The Kidd Vs. Going The Distance
Before The Kidd walked into the theatre to see GOING THE DISTANCE, I had the feeling that it could go 1 of 2 ways: either be incredibly funny or ridiculously lame. Well, Lady Luck must have been in my corner, or there must have been a horseshoe up my ass, or maybe there was a horseshoe in my corner and Lady Luck up my ass… hmmm… well, the point is that GOING THE DISTANCE is far better than you expect it to be, and that’s not a knock at all. This romantic comedy of sorts that stars on-again/off-again real-life couple Justin Long and Drew Barrymore exceeds any pre-conceived notions you may have had about the film and makes for a really entertaining trip to the movies. And, even better, it’s a movie for everyone, as it’s damn near impossible to label this one as a chick flick, because it is filthy, dirty, and raunchy, all things a growing boy needs in his films, so there’s no escaping this one, fellas, if your lady wants to check out GOING THE DISTANCE… and you shouldn’t want to anyway, not unless you’re against laughing your ass off.
Justin Long plays Garret, an A&R exec for a record label who’s stuck in a music industry that asks him to go out and sign the next Jonas Brothers rather than bands that create music that has something to say. In his personal life, he’s not one to allow himself to get fully involved in a relationship, so, on all fronts, his life is hardly what he’d like it to be, and all he’s got going for him is a pair of best friends, Dan and Box (the scene-stealing Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis) who he can go out and get drunk with pretty consistently, all while talking about jerking off and other jackass conversation pieces… but mostly masturbation.
After getting dumped and going out for more beer with his buds, Garrett ruins the game of the queen of the local bar’s Centipede arcade machine, who just happens to be Erin (Drew Barrymore), a 31-year-old intern at a newspaper chasing an job opportunity within a dying industry. They get to talking over some brews, and things are going extraordinarily well. One thing leads to another, and they’re back at his place, hooking up in the shadow of Tom Cruise TOP GUN posters (the greatest homoerotic fighter pilot movie of all-time) while Dan, also his roommate, DJs their activities with some Berlin.
Next thing you know it, they’re engaged in a relationship of sorts, spending a lot of time together, getting to know each other better, and falling for each other. The bummer of this set-up is that, in 6 weeks, Erin is going to be heading back to Stanford to finish her last year of grad school. As things get emotionally deeper during that time span, Erin and Garrett make the decision to give things a shot by doing the long distance thing, because what they have is far too good to give up just because there’s 3000 miles between them.
From there, GOING THE DISTANCE takes a fairly realistic look at long distance relationships, the problems those involved in them encounter, and the exhausting amount of work they require in order for them to have any chance at working. It’s a little easier these days with technology being so much a part of our daily lives, and, as a result, it being no trouble at all to talk on the phone, or text, or instant message, or have a video conference via webcam. But none of them are true substitutes for the other person actually being there in the flesh with you, and, because of that, the distance becomes a factor, or the time apart becomes a factor, or jealousy and mistrust start seeping in. It’s natural to fall in love with someone you are so close to, but it’s a bit unnatural for it to be with someone who is physically so far away. That’s not to say that it can’t work. I know many people that have tried and both succeeded and failed miserably, so it all depends on what you put into it to make sure it’s the former and not the latter. But it isn’t easy. That’s for sure.
And it doesn’t come easy for Erin and Garrett, especially as the relationship goes on longer. At first, when things are in the honeymoon period, it’s easy to make time to communicate with each other regularly, spending your days texting, until you can get to a phone where you can talk, and so on and so forth. However, as times goes on, without that person as a regular part of your life in-person, making that time becomes more difficult, whether it’s work or going out with friends or doing things that require you to not be attached to a communication device every second of every day. That’s where the strain of the relationship comes in… because you aren’t there to know what your boyfriend/girlfriend is up to. All you can do is go on the trust your relationship is built.
It’s easy to root for Erin and Garrett in GOING THE DISTANCE though. They’re a pair of extremely likable people, and, as a couple, they’re a great match for each other. Both Long and Barrymore play their characters as such witty smart-asses that the chemistry between them is excellent. Their ability to give and take creates an environment where they play well off each other, and you relish in the time they share on-screen together, when they get to spend time in the same time zone together… although their phone sex scene in completely different cities is hilarious.
There is something to be said for having the couple in GOING THE DISTANCE played by a couple that’s actually dated, something that hasn’t always worked before (**cough** GIGLI **cough**). But where those other movies have failed, GOING THE DISTANCE finds the right formula, which is mainly allowing its leads to play characters who are extensions of their real-life personalities… or at least what the public believes them to be. You never get the sense that Barrymore or Long are struggling with who their characters are, as quite often it feels as if they’re playing themselves. From that, you get some moments that feel truly genuine between the pair. There are a lot of emotions that come off as real, and that’s a solid part of what makes GOING THE DISTANCE so good. You can relate to these characters, putting yourself in their shoes, identifying with everything they’re going through, because, if you’ve ever been in a long distance relationship, even if it was just the next town over, you know exactly what is going on with Erin and Garrett. Barrymore and Long are good when they’re by themselves, but together they are a real force in this film, carrying it to such a high level, beyond what even my most optimistic take on GOING THE DISTANCE could have ever been.
The supporting cast isn’t too shabby either. Day and Sudeikis are more than just a couple of jackasses, although, when they are in that mode, they’re fantastic. Christina Applegate makes a nice contribution to the film as Corrine, the germophobic sister of Erin who has a nose for vomit and urine and an eye for anything that may come off your body and onto any surface she may be in contact with. She’s the voice of reason behind her sister, wary of Garrett, because she wouldn’t want her to make any more mistakes in her life chasing after a guy. Her marriage to phil (the always hilariou Jim Gaffigan) creates a few really funny moments throughout the film, especially one that’ll never have you thinking about dry humping in the same way again… or Boston Market for that matter.
GOING THE DISTANCE is not for those who are offended by talk of oral sex and/or jizz… and that’s just the tip of what you’ll be exposed to through the course of the dialogue, both literally and figuratively. Geoff LaTulippe really has written a great script for these actors to work with, and, if you think men and women don’t talk like this in private, you are sorely mistaken… and severely naive. There is a tremendous sense of reality that comes through in every character, and, once again, GOING THE DISTANCE plays so well due to how remarkably genuine it presents itself as.
GOING THE DISTANCE is a very good comedy, and also makes for an excellent date movie. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say that it is better than a majority of comedies that we had to suffer through over the course of the summer months, and to have something like this now after all of that suckage is refreshing. Sure, there are some romantic comedy conventions it plays by, but, it never feels like those other movies. It takes the relationship, the conflict, and the resolution, and it makes it its own, putting a different spin on the delivery, and, from that, you get a movie that doesn’t dumb itself down for you, and never comes across as cliche. As surprising as it is, I can absolutely recommend that you go short distances, long distances, or any distances for that matter to see GOING THE DISTANCE. You may be skeptical going in, but coming out you will be pleasantly surprised. Believe me… I didn’t expect to say it, but this film is really good.
I completely agree!