Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn they ain't, but because they've had a romantic relationship in real life, Justin Long and Drew Barrymore have a believable chemistry that makes "Going the Distance" worth going to. More or less.

Occupying a middle ground between Hollywood convention and indie invention, this renovated romantic comedy could be called "(Six) Weeks of Summer." That's the time allotted to record label talent scout Garrett (Long) and aspiring reporter Erin (Barrymore) before the latter leaves Manhattan for grad school in San Francisco.

But after 42 days of playfully dating with no strings attached, they decide their relationship is serious enough to try sustaining it long distance. That means cutesy-cum-creepy scenes of them texting, video-chatting and attempting phone sex, to the consternation of Garrett's beer-commercial compadres: sensitive-but-slovenly Dan (Charlie Day, who adds some dimension to a cardboard character) and cougar-seducing Box (Jason Sudeikis, who is hard to take).

On the western end of the cyberlink, Erin bunks with her married sister Corinne (scene-stealer Christina Applegate). Corinne advises her little sis to forget about the New York newspaper gig she covets and to pursue a practical opportunity in California — particularly after sex-starved Garrett pays a weekend visit and treats the family's dining-room table like a waterbed.

In the inevitable crossroads confrontation, the surprise is that Garrett is more emotional than Erin. Long is such a likably easygoing actor that his dramatic potential is underrated, but in the safe company of his friend Barrymore, he effectively trades schtick for sincerity.

"Going the Distance" was directed by documentary veteran Nanette Burstein ("The Kid Stays in the Picture"). While it's both too crude and too commercial to be mistaken for journalism, the good news is that the headliners deliver.