Going the Distance (DVD)

Going the Distance (2010) starring Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Christina Applegate. Erin (Barrymore) and Garrett (Long) fall in love while she is in New York on an internship. When she goes back to Stanford to finish graduate school, they find themselves in a long-distance relationship. There is some funny stuff thrown in with Garrett's nutty male friends in New York, and later he goes to the West coast to visit Erin for Thanksgiving. Applegate is funny as Erin's uptight and protective sister. The conflict that inevitably arises comes about when Erin gets offered a job with the San Francisco Chronicle -- which normally would be a dream job for her, but which means that if she accepts it she can't move back to New York and be with Garrett. The success of a movie like this depends on the likability of the stars. How badly, really, do we want them to get together? In this case, I felt their chemistry was lacking. Neither of them really charmed me. The film is a passable entertainment, but nothing special. The subtitles are quite good. Grade: B