Going the Distance

Long distance relationships suck. I know. I'm in one. Out of the two years I've been dating my fiance, eleven of those months have been spent away from her. "Going the Distance" basically tells how frustrating and complicated long distance relationships are, and at the same time how rewarding they can be. All the while making you laugh until you just might have peed your pants.

Garrett (Justin Long) and Erin (Drew Barrymore) meet in New York while Erin is an intern at a newspaper publishing company and Garrett works for a record company. In the very beginning of the movie, Garrett is being dumped by his current girlfriend due to his ignorance of what women want and Erin is frustrated with the lack of accomplishment she is achieving through her internship. Out on the town to drown their sorrows, and through their mutual love for the classic game of centipede they meet at a bar and start the very long process of falling in love. They are both seeking something to fulfill that empty void and only intend on using each other to fill that space for a short time. What they get is something that they never wanted or expected.

With Garrett's ridiculously funny friends, Dan (Charlie Day) and Box (Jason Sudeikis) always at his side making fun of his strange relationship and putting it to the test, this movie never stops entertaining. Day brings all of this witty ad-lib dialogue straight from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" while Sudeikis uses his brilliant SNL comedic touch to add even more comic genius. While Erin is in San Fransisco she has her sister, Corinne (Christina Applegate), and her brother-in-law, Phil (Jim Gaffigan), to go to when she needs a good talking to. Another pair of hilarious actors on this side of the story promises that there will always be something to laugh at. With actors like this, I really have to wonder how much of the dialogue was made up on the spot. It had so much consistency to it and a natural flow that happens when a couple of comics from TV and movies sit down together that they must have just directed the conversation and let the actors have fun with it.

On either side of the story, both Erin and Garrett, never really receive encouraging support from those they love most. Through every scenario they are met with hostility and complications with little to no help from anyone. What makes this movie bearable to watch is the spontaneity of the characters, and the dialogue. I was able to guess the ending and dramatic moments here and there but what kept me on my toes was the hilarity of the dialogue. Dan and Box are so funny in the way that they interact with each other and towards Garrett. Corinne and Phil are very subtle characters but that subtlety balances so well with the wilder reactions from Garrett and his friends.

Jason Long is so much fun to watch because he has such a great way of making simple, awkward situations, extremely awkward. For instance, his friends tell him that he needs to go to a tanning salon to get rid of his "pasty white" skin so that he doesn't scare Erin away with his twilight sheen before he visits her. Being a normal man of New York he isn't experienced with a tanning salon. His confusion on how to properly go throughout the process is simply hilarious and ends up being the cause for more jokes down the road. What should have been a simple run to the tanning salon quickly became one of funniest moments of the movie.

The one thing that I didn't really like was the chemistry between Barrymore and Long. I love the both of them separately but together they just didn't make a believable pair. In this circumstance it was Barrymore that seemed to be the odd duck. Long is only four years younger than Barrymore but his baby face makes it look like he is actually ten or so years younger. She isn't that funny in comparison to the others surrounding her and with her character mostly complaining throughout the film, it's hard to cheer for her as much as Long.

This movie is very entertaining if you don't mind a lot of sexual jokes, cursing, nudity, and mustaches (Jason Sudeikis has a nasty one). It could be something to watch with your girlfriend while you're actually with her! If not, don't watch it. It'll make you sad and miss her even more. It's also not a good idea to watch with your mom either. It's just gonna get awkward.