This is a rather odd, but often engaging "coming of age" film. Set in the mid 1950's before the "sexual revolution" would take place a decade later, the film is reminiscent of other "pre- revolution movies" such as "Summer of 42" or "Racing the Moon" where sex is a major preoccupation of the main characters. Of course these boys, having returned from the service, are now considered men, and the film is as much about breaking free from a former childhood life and forging ahead to mold a new adult one, as it is about sex. The film does take a rather strange approach in that it allows us inside Sonny's imaginative mind where we occasionally see his sensual daydreams as well as his neurotic fears and worries. While such moments are interesting and often funny, they aren't used often enough to establish that as a recurring plot device. Additionally, they're often a bit jarring when we don't know whether they're really happening or are just part of Sonny's mind working overtime.
Unfortunately, all of that, and the story in general, has a rather haphazard feel to it that prevents the audience from totally connecting with the characters. Some of this can be attributed to director Mark Pellington who makes his first jump to the big screen from MTV, a medium where strong plots aren't always the greatest objectives. The characters, however, are what makes the film standout from being just another 1950's sex romp movie. Played by Jeremy Davies ("Spanking the Monkey," "The Locusts") and Ben Affleck ("Chasing Amy"), the characters are always fun to watch, particularly Davies. He has a bright, but potentially limited future ahead of him playing slightly demented characters (that comprise most of his acting portfolio so far). He'll probably become typecast in such roles, but when he's allowed to play a somewhat "normal" character, he really shines. When doing so in this film, though, he bears an uncanny and striking physical resemblance to a young Anthony Perkins. Given those looks and his penchant for playing the slightly (and sometimes greatly) wacky characters, he's a shoo-in should they ever make another "Psycho" movie (For his sake and ours, let's hope they don't).
Smaller parts, played by former big stars, are also a highlight of the film. Jill Clayburgh is hilarious as the stereotypical conservative suburban mom, while Lesley Ann Warren is outrageous in her brief time on screen. Despite all of that, the story is just mediocre in keeping us interested and we never really believe that Gunner would be interested in hanging out with a guy like Sonny. While we're supposed to infer that the Korean War changed him from a jock to an introspective guy, it feels more contrived than realistic. Although the characters and a few scenes give the movie several bright moments, they don't add up to a great film. Had the story been a bit stronger, we would have liked the film more, but as it stands, we give "Going All the Way" a 4.5 out of 10.