintage arcade game, the timing is less than ideal - Garrett broke up with his girlfriend just a few hours before and Erin is moving across the country in 6 short weeks to finish her graduate degree.  Yet, neither can ignore the chemistry between them and they decide to take it casual until Erin has to leave for school.  But when their time is up, Erin and Garrett don't want to lose what they have and decide to stay together - despite the problems that being 3000 miles apart can cause.  "Going the Distance" is not your cookie-cutter romantic comedy.  Yes, there is plenty of gross-out humor (mostly provided by Garrett's hilariously juvenile friends), but the film doesn't follow the generic rom-com formula.  First off, Erin and Garrett aren't polar opposites who go from loathing each other to realizing their true feelings of love later on.  These are two mature and refreshingly flawed people, with shared interests and dreams and plenty of their own baggage; Garrett's known for being unable to emotionally commit in a relationship and Erin's been burned before by dropping out of school to follow a guy across country.  All this contributes to two people who enter into a relationship a little jaded and with both eyes wide open and end up falling for each other anyway, which makes it feel all the more real.  We care for Erin and Garrett and we root for their relationship to survive because - unlike in other superficial, trite stories - we know that love like this doesn't just happen everyday and that making it work isn't easy.  By the end, you'll be pleasantly surprised that the film doesn't resort to any of the predictable character conflicts and instead focuses on the sweet and complicated heart of the matter: this smart, funny, and likable couple that you hope overcome their obstacles to stay together in the end.


4 out of 5 stars