I think I first noticed Steve Carell in The 40 Year Old Virgin even though I had seen Bruce Almighty before that. Since then, I've seen Carell in a few other movies like Little Miss Sunshine and Evan Almighty as well as his television show The Office. I like him and have been interested in seeing his new movie Dan in Real Life for a while now.
Dan Burns wrote a popular advice column that might be picked up for syndication. Unfortunately he wasn’t able to deal with his own problems as well. He was still grieving over the death of his wife while trying to raise his three daughters. Jane was upset with him because he wasn’t letting her drive. Cara said she was madly in love and Dan wasn’t handling it well. The youngest Lilly seemed to be struggling to get her dad’s attention at times. Dan and his girls headed off for his parent’s house where the entire family would be for the yearly tradition of spending time together while getting the house ready for winter.
Dan went out the first morning and met Marie in the local bookstore. The two had an instant connection and spent a long time talking before she had to leave. She did give him her phone number even though she had recently started dating someone. Dan was feeling hopeful and his family was thrilled when they heard he’d met someone he was interested in. He was stunned when his brother Mitch introduced his new girlfriend and it was Marie. The two tried to hide their attraction but Dan’s increasingly odd remarks and behavior are noticed.
There wasn’t anything really complicated about Dan in Real Life. It was about a man and the problems he was trying to deal with in his life. His problems did get more complicated once he realized he was falling in love with his brother’s new girlfriend and his family decided to meddle in his love life. I wasn’t exactly sure how one or two situations would work out, but there really wasn’t any suspense in the movie. A couple of things were actually somewhat predictable, which could disappoint some people. The pace was a bit slow, especially when the characters and situations were introduced, so some people might be bored. Several things about the movie did remind me of The Family Stone though Marie was welcomed by the family instead of what happened to Meredith. I did like this movie better than The Family Stone.
I think that Dan in Real Life was promoted wrong and I feel that will ultimately hurt the movie because the movie won’t be what people are expecting. The trailers and ads I saw for the movie really played up the comedy aspect of the movie, making it seem like this would be a really funny movie with a touch of drama. Instead, it was more of a drama with funny moments here and there. I did enjoy the movie and thought it was entertaining, but I think there will be people disappointed with the movie since they will be expecting some very different. This isn’t a hysterical comedy even though I did think some things were very funny, like when Dan decided to dance. Anyone expecting the type of comedy that Carell did in The 40 Year Old Virgin or Evan Almighty will more than likely end up disappointed. The comedy in this movie was more subdued for the most part, though there were a few silly moments and even a bit of physical comedy. It was silly how Dan was the one that had to sleep in the laundry room with a dryer that was so noisy it sounded like someone tossed a brick in with the clothes. For some reason, the dryer just had to be running at night when Dan went to bed. I did think the humor that was used worked well. One thing, involving a song Mitch made up, was a bit mean spirited and could turn some viewers off.
Dan’s family was very important to what was going on. He was trying to do the best he could to raise his daughters even though he didn’t always connect with them. The whole point of the trip was to spend time with his family and they were at least around in the background of many scenes. Dan loved his family, but it was clear that he was irritated by them at times, which I think is normal. Everyone in the family was concerned about him and kept trying to meddle. They did mean well even though they did seem to be slightly critical at times. The family did get along well for the most part despite some disagreements. At one point the family turned incredibly cold to Dan after something happened, which did make them look a bit judgmental. Some of the activities the family did together, like the talent show, were a little corny. It was nice to see a family in a movie that was more normal in how they were interacting with each other instead of being sickeningly sweet or fighting constantly. The family didn’t always get along perfectly, but it was clear that they loved each other.
I’m not really sure why Dan in Real Life was rated PG-13. I honestly can’t remember any of the characters swearing and the word that rhymes with luck was never used. There were a few discussions that were sexual in nature without getting too descriptive or graphic. In one scene Marie was shown getting in the shower and while she wasn’t shown naked, it was made clear that she had taken off her clothes. The closest the movie got to a sex scene was when a few characters were shown kissing different times. There really wasn’t anything offensive in the movie, though I don’t think this is a movie for children. I just don’t think they would be interested in what was going on.
Dan still missed his wife and he hadn’t tried to start a new relationship with anyone else since her death. He wrote a very successful advice column but had trouble dealing with things in his own life. He wasn’t dealing well with the fact that his daughters were growing up. I really liked Steve Carell as Dan. He said and did several things that made me laugh even though he has been funnier in other movies. This role did show off more of his range as an actor. Unfortunately some people won’t give the movie a chance since it isn’t the same type of comedy he’s done before.
None of the other characters received as much attention as Dan. Marie was important to what was going on, but there really wasn’t a lot shared about her. It was briefly mentioned that she had traveled a lot and she acted like a really kind, caring woman, but that was it. The character really didn’t have any substance. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like her. There just wasn’t much to her. Juliette Binoche was fine in the part. I did think that she and Dane Cook didn’t really fit well together as a couple for some reason that I still haven’t really figured out. Mitch was more in the background when he was around. Dane Cook had more to do in Employee of the Month and Mr. Brooks.
The rest of the family, even Dan’s daughters, weren’t really developed. Jane kept bugging her dad to let her drive and she was starting to think about where to go to college. She did seem to be level headed most of the time. Alison Pill was fine in the part. Cara kept dramatically telling everyone how much in love she was and she had a bad attitude in general. She talked horribly to her father and I really didn’t like her at all. Brittany Robertson was fine in the part. Lilly was the youngest and didn’t have the same issues as her sisters, but Dan also saw her as younger than she was. She did seem to get ignored with everything that was going on with her sisters. Marlene Lawston was really cute. John Mahoney and Dianne Wiest were really wasted as Dan’s parents since they barely did anything other than just be in the backgrounds of scenes. Wiest did have a few more lines than Mahoney. The rest of the family was just sort of around and didn’t contribute much.
Main Cast
Juliette Binoche - Marie Emily Blunt - Ruthie Steve Carell - Dan Burns Dane Cook - Mitch Burns Marlene Lawston - Lilly Burns John Mahoney - Poppy Burns Alison Pill - Jane Burns Brittany Robertson - Cara Burns Dianne Wiest - Nana
Peter Hedges - Director
Dan in Real Life was a bit different from what I thought it would be based on the trailers. Despite that, I still really enjoyed the movie and think it is worth seeing. Fans of Steve Carell should give it a chance, though some may be disappointed that the movie doesn’t have the same type of humor as some of his other movies.
Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, TV's The Office), Hollywood's leading funnyman, stars in the hilarious comedy that's bursting with charm - a mov...More at eCOST.com
Steve Carell (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, TV s The Office), Hollywood s leading funnyman, stars in the hilarious comedy that s bursting with charm - a mov...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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