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http://tnp.sg/guide/story/0,4136,254801,00.html?
FLICK CHICK
Small talk about big flicks
SEPARATED BUT INSEPARABLE
By Joanne Soh
September 10, 2010
In all honesty, maintaining a long-distance relationship is tough.
Maybe that's why we haven't seen that many Hollywood romantic comedies that deal with the challenges of keeping the romance alive while being thousands of miles apart.
Going The Distance is a rare example.
The rom-com zooms in on the trials that young couple Erin and Garrett (Drew Barrymore and Justin Long) go through as they attempt to keep the fire burning. This, when she has to move back to San Francisco after a whirlwind summer fling in New York City where he is based.
The story resonates with me for personal reasons: I was once in the same boat.
It was about 15 years ago. I met this guy in Perth, Australia, where I was just finishing my undergraduate studies.
He was local and I obviously couldn't overstay on my student visa. Call it foolhardiness or love, we decided to continue our relationship long-distance.
Like Erin and Garrett, the months that ensued saw us pretty much having a relationship over the phone.
But unlike Erin and Garrett who also had an active SMS communication going on (and lots of 'sexting') and kept in touch via Skype, we didn't have that kind of luxury then.
Back in those days, we were dependent on just good old snail mail, which progressed to instant messaging. The beeps of a 56k dial-up modem never sounded so good.
Several heart-warming scenes in Going The Distance were set at the airports, as Erin and Garrett clocked up frequent flyer mileage visiting each other in their respective states.
The exuberance, longing, reluctance and melancholy manifested as they reunited and bid farewell at the airports - all the emotions that unfolded on screen, we had also experienced first-hand.
Incidentally, the distances between New York City and San Francisco and between Singapore and Perth are not much different.
The former at 4,148km while the latter at 3,903km is a difference of 245km - that's like flying from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, well almost.
Being long-distance lovers is hard, and the main problem has to be loneliness.
When Erin was upset for not getting the job she wanted, she could only vent her frustrations to Garrett over the phone. He wasn't around to offer emotional and physical support.
At that instant, I so wanted to tell her: 'I know how you feel.'
The reality is that you will inevitably find yourself in a situation where you have to choose between love and career.
Should I pack up and move Down Under or will he uproot?
Erin opted to give up her dream job in San Francisco to wait tables in New York City just to be with Garrett.
But deep down she knew it was a sacrifice she might regret.
Compromise
Compromise has to be made for any relationship to work. No one party should make the sacrifice all the time.
In the end, Garrett took the step to meet halfway, and re-located to Los Angeles.
They would still be long-distance, but at 500km away from San Francisco, Los Angeles was much closer and within the same time zone.
For me, the four years of long-distance love strengthened our relationship. He left his family behind and found a new one here in Singapore.
My husband never once regretted the sacrifice he made for me, and my sentiments echoed Erin's wise words: 'Happiness and contentment come when you marry your best friend.'
FLICK CHICK
Small talk about big flicks
SEPARATED BUT INSEPARABLE
By Joanne Soh
September 10, 2010
In all honesty, maintaining a long-distance relationship is tough.
Maybe that's why we haven't seen that many Hollywood romantic comedies that deal with the challenges of keeping the romance alive while being thousands of miles apart.
Going The Distance is a rare example.
The rom-com zooms in on the trials that young couple Erin and Garrett (Drew Barrymore and Justin Long) go through as they attempt to keep the fire burning. This, when she has to move back to San Francisco after a whirlwind summer fling in New York City where he is based.
The story resonates with me for personal reasons: I was once in the same boat.
It was about 15 years ago. I met this guy in Perth, Australia, where I was just finishing my undergraduate studies.
He was local and I obviously couldn't overstay on my student visa. Call it foolhardiness or love, we decided to continue our relationship long-distance.
Like Erin and Garrett, the months that ensued saw us pretty much having a relationship over the phone.
But unlike Erin and Garrett who also had an active SMS communication going on (and lots of 'sexting') and kept in touch via Skype, we didn't have that kind of luxury then.
Back in those days, we were dependent on just good old snail mail, which progressed to instant messaging. The beeps of a 56k dial-up modem never sounded so good.
Several heart-warming scenes in Going The Distance were set at the airports, as Erin and Garrett clocked up frequent flyer mileage visiting each other in their respective states.
The exuberance, longing, reluctance and melancholy manifested as they reunited and bid farewell at the airports - all the emotions that unfolded on screen, we had also experienced first-hand.
Incidentally, the distances between New York City and San Francisco and between Singapore and Perth are not much different.
The former at 4,148km while the latter at 3,903km is a difference of 245km - that's like flying from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, well almost.
Being long-distance lovers is hard, and the main problem has to be loneliness.
When Erin was upset for not getting the job she wanted, she could only vent her frustrations to Garrett over the phone. He wasn't around to offer emotional and physical support.
At that instant, I so wanted to tell her: 'I know how you feel.'
The reality is that you will inevitably find yourself in a situation where you have to choose between love and career.
Should I pack up and move Down Under or will he uproot?
Erin opted to give up her dream job in San Francisco to wait tables in New York City just to be with Garrett.
But deep down she knew it was a sacrifice she might regret.
Compromise
Compromise has to be made for any relationship to work. No one party should make the sacrifice all the time.
In the end, Garrett took the step to meet halfway, and re-located to Los Angeles.
They would still be long-distance, but at 500km away from San Francisco, Los Angeles was much closer and within the same time zone.
For me, the four years of long-distance love strengthened our relationship. He left his family behind and found a new one here in Singapore.
My husband never once regretted the sacrifice he made for me, and my sentiments echoed Erin's wise words: 'Happiness and contentment come when you marry your best friend.'
