Movie Review: Dan In Real Life

Title: Dan In Real Life

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Director: Peter Hedges

Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes

Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook

Release Date: October 26, 2007
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Tagline: Something's happening to Dan. It's confusing. It's awkward. It's family.

Storyline:

Dan Burns (Steve Carell), a widower and parenting advice columnist, meets a beautiful stranger (Juliette Binoche) in a bookstore and is instantly smitten.

The Good:

This is a comedy that relies heavily on family dysfunction to bring about the humor. Watching Dan (Steve Carell) in awkward situations is alternately hilarious and painful. As Dan's life becomes more and more frustrating, the movie gets funnier.

I fully believed Dan's loneliness and struggles to be a good dad. I've never really cared for Steve Carell, but I found him to be a bit charming here.

The plot is straightforward and easy to follow.

The Bad:

There's not much of anything bad I can say about this movie. I know it won't be for everyone, but I like it.

"You are a murderer of love!"

If this were a book:

Hmm, I don't know if I would read this. I don't think the humor would come across quite as well, and the physical comedy would be hard to express.

Final Thoughts:

This is another movie that I enjoy watching whenever I need a pick me up. It never fails to put a smile on my face. There is a great cast playing the supporting roles of the extended family members. Unfortunately, there are so many that each one gets very little screen time. Even though it has a pretty simple plot, it still manages to be funny and realistic. There are a few cringe worthy moments that annoy me, like the pig face song, but otherwise this is a very witty and entertaining movie.


*Movie Reviews inspired by Chick Lit Fridays at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.*