"It doesn't do anything new or groundbreaking, but it does revisit the simpler side of comedy, which is difficult to find these days. Whether it is the depiction of family bonding, Carell's winning performance, or Binoche's natural beauty, the film as a whole doesn't play tricks, it simply comes as it is."
Steve Carell has become a recent and rather unpredictable force in Hollywood. After breaking into film with The 40-Year-Old Virgin and landing the starring role in the NBC sitcom, The Office, he was destined to become the next familiar face of comedy. So what next? Most comical actors tend to become typecast and recognized for a certain shtick that wears thin over time. But it seems as though Carell has a knack for selecting just the right roles (I will forget for a minute here that Evan Almighty was even made). Rather than bringing to the table what we remember from prior roles, he has not only played more versatile humorous roles, but also serious ones. He has the opportunity to do a little of both in Dan in Real Life.
Dan Burns (Carell) is a popular columnist who dishes out advice on how to maintain good relations with family and friends, and does so with a touch of classy, clean humor. What his squeaky column doesn't reveal is his real life. Dan is a widowed father with three daughters who doesn't know the first thing about meeting their needs. His oldest Jane (Allison Pill) resents him for not letting her drive and his middle Cara (Brittany Robertson) is a emotional mess straight out of junior high who thinks she is in love with a local boy, and it is only a matter of time before his youngest Lilly (Marlene Lawston) goes through the same phases.
The lonely Dan gathers up his daughters for a vacation family get-together at a Rhode Island cabin. The cynical and shy Dan finds more than he bargained for upon arriving when he meets a bookworm beauty (Juliette Binoche) at a local bookstore, and even manages to snag her phone number. This hope bombs into a state of hopelessness when he arrives at the cabin to find that the mystery woman, Marie, is staying as a guest with his athletic brother Mitch (Dane Cook). A much-needed getaway with family turns out to be a world of torment for Dan as he falls hard for Marie, is given redundant advice by his family members, and learns even more the challenges of raising three girls.
The premise of Dan in Real Life is probably one of the more unoriginal ideas thought up this year. Upon seeing the trailer, I wondered why the world needed another mediocre, Parenthood clone about family members trying to understand one another and find themselves. However, on this one I am going to refer to that old-fashioned philosophy that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. Beyond the so-so gags presented in the advertisements, Dan in Real Life is one of those rare treasure chests that holds back on the truly appreciative moments for the admission-payers.
One of the best things about this movie is that it is simple, sweet, and effectively funny. Because it doesn't actually thrust anything outrageous upon the viewer, I found Dan in Real Life difficult not to like. Most screenwriters reach frantically for ideas when the premise involves a man going away to a cabin to spend a week with his family. This could include assigning flamboyant quirks to each and every family member. The father could have been a cranky pervert, and the mother could have been an overbearing mess. Instead they are played with care and normalcy by the wonderful John Mahoney and Diane Weist. Most of the really excessive humor comes from Dan's middle school daughter Cara. But guess what? Girls that age really act that way whether they realize it or not. Seeing these characters interacting with one another throughout the film reminded me of my own family, and that is precisely what made it funny. There are rarely absurd misunderstandings or gross out jokes. These characters seem much more genuine than one-trick, comical ponies.
Steve Carell has really established himself as a genuinely talented actor, and he has done so more impressively than other comical actors. Rather than overindulging in loud humor and then hitting the serious stuff as Jim Carrey did, Carell actually began his career with variety. With The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Little Miss Sunshine both on his plate with critical acceptance, it is much easier to accept him for whatever role he chooses. As Dan he plays the awkward and tense card, but does so with the grace of every flawed person I've met in life. This is particularly evident in a scene where Carell attempts to dance with rigidity. As the love interest, Juliette Binoche is spot on as a woman closer to Dan's age rather than a young, popular chick that trendy moviegoers would recognize. Even Dane Cook manages to play things right as Dan's brother. Known for his over-the-top comedy, Cook is actually backgrounded at times despite his star status and does not chew up scenery like a comical Tasmanian devil.
As much as I didn't expect to say this following the screening, I actually love this movie. It doesn't do anything new or groundbreaking, but it does revisit the simpler side of comedy, which is difficult to find these days. Whether it is the depiction of family bonding, Carell's winning performance, or Binoche's natural beauty, the film as a whole doesn't play tricks, it simply comes as it is. If you are feeling a tad overwhelmed by what passes for comedy today, then Dan in Real Life is the breather you may be looking for.
Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com
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