Drew looks incredible, Justin transitions from comic side-kick to a leading man.  Filled with pungent wit, voracious dry humping, and a truly plausible relationship progression, Going The Distance has me smitten.

It’s not easy to craft a romantic comedy these days.  The audiences have not only gotten smarter, but every possible turn a relationship can take has been tried.  Watching romcom’s these days the resounding thought as we hunker down is how artfully and enjoyably can the filmmakers get us to the ending that we know is inevitable.   Going The Distance delivers a great route.  It doesn’t feel forced by the running time of the movie nor does the relationship transition from happy to sad and back for the sake of a joyous ending – it just moves fluidly and better so, believably.  If it weren’t for its’ R rating, this films box office haul could be much bigger.  Interestingly, the R rating is not wasted on gratuitous nudity, but more utilized for the films pervasive showing of drug use and its language.  It’ll be interesting to see how the box office plays out on this one – I’d love to see a 15M+ opening though, it certainly deserves it.

Drew Barrymore (Firestarter) and Justin Long (Galaxy Quest) portray distance lovers Erin and Garrett respectively.  Erin’s a harried and driven writer, scrapping away as an intern at an NYC newspaper.   Garrett lives in the same city and toils away at a music label – peddling the latest wanna-be pop artists.  Erin’s a couple months away from moving back to California to finish her Master’s when she haphazardly meets Garrett, of all places…in a bar.  A definite kismet is formed and although they know the shelf life of their relationship is only weeks, they each submit to just lets things happen.   At the end of the summer, Erin moves back to California and her neurotic sister Corinne (Christina Applegate – TV’s Married With Children).  Garrett stays behind in NYC and pines to return them to their same-city blissfull ways.  The two make the normal promises you’d expect in carrying a long distance relationship but the execution is where the film finds it strides.   Phone sex, quick surprise flights, and the temptation of the opposite sex in your own zip code – things are challenging for them both to say the least.  Even I got a little misty eyed at the storybook ending which resounded in my mind thanks to the music of the films fictitious rising band Boxer Rebellion, who in real-life, are a band of the same name.

Supporting the cast are a couple solid performances.  Dan, one of Garrett’s two best buds portrayed by Charlie Day (TV’s It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia) is a riot.  An oddball with a lack of convention and wearing his emotions on his sleeve, he solidly supports the film and Garrett.  Christina Applegate transcends her 90’s alter ego with this spot on hilarious performance as a germaphobe life inhibited house Mommy.   I must devote a sentence or two for Catherine Marie Thomas.  Who is she you might ask?  She’s the films costume designer.  I was mesmerized by the wardrobe choices for Erin.  Loose backless tops, halters, even a great bikini, she looked fantastic.  It was chic at times, fresh and bold at others.  Cooly casual sass while thumping in the club, and airy vogue in the summer months.  Hats off to you Catherine for a super job, Drew looked fantastic!  When consulting the film bible IMDB, it turned out Catherine’s needling skills were used in the Kill Bill films as well.

Going The Distance is a great date movie.  You’ll have a great time as you laugh and grow with these characters.  There’s real emotion in their plight, and Long & Barrymore do a great job of pulling that out.  Their on screen chemistry is undeniable and Long delivers a realistic and poignant performance as a romantic lead.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Going The Distance is rated R for sexual content including dialogue, language throughout, some drug use, and brief nudity.

Drew Barrymore just keeps on trucking along, keeping herself busy with role after role. The latest addition to the famed actress’ filmography will be Going The Distance, a New Line (you guessed it) romantic comedy. She will be co-starring alongside Justin Long (Zack and Miri), being part of a couple maintaining a long distance relationship when the female moves across the country to take up a teaching job in Chicago. The film will be directed by Nanette Burnstein (American Teen) and written by first-timer Geoff LaTulippe.

Barrymore recently shared the screen with actor Justin Long in the February released He’s Just Not That Into You. The movie raked in so far about $92.5 million overall. Including that with her last romantic comedy (Lucky You which made a measley 5 million), the actress/producer is quickly rising back to popularity box office wise. Barrymore and Long will appear together again on the big screen sometime in 2011. This will be her fifteenth accounted romantic comedy, if anyone is keeping count.