Going the distance and looking backwards

When the Drew Barrymore/Justin Long movie, "Going The Distance" came out last year, it seems the studio couldn't quite make up their mind on the right poster. Was it going to be Drew and Justin getting cozy against a brick wall, hugging under the Brooklyn Bridge, or a combination of the first two options?


Well, it's safe to say that none of the options above did much to sell the picture, since it only grossed an anemic $40 million worldwide (versus a $32 million production budget and probably at least half that in marketing costs) during its run -- which is probably why the DVD sports a whole new image that seems to sell it as a more wacky comedy using one of the modern tropes of movie poster imagery...


Yes, it's "the bickering people separated by a door" scenario, a setup that promises conflict, frustration, and lots and lots o' laughs (in theory, anyway). It's possible the studio remembered the graphics for 1996's Jamie Lee Curtis/Kevin Pollack (alleged) yuk-fest, "House Arrest"...


Or maybe the much funnier "Mrs. Doubtfire" from 1993...


But it's more likely that all those films were inspired by this memorable one-sheet from the 1989 John Hughes movie, "Uncle Buck"...


But before we wrap up today's subject, let's not forget the granddaddy of all "Bickering People Kept Apart In A Bisected Frame" cinema...


(Yes, that's Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert in one of the best remembered scenes 0f "It Happened One Night.")

Comments

Sandy said…
Nice post which ame out last year, it seems the studio couldn't quite make up their mind on the right poster. Was it going to be Drew and Justin getting cozy against a brick wall, hugging under the Brooklyn Bridge, or a combination of the first two options. Thanks a lot for posting this article.
September 2, 2012 at 10:32 AM
Danielle said…
Nice post whichall those films were inspired by this memorable one-sheet from the 1989 John Hughes movie. It's possible the studio remembered the graphics for 1996's Jamie Lee Curtis/Kevin Pollack . Thanks a lot for posting.
September 6, 2012 at 12:14 PM
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