CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com audio review for the doc series “Charlie Hustle & the Matter of Pete Rose,” about the rise and bitter fall of the major league legend, the MLB’s all-time hits leader, only to be banned from the sport because of gambling. Streaming on MAX and on HBO since July 24th.!—break—>
Film Review: Drew Barrymore, Justin Long Short of ‘Going the Distance’
![Printer-friendly version Printer-friendly version](/sites/all/modules/print/icons/print_icon.gif)
![E-mail page to friend E-mail page to friend](/sites/all/modules/print/icons/mail_icon.gif)
![PDF version PDF version](/sites/all/modules/print/icons/pdf_icon.gif)
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.
![]() 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.
![Star](http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/star.gif)
![]() Photo Credit: Jessica Miglio for © New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures |
![Star](http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/sites/default/files/star.gif)