Trailer Tuesday: Going the Distance

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Not many romantic comedies get profiled here as part of Trailer Tuesday. My attention is almost always more easily arrested by fantasy films, horror and animated movies. Going the Distance, however, is a rare romcom exception...

Apparently closer in spirit to the likes of He's Just Not That Into You, The 40-Year-Old Virgin and I Love You, Man, Going the Distance introduces sauciness and substance into the lighthearted romance mix. He's Just Not That Into You co-stars, and on/off-again real life couple, Drew Barrymore and Justin Long headline this tale of a couple trying to maintain a long-distance relationship after a breezy six-week romance blossoms into something more meaningful. With her pursuing a career in San Francisco and him on the verge of a big break in New York, the frequent flier miles build up, as do the phone bills, sexual frustrations and miscommunications. Then, of course, there's all the negativity from family and friends who don't believe the relationship can last.


So why exactly should we care about Going the Distance? Well, for starters Barrymore is a damn fine, likeable romcom lead (consider for a moment The Wedding Singer, Never Been Kissed and 50 First Dates). Long - who was the best thing in He's Just Not That Into You - is similarly charming in a down-to-earth, guy-next-door kind of way.

Secondly, Going the Distance doesn't appear to be the bog-standard, utterly safe and superficial "boy meets girl"tale that Hollywood typically churns out. I may be wrong but there seems to be a fair degree of raunchy content, even if it is just explicit dialogue. More interesting though is the film's focus on long-distance relationships. I'm sure I'm not the only one for whom this issue is particularly heart-wrenching, especially in our globalised, economically fragile age when people have become cross-continental migrant laborers purely because it's the only way they can find work.



Going the Distance opened in the United States on 3 September. The film didn't exactly set the American box office alight, and is sitting with a middling Rotten Tomatoes rating of 51% Fresh. This is obviously not a fantastic score, although, for the record, 51% is actually a very respectable achievement for a romantic comedy by Rotten Tomatoes standards. Earlier this year romcoms Valentine's Day and Leap Year achieved just 17% and 20% respectively. Anyway, Going the Distance apparently isn't entirely satisfying and doesn't truly escape forgettable territory. However, the film is buoyed by likeable performances all around, and manages to explore the topic of long-distance relationships with a degree of bitter honesty. I have a feeling this one is going to leave me blubbing given my impending situation...

Going the Distance opens in South African cinemas this Friday, 17 September.

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