While watching Going the Distance, I was having a good time. The movie made me laugh, the two leads were cute, and the movie was entirely enjoyable. However, once I left the theater, I started to think more about the flick and decided that perhaps it wasn’t greater than the sum of its parts. The problem is that Going the Distance doesn’t know what TYPE of movie it wants to be. Is it a rom-com for ‘tween girls who love Drew Barrymore? Is it a foul-mouthed Apatow-esque buddy comedy? Or is it a quirky and hip love story a la (500) Days of Summer?

It has NO clue. And while I enjoy everyone involved with this film, including the greatly underappreciated Justin Long, Barrymore, Charlie Day, Christina Applegate, and Jason Sudeikis, the movie isn’t necessarily one that will grab your attention past getting up from your theater seat. But, in a summer of pretty terrible movies, Going the Distance is a welcome diversion with some well-earned yuks.

Read more after the break!

It’s not often we get a romantic comedy about something so mundane as long distance relationships. What? There’s no magical fountain, or special fairytale world, or perhaps a matchmaker? Nope. Going the Distance is just a tale of a boy and a girl trying to keep their love alive on two opposite coasts. Although, it was a fitting touch to throw in some fun recession-style job searching quandaries as Garrett (Long) and Erin (Barrymore) work in the floundering record label and newspaper industries.  The film follows the couple’s meeting—at a bar, bonding over a game of Centipede—to falling in love (set to the Cure!), and eventually Erin’s departure for San Fran. Once she moves, the film looks at the constant struggles of being in a LDR, such as texting, phone sex, jealousy, different time zones, etc.

This may sound awfully mundane, but with a hilarious cast and great chemistry, Going the Distance is really enjoyable if you like all three of those film types I mentioned above. Day fills out the Apatow quotient with his It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia schtick of being slightly retarded and overly loud, but it still works okay. Long does his best to fill the romantic lead’s shoes, but he doesn’t seem quite as comfortable as his real-life love, Barrymore. I’ve always enjoyed Long in any film he does, even in bit roles like Galaxy Quest. But I’m not sure he’s right for a romantic comedy. I suppose we shall see.

Again, Going the Distance is a pretty funny film if you’re into raunchy sex talk and poop jokes. If you’re just there for the romance, you might feel like you walked into the wrong movie—and you’d be right. While funny, charming, and hip during its duration, Going the Distance doesn’t actually GO the distance. It will most likely be just another forgettable movie you saw this summer. BUT, at least you had a good time while watching it, right?

--Darcie Duttweiler