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GOING THE DISTANCE

What You Need To Know:

GOING THE DISTANCE is a raunchy romantic comedy that follows a long-distance relationship. Drew Barrymore stars as Erin, a grad student who meets Garrett, a young record executive played by Justin Long, in New York City. They engage in a six-week summer love affair, before deciding to make things work. Then, Erin needs to return to San Francisco. The rest of the movie’s plot is simple. It focuses on their romantic travails being apart. It also details the constant commentary and interference from their respective friends and family members.

GOING THE DISTANCE works like one of Judd Apatow’s lewd comedies, only the talk seems more explicit. Thus, it is somewhat funny but very raunchy, while maintaining a sweet core with characters that viewers want to see together. Regrettably, GOING THE DISTANCE is packed wall-to-wall with excessive foul language, including frequent misuse of God’s name in multiple variations and seemingly dozens of “f” words. Characters also discuss sex in graphic fashion, though the tone is intended to be humorous. The core romance shows the couple is in love, but its pagan worldview makes living together seem as romantically ideal as getting married.

Content:

(PaPaPa, B, LLL, SSS, NN, AA, DD, MM) Very strong pagan worldview where living together is encouraged but heroine’s sister does have a functional long-term marriage and marriage is briefly discussed as a faint possibility some day; at least 75 obscenities and profanities; no violence; very strong sexual content includes much graphic sexual discussion, an interrupted, somewhat explicit fornication scene and man enters bathroom while woman is showering; rear male nudity and woman in bra during interrupted fornication scene, plus scene where woman takes shower but nothing more shown; alcohol use and drunkenness but hangover results of getting drunk are shown; marijuana bong in one scene; and, living together is promoted as an ideal situation, jealousy and drunk woman gets belligerent to a stranger.

More Detail:

GOING THE DISTANCE is a raunchy romantic comedy that follows the long-distance relationship of two thirtysomethings.

Erin, a graduate journalism student played by Drew Barrymore, and Garrett, a young record executive played by Justin Long, meet in New York City. Erin and Garrett engage in what they know will just be a six-week summer love affair, but soon decide to make things work. Then, Erin needs to return to her San Francisco home.

The rest of the movie’s plot is simple. It focuses on Garrett and Erin’s romantic travails being apart. It also details the constant commentary and interference from their respective friends and family members.

GOING THE DISTANCE works like a lewd comedy from Judd Apatow (40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP), only the talk seems a bit more explicit. Thus, the movie is somewhat funny yet very raunchy, while maintaining a sweet core with characters viewers come to care about and want to see together.

Regrettably, GOING THE DISTANCE is packed wall-to-wall with excessive foul language, including frequent use of God’s name in vain in multiple variations and seemingly dozens of uses of the “f” word. Characters also discuss various aspects of sex, from self-abuse to phone sex and beyond, in graphic fashion, though the tone is intended to be humorous.

The core romance shows the couple is in love, but its pagan worldview makes living together seem as romantically ideal as getting married. The movie also has a humorously interrupted sex scene that is highly graphic, especially by romantic comedy norms.

Overall, this is a movie guaranteed to offend most people of faith. Sadly, there are too many moviegoers who probably will choose to overlook much of the movie’s lewd content, especially the language issues. They may mistakenly think GOING THE DISTANCE is a funny and sweet film with highly engaging characters. As MOVIEGUIDE® annual analysis of the box office shows, however, excessive, offensive content usually turns off most moviegoers, despite the presence of popular actors like the fetching Drew Barrymore.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.