The litt le girl who started out in E.T. has come a long way since her Reese’s Pieces days. To put it simply, Going the Distance goes the distance. The movie stars Drew Barrymore as Erin, a lovable journalist who works as an intern at a newspaper office in New York. One night at a bar, Erin meets Garrett , played by the quirky Justin Long. Garrett , coming off a recent breakup, offers to get Erin a beer after distracting her from an intense game of Pac-Man. This leads to the couple beginning a long-distance relationship between San Francisco and New York, which results in some funny moments, like an attempt at phone sex.
Going the Distance takes a fresh look at the old story of “guy falls for girl” as they struggle, break up and get back together. The genuine chemistry between Barrymore and Long is also fresh. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw this many sparks fly. The nature of their on-again/off -again relationship in real life certainly helped them bring truth to the big screen from the happiest moments to the conflicts. If you enjoyed Barrymore and Long’s last film, He’s Just Not That Into You, this is probably another movie you will want to see.
Probably the best part of this film, however, is the supporting cast. Christina Applegate and Jim Gaffigan play Erin’s sister and brother-in-law. Applegate, perhaps one of the funniest women in entertainment today, does not disappoint. Jason Sudeikis of Saturday Night Live fame plays Garrett ’s cougar-hunting friend Box. Still, the scene stealing character is Dan, Garrett ’s clueless friend played by Charlie Day from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. One of the best scenes is when Dan helps an old woman cross the street while having an inappropriate conversation with her. Day seems like one of those upcoming funny men, along the lines of Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover).
If you were to ask, I would recommend you see Going the Distance. However, due to some flat jokes, unnecessary scenes and vulgar language, some viewers may not find it as enjoyable. The movie as a whole is strong and worth seeing. However, this very well could end up being a film you pass on in theaters and wait to see when it comes out on Netflix.
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