Film: “Going the Distance”, by Emmanuel Lopez

During the summer of 2010 when I was moving for the second time in just 3 months, I was seeing Drew Barrymore’s new movie poster all over Toronto. I loved this poster because of the affectionate, fun image of the couple. I later discovered that Drew was in a relationship with her co-star Justin Long when they filmed this movie. Their real affection showed on the poster.

When I finally saw her movie Going the Distance, I was happy to see that their real-life chemistry was also captured in the film. In fact all the characters seemed so real and so likeable. I read that there was a lot of improvisation that made the interactions and laughter seem real because they were real. Most of all, I loved that the main characters bonded over a love for movies.Going the Distance 2010

The comedy Going the Distance is about a couple who do their best to have a long distance relationship. Erin (Drew Barrymore) lives in San Francisco and Garrett (Justin Long) lives in New York City where they first meet.

The night they meet, they return to Garrett’s apartment and are sharing their favourite movies. Garrett is proud to say that he is a big Top Gun movie fan pointing to a poster of Tom Cruise hanging in his room. Erin then shares her favourite, The Shawshank Redemption.

Suddenly Garrett goes silent and there is a dramatic pause. He then recites a line from The Shawshank Redemption imitating Morgan Freeman’s character in the film. They both laugh and their eyes connect deeply. You can actually FEEL the moment they connect and fall in love.

Connecting over a shared passion or love is a powerful thing. It’s an emotional bond that can last a lifetime. I believe this is part of the power of social media like Facebook. People are connecting with others because of their preferences and personal interests. You get to express your “likes” or comments on what other people are posting.

Expressing a passion, a love or personal interest can lead to meaningful relationships both online and in person. Be confident to share what is meaningful to you whenever you can. You may be surprised with how many like-minded people you bond with! Or “love-minded”!

Emmanuel Lopez

Featured in The NEW YORK TIMES, The WASHINGTON POST and The TORONTO STAR. Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman is an Author, Motivational Speaker, Movie Blogger and an award-winning illustrator. THE WASHINGTON POST has featured his blog, Movies That Motivate for its motivational tips and inspiring movie examples. Emmanuel helps individuals increase PASSION and build optimistic mindsets through articles in ZOOMER MAGAZINE, EXAMINER.COM and empowering keynotes and seminars at organizations such as TD Canada Trust, Ontario Ministry of Finance, The Art Institute of Boston and Royal Ontario Museum. For info on booking keynotes and seminars see: www.motivatorman.com