Although it features real-life star couple Justin Long and Drew Barrymore, you shouldn't go to "Going the Distance" with the expectations that the movie is an extension of their lives off-screen. But that's not to say that the film isn't rooted in some sort of realism -- and that's exactly what Long loves about it.
"One of the movie's charms is that it's trusting in the simplicity of its story," Long said in a recent @ The Movies interview. "It's not introducing fantastical elements halfway through. None of the characters turn into animals or anything like that," Long said. "In so many romantic comedies, there's some sort of curve ball thrown. There's no 'Oh my God, he's a Wiccan priest living in Tahiti with a whole other life' thing that comes up."
Opening in theaters Friday, "Going the Distance" tells the story of Garrett (Long) and Erin (Barrymore), a pair of singles who instantly hit it off after spending a summer night together in New York City. But while the couple has chemistry and the romance blooms over the next six weeks in the Big Apple, their relationship is put to the test when Erin has to return home to San Francisco.
Surrounded by friends and family members who insist that their long-distance relationship will never work, Garrett and Erin are willing to take flights, make calls, do texting -- and even some sexting -- to keep their romance alive.
No matter what method couples have prescribed to bridge the gap when miles apart, Long said that "Going the Distance" is a story
a lot of people will relate to. Because of that, he added, there was no need for gimmicks to move the story along.
"It's nice to be able to tell this story in a straight-forward way because I've been living that story for a long time," Long said. "Every relationship I've been in since I started acting 12 years ago has been long-distance to some extent. It's hard and really ripe with drama and comedy. You don't really need much else when you're telling that story."
Long said that most everyone who he's talked with about "Going the Distance" feels like they're a part of the story -- even the ones reporting on the movie.
"Some reporters have gotten weirdly personal when they've shut their recorders off, saying things like, 'I gotta say, I'm going through the same thing right now.' You can tell that it's really troubling them," Long observed. "I think most people have struggled with long-distance relationships. It's what defines us. It's nothing that's light, frothy and airy as it's portrayed in a lot of movies. Human interactions are vital to who we are. The older I get, the more deeply I invest in them."
Long is quick to point out, though, that there's nothing wrong with light and frothy.
"I don't want to be too cool for school or elitist. I dig a good schmaltzy romantic comedy," Long said. "I'm entertained by them. I just feel that this is different type of movie."
The biggest benefit for Long, 32, and Barrymore, 35, to do "Going the Distance" together, is that they could actually spend some time together: an irony considering that sometimes it's their work in the movie business that keeps them great distances apart.
"The older I get, the more of an impetus I feel to get more stable and settled, but sometimes you just can't," Long said. "It could be that you take a great job or are dating an actress who takes an opportunity that you can't pass up. It just takes more effort and diligence. It takes work -- it's as simple as that. It's a good litmus test of how you feel about somebody."
While "Going the Distance" clearly isn't an autobiographical account of Long's and Barrymore's relationship, the actor admits that, like most of the roles he plays, real-life experiences somehow surface in the characterizations. In this case, he's just not sure exactly where.
"We definitely were playing characters, and whatever crept in did so in a subconscious way," Long said. "If it helped in any way, being together created some sense of lightness and fun because we really enjoy each other. She makes me genuinely laugh and genuinely happy. I don't know how much of that bled into the movie, but I'm sure a little bit did."
