Day 30- Movie 29. Going the Distance (2010)

While I am posting this entry today (Dec. 31st), I actually watched this movie yesterday, so I'm counting it then. I noticed that of all the movies I've watched so far here, I had not seen any romantic comedies. I decided to rectify that. Going the Distance is an interesting film- it is a romantic comedy, but it has a very deserved R rating. I haven't done any research, but I imagine (from personal experience), R-rated romantic comedies are pretty rare. What that means is you get to see Justin Long's naked butt, and people swear almost constantly.

Going the Distance is about Justin Long and Drew Barrymore, who meet in New York City and fall in love. Barrymore is returning to San Francisco, so they decide to start a long-term relationship. The trial and tribulations of that decision play out. Maybe surprisingly, I really enjoyed this movie. I think the R-rating helped.

Here's my problem with romantic comedies- far too many of them following the same, cliche-filled formula. Two people meet, fall in love, something crazy happens that separates them, and they get back together in the end. That right there describes 95% of all romantic comedies. For that reason, these films need something to differentiate them from all the others. Some of my favorite films in this genre come when there is something new or unique about them. For example, I really liked Just Like Heaven- in addition to being a good film, it gave the classic formula a different, unique twist.

In this film, the big difference is that the two people who fall in love embark on a long-distance relationship. This provides the movie with a multitude of jokes about how hard it is to do that. Many people have participated in an LDR at some point, so they can easily identify with this film. I liked that aspect of the film.

I thought this movie did a good job of balancing out the more romantic aspects of this film with some legitimately funny moments. The R-rated helped, as the script goes all out with an almost shocking amount of swear words used throughout the film. This gave the film a more realistic quality to it, because that is how many people actually talk. I enjoyed this movie, and would give it a 7.5/10.

Going the Distance made a pretty disappointing $17 million at the box office, so I'm guessing many of you didn't see it. If you don't mind the almost constant dropping of F-bombs, you'll find a funny, oftentimes realistic look at the ups and downs of a long-distance relationship. I'd definitely recommend seeing this movie.