Film Review: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long Short of ‘Going the Distance’

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CHICAGO – Drew Barrymore no doubt is working hard to become Queen of the Romantic Comedy. She has done over ten of them, more if you count “Bad Girls.” (kidding) When recycling themes even the best of them can get redundant when seeing the same actress involved. “Going the Distance” is not even among the best of them.

HollywoodChicago.com Oscarman rating: 3.0/5.0
Rating: 3.0/5.0

There is a spin factor in this one. Drew is definitely older (graduate student, lest she actually works) and the language and situations are a more course adult style. Yet the same old rom-com clichés are there – the meet cute (or in this case, drunk), the romancing montage and the Greek Chorus friends/relatives. Add some flat jokes with little basis in reality and the whole thing seems tired.

Drew Barrymore is Erin, a graduate student in Journalism, about to end an internship in New York City. Justin Long is Garrett, an “A and R” man for a record label. Garrett has dumped his latest fling, with nary a regret in the world. It is at this point that he meets Erin, and takes a shine to her that he hadn’t had with anyone before. The catch is she’s moving back to her native San Francisco in a couple weeks. The connection is so strong they decide to have a long distance relationship,

None of their friends or relatives are advising for this type of coupling. Garrett’s pals, Box (Jason Sudeikis) and Dan (Charlie Day), chide him unmercifully, and question his very manhood. Erin’s married sister Corinne (Christina Applegate) is happy to have her back in the Bay area, but doesn’t understand the pining for Garrett. The situation complicates when Erin gets a plum job with the San Francisco Chronicle, so the question of who is going to move where becomes the overriding factor in this long distance romance.

”Going the Distance” opens everywhere on September 3rd. Featuring Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Christina Applegate and Jim Gaffigan. Screenplay by Geoff LaTulippe and directed by Nanette Burstein. Rated “R”

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Going the Distance”

Frequent Flyer Couple: Justin Long as Garrett and Drew Barrymore as Erin in ‘Going the Distance’
Frequent Flyer Couple: Justin Long as Garrett and Drew Barrymore as Erin in ‘Going the Distance’
Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio for © New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures

StarContinue reading for Patrick McDonald’s full review of “Going the Distance”

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