A guy, a girl, and 3000 miles

Going the Distance
Directed by Nanette Burstein
Written by Geoff LaTulippe

"Going the Distance" is an extremely watchable movie thanks to the natural, truthful performances of Drew Barrymore and Justin Long and the realistic dialogue of screenwriter Geoff LaTulippe. Erin (Barrymore) and Garrett (Long) meet in a bar and share what could potentially be a meaningless, drunken night together but instead find themselves falling in love. The catch is that Erin will be leaving New York in six weeks to complete her graduate studies in San Francisco. Hence the dilemma, one which this movie so accurately portrays.

Instead of going their separate ways after their night together as many practical-minded folks would do, Erin and Garrett continue to see each other. This leads to six weeks of goo-goo eyes, excessive displays of public affection, and all of the other indescribable, mushy magic that happens at the very beginning of a relationship. Still, Erin moves to San Francisco, and she and Garrett eventually agree to pursue a long-distance, exclusive relationship.

The movie deftly portrays all of the problems that arise when you're in a long-distance relationship, from the painful: missing each other so much it feels like an organ's been removed, to the comical: trying your hand (no pun intended) at awkward phone sex. And let's not forget the temptations that lurk at home- handsome and sexy co-workers who threaten an already vulnerable relationship. Anyone who has ever engaged in a long-distance relationship will appreciate Erin and Garrett's frustrations with time difference, expensive plane tickets, and the nagging, yet often unspoken, question of whether they'll ever end up in the same time zone.

Barrymore is a natural on screen. Her mixture of girlish mischief and downright ballsiness make her a realistic prototype for today's 30-something woman. The character of Erin is brash, yet also sensitive and open. At 31, she knows who she is and is assured in both her quirks and her talents. Long's performance reminds me a bit of Joseph Gordon-Levitt's in "500 Days of Summer". Like Gordon-Levitt, Long utilizes his boyish looks to portray a sensitive, creative man without being wimpy. Garrett is laid-back and somewhat passive while Erin is direct and at times, explosive. Erin also drops the F-bomb A LOT. In this way, the movie breaks the traditional rom-com mold. Women can be foul-mouthed, and men can cry. Who knew?

With or without the long-distance theme, the movie wonderfully shows the evolution of falling in love. Prior to meeting Erin, Garrett consistently fails at committed relationships. In the beginning of the movie, we see him with his current girlfriend, treading water, treating her in a way some would consider inconsiderate and inattentive. Cut to the scene where he meets Erin and voila! he's seemingly a completely different person. Whether he's aware of it initially or not, he's found what he wants in Erin and there's never any doubt that he will treat her with all of the respect and love he was unable to give to his previous girlfriend. It's not that Garrett was a jerk who suddenly changes for the better because someone showed him how to love. He's always known how to love. He just needed to find the right girl for the impulse to kick in.

As for Erin, when she meets Garrett, she's focused solely on her education and career. She's not looking for a relationship, which makes her evolving feelings for Garrett all the more interesting to watch. When Garrett tells Erin he loves her during an embrace at an airport, the camera fixes on Erin's face which, in only a matter of seconds, reveals pure happiness, surprise, and the heart-thumping realization that she's involved in so much more than a summer fling. That's what is great about this movie. It's like we're watching the relationship in real time. While there are the obligatory musical montages showing the lovers "connecting", some scenes appear as if they're shot in a documentary style (which isn't surprising since this movie is documentary director Burstein's first foray into fictional film). Erin and Garrett are far too entranced in one another to care what any outsider would think. They are two mature adults who don't need to refer to self-help books or best friends to reassure them that their relationship has legs.

I won't reveal the ending of this movie. We all know that long-distance relationships are hard to maintain. In fact, the whole goal of a long-distance relationship is to have it end as soon as possible. But we know that this doesn't always happen. The fatigue of long-distance can get to the most dedicated of people, and lengthening the relationship, though well-intentioned, can be a masochistic endeavor.

Breaking up is hard to do, but breaking up because of distance is even more bitter-sweet. This movie shows that all relationships come down to one thing: sacrifice. No lasting relationship exists without it. Either Erin or Garrett or both will have to sacrifice something to make the relationship a go. It becomes a question of how much they themselves are willing to sacrifice, and how much they'll allow the other person to sacrifice... and those decisions arise from a place of love. "Going the Distance" has very little to do with physical traveling and everything to do with making sacrifices.