Though “Going the Distance” is among the last of this summer’s silver screen releases, it deserves a place as one of the season’s smartest mainstream films. Directed by Nanette Burstein and written by Geoff LaTulippe, it tells the story of Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long), two young professionals whose summer fling in New York City develops into a long-distance relationship that proves difficult for them to navigate.
The movie begins per a version of the typical romantic comedy formula. After breaking up with his girlfriend, Garrett seeks solace in a local bar where he meets Erin over an old-fashioned arcade game.
Sparks fly and they begin to date, despite the fact that Erin must soon return to California to finish up her graduate studies at Stanford University. When her date of departure finally arrives, however, the two are so thoroughly infatuated with each other that they decide to give long-distance a shot.
What sets “Going the Distance” apart from the average rom com fare is its emphasis on the simple logistical issues that can hinder the development of a relationship.
Despite the distance between them, Erin and Garrett try incredibly hard to make their relationship work; the film is propelled, however, by the uncertainty of their success. Erin, who is now starting her professional career after putting it on hold for the sake of a previous boyfriend, has just completed an internship at a New York newspaper yet cannot find employment in the city as a reporter. Garrett, meanwhile, is frustrated with the lack of progress in his position at a record label but is hard-pressed to find any music industry job openings in California.
Neither is entirely ready to sacrifice career advancement for a chance at love, and this, coupled with the strains of separation, inevitably creates tension in their relationship.
It is not long, of course, before the two are finally forced to fully confront the reality of their situation. They must decide the answer to a question faced by many young professionals: in cases when love and career cannot be reconciled, which is the wiser option? Though such a topic may seem fairly heavy for a romantic comedy, it provides LaTulippe with a refreshing and modern way to navigate around the plot clichÈs that plague the overworked theme of summer fling turned true love. He is careful to steer his characters clear of the territory of sappy romance and instead keeps them relatable, and he is greatly aided in his efforts by the charming performances of Barrymore and Long.
The talented cast ensures that the movie is never short on laughs. Christina Applegate takes a pitch-perfect turn as Erin’s high strung, judgmental older sister, while actors Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day star as Long’s advice-dispensing best friends.
Both are funny, but Day is particularly so; fans of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” will notice little difference between his performance in “Going the Distance” and his portrayal of the hilariously unsophisticated yet affable Charlie on the hit TV show. In terms of comedic value, however, this is hardly a bad thing.
There is a lot of heart and soul in this film, a rarity in most Hollywood movies today. This past weekend the filmed opened at number five with a gross of $8.5 million. It was beat out of the top spot by popular George Clooney spy film “The American.”