These days, romantic comedies like Dan in Real Life are about as anticipated as in-flight meals and for good reason. See if you recognize the plot for this romantic comedy starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche. Carell plays Dan Burns, a Dear Abby-like columnist who is also a widower with three adorable daughters. Dan goes Home for the Holidays (oh my, that’s the title of another family movie; one of many movies whose memory this one evokes). Once home, Dan falls for Marie (Juliette Binoche, radiant as ever) at a chance meeting in a bookstore and comes home to realize that she is his brother’s (Dane Cook) new girlfriend also joining the family for the holidays. The rest of the movie is about the two finding each other through family obstacles.
Steve Carell the Romantic Lead
Hollywood must have sincerely longed for their next romantic comedy hero after Tom Hanks, Kevin Kline, and Steve Martin aged a little and moved on to more dramatic or challenging roles. The qualifications essential for this role is someone who is easily likable and appeals to a wide demography if only by virtue of not offending any single demographic group. Ben Stiller’s career is in a tailspin, Will Ferrell is popular but also a bit wacky and more suited for the teen and youth crowd, and Jim Carrey is pricey and risky in a tame role. That leaves Steve Carell, an actor who is popular with middle America as per the ratings on The Office, NBC’s hit sitcom, and also with the young crowd for his memorable straight-laced performance in the risqué comedy, 40 Year Old Virgin.
Formula for Making Dan in Real Life
The formula for Dan in Real Life is simple. Take Steve Carell, an inoffensive actor, bankable to boot, stick him in a family-based romantic comedy like, “The Family Stone” (wait a minute, just use the story of The Family Stone and give the lead a gender twist and smooth out some of that movie’s edge; and for additional plot, raid While you were Sleeping) and you get Dan in Real Life. Then you cast the alluring Juliette Binoche for the international market, cast Dane Cook to cover the Generation X demographic, throw in precocious kids and wise grandparents, and voila, you get Dan in Real Life, a sometimes charming, many times flat, mostly predictable, and ultimately a retread of a movie.
Rent the DVD only—as a movie to watch with your slightly grown up kids if you’ve run out of options; during your Thanksgiving break when the household audience has quite an age range and you want something right down the middle to appease everybody; or if you’re alone and stuck on a plane and just want something to not upset your airplane meal.
Additional Details
- Director: Peter Hedges
- Writers: Pierce Gardner and Peter Hedges
- Rated: PG-13 for some innuendo
- Runtime: 98 minutes
