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Is it worth $10? Yes
How ironic that a movie called “Going The Distance” would be so funny for its first 90 minutes before completely falling apart in the end. Oddly enough it doesn’t even fall apart in typical romantic comedy ways, it just plays out in a way that’s not loving or generous.
Drew Barrymore is Erin, an aspiring journalist doing a summer internship at The New York Times, err, Sentinel. She has a meet cute at a bar with Garrett (Justin Long), a record label lackey who hates his job. They talk. They kiss. They have sex. One dating montage later they’re happy together, even if she has to leave to finish grad school at Stanford.
Distance relationships are tough, but they give it a shot. Credit to writer Geoff LaTulippe and director Nannette Burstein for not getting carried away with the typical stuff that affects couples because of distance, e.g. cheating on one another, not staying in touch, losing desire to be together. To their credit, Barrymore and Long make the relationship honest and real (they have dated in real life), and it is the genuine affection they have for one another that drives the movie and has us rooting for them.
But where would a rom-com be without funny friends as supporting players? The ones here are wonderful. Garrett’s friends are Box (Jason Sudeikis) and Dan (Charlie Day), both of whom provide great guy humor. Erin’s support comes from her overprotective sister Corinne (Christina Applegate), who’s hilarious. You know the filmmakers cast correctly when the supporting actors get just as many laughs as the leads.
And then, after we’ve all but gone the distance with the movie, the ending fails to satisfy. Without giving too much away, let’s just say things happen for the wrong reason, and it’s a reason that’s not supported by what occurs earlier in the film.
Weak ending aside, most of “Going The Distance” is consistently funny and honest. For a romantic comedy in 2010, that’s saying something.
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