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Capone would travel across this great land of ours to see the charming and funny GOING THE DISTANCE again!!!
Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
Sometimes, studios pile a bunch of normally funny people in a film together and the results don't even cause a ripple in the comedy pool. But every so often, something shocking happens--a movie actually surprises you with how filthy, hilarious, and moving it is. And the reason GOING THE DISTANCE is all the more shocking is that it comes under the direction of the largely untested Nanette Burstein, a successful documentary filmmaker (THE KID STAYS IN THE PICTURE, AMERICAN TEEN) making her feature debut with this R-rated comedy exploring the ever-growing phenomenon of long-distance dating.
Drew Barrymore and Justin Long play New York-based fledging writer Erin and record company peon Garrett, respectively. They meet in a bar just hours after Garrett has been dumped by his last girlfriend for being afraid of commitment. But something about Erin fascinates him because she can keep up the crude speak with his guy friends, and they just click. Problem is that in six weeks, Erin is planning on moving to San Francisco to go to grad school and look for work. Since the short-term nature of their time together would seem to indicate a casual but fun fling, they agree to keep things light. Naturally, they fall hard for each other and decide to attempt to keep the flame burning with a nation between them.
I realize what I'm describing sounds like the worst kind of rom-com scenario, but Barrymore and Long have someting kind of incredible between them. They were a real-life couple when they made this, and that affection and connection permeates GOING THE DISTANCE. There's a scene early on when they go on their first "real" date over dinner. The scene looks like it was shot in a grainy film stock and appears to have captured a completely spontaneous conversation that I'm sure was totally improvised, but it feels almost like we're spying on them rather than simply watching a staged event.
It also helps that both actors are surrounded by a group of often funnier supporting actors playing their friends, family, and co-workers. Garrett keeps company with roommate Dan ("It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia's" Charlie Day, in a role that essentially guarantees him five years worth of film work-- he's that good), who never lets up asking the eternal question, "Why are there no baby pigeons in New York City?" "SNL's" Jason Sudeikis is also around quite a bit as Garrett's co-worker Box, sporting a '70s-style mustache and the firm belief that older women will be drawn to it. Garrett also works with, among others, Ron Livingston (OFFICE SPACE) and Kelli Garner (LARS AND THE REAL GIRL), whose character is also in a long-distance relationship and advises Garrett to have lots of phone sex.
I firmly believe that when the chapter in the book on film comedies that includes 2010 is written, it will include several pages devoted to the aborted attempt at phone sex between Erin and Garrett sequence. The language sounds so bizarre coming out of these two actors' mouths (that's kind of the point) that I laughed as much to encourage their attempt as I did just because it was so damn funny.
Erin has a few people on her team as well, including sister Corrine, played by the great Christina Applegate, and her husband Phil (Jim Gaffigan). Naturally we get the obligatory scene of the sister threatening the life of the boyfriend if he breaks her sister's heart. And I'm certainly not saying that GOING THE DISTANCE is devoid of all of the trappings of the modern romantic comedy, but director Burstein seems intent on following the KNOCKED UP-era Judd Apatow model of combining vulgarity with sincerity, and it works at every turn. The few sequences that involve site gags or more blatant attempts at laugh-getting (such as Justing Long's failed attempt to go to a spray-tan establishment) actually tended to annoy me because they got in the way of the winning story and character development.
You'd figure with all of the electronic tools at our disposal to keep in touch with someone far away, long distance relationships might be easy to make work, but this film proves that even under the best of circumstances, a strong love connection can only take so much being apart. Even the film's final act did not play out the way I thought it would. That's the thing about GOING THE DISTANCE--it never ceases to surprise you at how smart and funny it is. And I've seen the film twice, so this isn't simply a case of low expectations being met with a better-than-expected work. The pop-culture references alone are worth the price of admission. There are Holocaust and Hitler jokes; one of Barrymore's funniest lines involves THE ACCUSED; and you might think a film that uses TOP GUN as one of its running go-to gags was weak, but you'd be wrong. I don't know how Burstein did it, but I hope she keeps on doing it. And to be honest, it's great to see a capable woman direct a movie traditionally made by man-boys. I'm loving on this movie something fierce, and you will too.
-- Capone
capone@aintitcool.com
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Saw the trailers and a couple of dirty jokes doesnt warrant getting me out there.
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Sep 03, 2010 1:37:40 AM CDT
"I firmly believe that when the chapter in the book on film come
by rosemarysbabydaddy
I firmly believe that when the chapter in the book on film criticism that includes 2010 is written, Capone will be counted as the most important and revered AICN movie reviewer ever in the history of movie geekdom. My imaginary girlfriend and I are really looking forward to seeing this movie.
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My BF is a black man.i met him via
_____ B lackwhiteR omance . C’ 0- M _____ It gives you a chance
to make your life better and open opportunities for you to meet
the attractive interracial singles and treat you like a Queen.
Maybe you wanna check it out or tell your friends. ;) -
To see this. Looks really good. Finally a rom com worth seeing. And to Balls above, the trailer alone is funnier then Funny People and Knocked Up combined, so its already better then Apatow right now.
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I love that now everything is Apatow or not. Why can't it just be GOOD romantic comedies VS stock, shlocky, by the numbers romantic comedies? People have had their cake and eaten it too far before Apatow came along. James L. Brooks, Woody Allen, Kevin Smith, Albert Brooks...all have made romantic comedies with teeth, truth, heart, dirty jokes, and romance. I love when a movie comes out that isn't from someone we know, but that hits the beats right instead of just selling the easy Kate Hudson/Sandra Bullock/Sarah Jessica Parker offerings of late. I admit I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy, they are just too rare nowadays. But sometimes I see something that works (500 Days Of Summer, Away We Go, Love Actually, 40 Year Old Virgin). And I love the hate on a movie that is getting a LOT of positive reviews from the trusted geek community. I watch a trailer and I read reviews to help me see if a movie is the right fit for me. I don't just watch one facet and proclaim something derivative. I need backup one way or another. Open your mind.
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the pigeon question, wasn't that in Harry and the Henderson's?regardless, I'm sold on this just for Gaffigan and Charlie Day. if he really knocks it out of the park so much that it gets him more roles (sort of a smaler version of Galifianakis on the Hangover) I say great. just don't leave It's Always Sunny!
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oh, kittens.
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And the video game fights? Isn't that what romantic comedies need these days?
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Seriously? It's not even like a unique romcom with a twist... it's just a standard romcom...
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Sep 03, 2010 9:29:14 AM CDT
THIS WEEKEND: SEE GOING THE DISTANCE OR SHOVE A RED-HOT POKER U
by harrisburgsfinest
I can't decide.
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I don't think Apatow was the first with this. Kevin Smith perfected it with Chasing Amy quite a bit earlier. Apatow ain't that original.
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at least when it comes on Cable
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As DrSherlockHouse already demonstrated, yes, there are AICN readers who care about GOOD rom-coms, of which there are, sadly, not that many these days. To his list, I would add About a Boy, Eagle Vs. Shark, and going back a little further, Notting Hill and the Wedding Singer. All genuinely good rom-coms (and this coming from a primarily superhero/sci-fi movie geek). All I'm saying is, it may not be your cup of tea, but don't speak for all of us.
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As usual, you gave me a review that explained exactly what was right (and wrong) about a movie I was already interested in, but uncommitted. Now, I'm sold.
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enjoyed it very much.If you like these types of movies, you won't be disappointed. It is color by numbers but its just unique enough to be fun all the way through.
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In an Apatow movie, there is typically some kind of move away from that kind of vulgarity by the lead character, usually in a storyline about growing up a little bit. This time, everyone is living in a world where it's perfectly normal to get high, flip the bird, drop the F Bomb at work...it went way past believable for me. Like a kid trying SO hard to prove how REAL it is with the constant over-the-top nature, especially Sudeikis' character, who didn't really have much to do at all here. Apatow does a much better job of making vulgarity natural and endearing even.
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