Pointedly going for some sense of honesty and "reality" not often seen among the standard fare of romantic comedies, Going the Distance frequently loses itself to this effort, which feels false (and vulgar for the sake of vulgarity) more often than it describes the truth it's after.
Though the film would have benefited greatly from a few more minds scrutinizing many of the details (it is written by new comer Geoff LaTulippe, and directed by Nanette Burstein, who only has documentaries under her belt to this point), there is an underlying gravity that pulls the audience along, even if it is offered few chances to take center stage.
It's the story of a long-distance relationship, thoroughly entrenched in being for and about the exact age demographic of its actors, but it manages to conquer its own shtick and make some keen observations about relationships in general. Chiefly, in respect to the long-distance classic question, who moves to be with who, and why? Thus, who gives up more, and which parts, of themselves to create the relationship... and why?
Erin (Drew Barrymore) is working as an intern for a New York newspaper, and she meets up with Garrett (Justin Long) who is something of a walking relationship disaster. He is so lost when it comes to women that he doesn't get his girlfriend a gift on a certain special day, just because she told him not to. As we all know, one is meant to receive an extra special gift because one is such that one says one doesn't want a gift. Garrett, however, is laughably oblivious to such social norms.
Erin and Garrett fall for each other, with much hilarity ensuing (theoretically) along the way, often as a result of our encounters with Garrett's two friends, Dan (Charlie Day) and Box (Jason Sudeikis). Our lovers both intend to keep things casual, but as we get closer to Erin's return to San Francisco, they know as well as we do that such things are never so simple. They decide to make this long-distance thing work, and then the real fun begins.
You might expect a parade of all the standard gags associated with such love affairs, and some of them show up to be sure, but the film at least puts a valiant effort into expressing not only these gags, but why they need to be expressed, and how people today are likely to express them. Phone sex may get a scene or two in every long-distance relationship film, but that's like saying some sort of travel is involved in every such film. It's going to come up in these people's lives.
In the end, there are some fun moments, and I like much of the off-screen story (that is to say, I imagine I'd have loved the initial pitch), but there is too obviously a two-fold freshman effort here. While still better than much of the genre, it is ultimately too easy to compare to the awkwardness and eventual lack of success found in the main characters' attempt at phone sex. It's an idea with merit (well, some would argue), and nothing about the participants precludes a positive outcome, but when all is said and done, they don't quite know exactly what they're doing, and mainly because they haven't done it before.
Rating: 
Special Features
The Blu-Ray has some nice bonuses for you, but I wouldn't expect to get lost in them. How to Have a Perfect Date finds the cast riffing on dating as a general concept, and it's worth just about exactly what you think it is. It's fun at times, mostly because Charlie Day is on screen, but it isn't especially long. A Guide to Long-Distance Dating is so similar an extra that it's hard to tell why it is its own entity.
The Cast of Going the Distance: Off the Cuff is something of a blooper/outtake reel, though with the specific focus on the improvisations of the film going on too far. It's rather fun.
You also get a few more standard features, like a music video of the heavily-featured band The Boxer Rebellion for their song "If You Run," a behind-the-scenes effort focusing on the soundtrack, and a few additional scenes.
You also get a commentary track by Director Nanette Burstein, and while this might seem a somewhat odd inclusion, the track is actually quite interesting. She goes off on tangents quite a bit, but they are the most interesting parts, because she folds in the story of crossing over from her work in documentaries, and the differences in what it means to be "making a movie" given the two results you're after.
Overall a nice film, and certainly entertaining enough. Most will not find it necessary to own, and the bonuses won't change anyone's mind on that score, but it's a decent enough way to spend a casual evening.
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Related articles
- Blu-ray Review: Going the Distance (popdose.com)
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
