Movie Monday: A Long Distance Relationship, Assisted Deaths, Summer Romance, and International Traveling

First off, I would like to apologize for not having a Movie Monday blog last week. I had worked two jobs the week before and movie watching took a backseat. I'm not complaining though, since I made a good amount of money (in which some of that ended up going toward some movie purchases, hehe) and helped out two of my girlfriends.

Without any further delay, lets check out the movies I watched last week.

Going the Distance



Erin (Drew Barrymore) is a summer intern for a newspaper and Garrett (Justin Long) works for a record company in New York City. They meet at a bar and instantly click. Six weeks later, Erin has to go back to San Francisco. They decide to continue their relationship, despite the distance between them. Over the next year or so, they try to see each other as often as they can (with a surprise visit or two) while researching job transfers to the other side of the country. As their attempts at living in the same town seem to continually fail, they continue to hope that someday they will have a future together.

I am not a fan of long distance relationships.. it just never seems to work out (I am not talking about those separated by military tours). However, I do like the realistic approach this movie takes when it comes to making things work. I loved Erin and Garrett's chemistry, especially when they first met and bonded over video games and useless trivia. The comedic timing of all the actors (including Christina Applegate and Jason Sudekis) were awesome! It wasn't the best chick flick I've seen, but it was very enjoyable. Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

You Don't Know Jack: The Life and Deaths of Jack Kevorkian



In the 1990's, Dr. Jack Kevorkian (Al Pacino) comes up with an idea to help out people who are terminally ill and have given up on life. He, along with his sister Margo (Brenda Vaccaro), Neal Nicol (John Goodman), and others, provide physician assisted suicides to those seeking out the end to their pain and suffering. That is, until the D.A., the governor of Michigan, and the legislature step in. Dr. Kevorkian finds himself in the middle of a murder trial, in which he argues that his patients wished to end their lives and that he has done nothing wrong.

I haven't really done my research on the controversial practices of Dr. Kevorkian, but I did enjoy watching this movie as I learned. Some of the patients stories made me understand why they made the decision to end their life, since I know that suffering a painful disease is on my list of "things I don't want to experience." When one of his friends asked to assist in her death, my heart tugged a little when I saw how he reacted during the process. This was one of the movies where I didn't notice Al Pacino; all I saw was Dr. Kevorkian... which is a very good thing. Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars


The Last Song



Ronnie (Miley Cyrus), a rebellious teen from New York City, is sent to North Carolina with her brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) to spend the summer with their father (Greg Kinnear). Ronnie meets Will (Liam Hemsworth) in an unpleasant way and wants nothing to do with him, but he is interested in breaking her rebellious attitude. They bond over rescuing sea turtles and end up starting a summer romance with each other. Despite a few people against the idea of them as a couple they continue to see each other. Then Ronnie's dad ends up in the hospital, revealing a secret that turns her world upside down.

I read the book at the end of 2009 knowing that the movie was already filming. Nicholas Sparks wrote this novel with Miley Cyrus in mind for Ronnie. I thought she did very well. I was disappointed that a few things were omitted from the film (some key plot moments in relation to Blaze and (especially) Marcus, as well as the real reason why Ronnie's parents divorced). I also didn't picture Greg Kinnear as the father, but I grew to like him in the role as I watched the film. I recommend that my friends read this book to get a fuller story. Rating 3 1/2 out of 5 stars


Eat Pray Love



Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) has reached a crossroads in her life. After realizing she has never given herself the opportunity to do any self-discovery, she decides to put all of her belongings in storage and go overseas for one year. First she goes to Italy to discover the beauty of absolutely delicious food. In India, she learns the power of prayer and meditation. Finally, in Bali, she find her inner peace.. and love.

Yes, this is a chick flick, but it's different. How? Well, for the majority of the movie, Elizabeth is working on her, not a relationship. It's a breath of fresh air. I loved that she stepped out of her comfort zone and did what she wanted to do. It made the travel lover in me want to do the same thing Elizabeth did (but with a couple different destinations). I need to read the book that this movie was based on, and maybe someday, I will find myself on the other side of the world with a small agenda and endless possibilities! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars