The Film
The rom-com genre has very few tricks left in the bag. It's usually the same old story with the same old ending. One thing that Going the Distance has going for it is that the movie does try to shake things up along the way.
Of course, those shake-ups mainly involve a good deal of profanity. Yes, this film curses like a sailor, adding a bit of raunch to the rom-com genre. However, it's not the masterful raunch of There's Something About Mary. It's love sprinkled with Top Gun references and a bit of man-ass.
Also, unlike the typical rom-com love/hate relationship, Erin (Drew Barrymore) and Garrett (Justin Long) hit it off right from the start. It just so happens that Erin lives on a completely opposite coast. Despite the distance, the two try to make a relationship, which obviously has its problems, drunken rage, and even a slightly uncomfortable bout of phone sex.
While all of those things wrapped inside a snuggly romantic comedy could be awesome, a lot of Going the Distance falls flat. Give director Nanette Burstein a few points for trying something different. However, the only real draw of this film is real-life couple Barrymore and Long; they do play nicely off each other.
Want to go even further with this movie? Check out Karen Dahlstrom's review of the theatrical release of Going the Distance.
The Picture
I had my own rom-com going with this film's image. It was a real love/hate relationship. On the one hand, it had some really gorgeous city shots and skintones were spot-on. Even the contrast of Justin Long's spraytan with the strategically placed white handprint looked nice. Then, there were scenes that were like watching through beer goggles. OK -- it wasn't quite that bad, with the exception of the cafe shot. That, in fact, was bad. Some of the darker scenes lose luster, and the 2.40:1 transfer filled its quota of rom-com soft shots. Overall, not the worst transfer, but also sort of annoying if this is as good as it gets.
The Sound
Like most rom-coms, Going the Distance deals mostly with dialogue, which the DTS-HD Master Audio track delivers quite nicely. Also a nice plus is the film's music, which seems heavily influenced by Barrymore's trademark eclectic taste. The music pops up in the surrounds fairly often, as do a few cars and club chatter. It's nothing groundbreaking, but fairly standard for films in this genre.
The Extras
All of the extras are short and painless, but also nothing more than promotional tools for the movie. There's almost eight minutes where the main cast covers the various bases of dating. There's another eight titled, "A Guide to Long-Distance Dating," which isn't really a guide as much as it is a clip reel peppered with cast and crew giving obvious tips to getting through a long-distance relationship. Also, the four minutes dedicated to "Off the Cuff" is anything but off the cuff. Instead, it's the director and producer talking about the chemistry of the cast, mixed with more clips from the movie.
The most disappointing part, however, is the "Behind the Scenes" short in the soundtrack. At under three minutes, it's actually shorter than the music video that's included in the extras. Also, it's not so much about the soundtrack, but talks with members of The Boxer Rebellion about the band and their appearance in the movie.
Final Thoughts
Does absence (or abstinence) make the heart grow fonder? Maybe, but it sure doesn't make this movie any better. Going the Distance does have its moments. Justin Long fills out the leading man role nicely, especially when playing against real-life girlfriend Drew Barrymore. However, this is not a mass-appeal movie in any sense of the word, and most rom-com fans won't appreciate even rom-com regular Barrymore messing with their formula.
Product Details
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