Hollywood should thank its gold-plated lucky stars for Steve Carell. His comic genius is such that he can make even the most predictable and drawn-out movie interesting to watch. That’s exactly what he does in his new film “Dan in Real Life.”
The film follows single dad and advice columnist Dan Burns (Steve Carell, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” TV’s “The Office”) as he takes his daughters (Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson and Marlene Lawston) to a family gathering. He meets Marie (Juliette Binoche, “Chocolat,” “Bee Season”), a charming and intelligent woman, in a bookshop and instantly falls for her, only to discover she’s the new girlfriend of his charismatic brother (Dane Cook, “Employee of the Month,” “Good Luck Chuck”). Dan and Marie feebly attempt to hide their attraction to one another as tension builds to an emotional conclusion to the family weekend.
This movie was much better when it came out in 2005 and was called “The Family Stone.” Yes, “Dan in Real Life” and the Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle are eerily similar, from siblings swapping significant others to the idyllic northeastern setting. This movie feels way too long and lacks sense throughout much of its plot.
It’s also highly predictable. For example, it’s clear from the beginning of the film who will end up with whom, simply because Dane Cook seems glaringly much too young for Juliette Binoche. Cook and Binoche barely speak to each other and show no real chemistry. If you didn’t know they are together, you’d wonder why Carell doesn’t just go for it, thus eliminating any sense of real conflict from the plot.
But there are a few bright spots in the film. Though director and writer Peter Hedges (writer of “About a Boy”) tends to neglect character development across the board, he writes emotionally in-tune dialogue with a number of truly funny exchanges thrown in for good measure.
Steve Carell essentially carries this film on his able shoulders. When he’s broken hearted, you feel for him. When he embarrasses himself, you can feel the awkwardness. And when he’s happy, you can’t help but smile. For his widower character, Carell channels a little of Michael Scott from “The Office” and a lot of Uncle Frank from “Little Miss Sunshine.” The combination works, as Carell portrays a floundering father who’s getting another shot at romance. In short, “Dan in Real Life” would be nothing without Carell.
Dane Cook is practically invisible in this movie. He has nothing to do, and frankly, that probably did the film a favor. You don’t want an emotional brotherly heart-to-heart to be concluded with a joke about Jolly Ranchers or laundry in a dryer. Cook does a decent job, but he brings nothing refreshing to the table.
The three girls playing Steve Carell’s daughters, on the other hand, do a magnificent job. They stay away from the grating tendencies of child actors to be precocious and pithy. Instead, the girls are real daughters who genuinely act like they love their dad while being frustrated with him on a daily basis. Brittany Robertson, who plays middle daughter Cara, particularly shines in her role as she captures the angst and insanity of young love in a spot-on way. She has some of the best lines in the film and brings a fun silliness to the otherwise bland proceedings of the film.
Aside from the occasional funny moments, this movie drags on without much purpose. You could fall asleep in the middle of the film, wake up before the end and not miss much. “Dan in Real Life” has the potential to give you a warm fuzzy feeling, but not much else.
