It's hilarious and painful as only real situations can be, and Hedges directs his excellent cast, with sensitivity and wry humour.
Dan in Real Life (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:162
Fresh:104
Rotten:58
Average Rating:6.2/10
Consensus: The fine performances elevate Dan in Real Life beyond its sentimental plot.
Australian Rating: PG [See Full Rating] Infrequent sexual innuendo
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Genre: Comedies
Australian Theatrical Release:
Feb 14, 2008 Wide
US Box Office: $47,559,919
Synopsis: Just as LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE did in 2006, DAN IN REAL LIFE reveals that Steve Carell is an actor who can do more than just comedy. He's won both accolades and awards as bumbling boss Michael Scott... Just as LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE did in 2006, DAN IN REAL LIFE reveals that Steve Carell is an actor who can do more than just comedy. He's won both accolades and awards as bumbling boss Michael Scott on THE OFFICE, but there's a greater depth to this performance as a single father and man in love. Advice columnist Dan Burns (Carell) has his hands full with three daughters that he's not willing to let grow up. The girls still grieve for their mother who died four years ago, and Dan hasn't made any attempts to date. So he's pleasantly surprised when he meets Marie (Juliette Binoche) at a bookstore when he goes to his parents' Rhode Island home for the annual family reunion. But his joy is short-lived when he discovers that she is dating his brother (Dane Cook), forcing Dan to hide his feelings and chemistry with Marie. Carell adeptly balances his role's humor and heartache, while Binoche (CHOCOLAT) is radiant as ever. Comedian Cook (GOOD LUCK CHUCK) shows surprising talent as the third leg of their love triangle. Through his duties as director and co-screenwriter, Peter Hedges deserves much of the credit for creating a film that is sweet without being sappy. Even though he's working with a far bigger budget than he did for his directorial debut, PIECES OF APRIL, he still maintains the feelings of intimacy and honesty that made that film such a critical favorite. What could have been a standard romantic comedy of errors turns into a strong film that goes deeper than many of its peers in the genre. DAN IN REAL LIFE also succeeds thanks to its soundtrack from Norwegian indie pop musician Sondre Lerche. The singer's compositions, both originals and favorites from his career, perfectly suit the film's tone and moods. [More]
Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, John Mahoney
Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, John Mahoney, Emily Blunt, Dianne Wiest, Alison Pill
Director: Peter Hedges
Director: Peter Hedges
Screenwriter: Pierce Gardner, Peter Hedges
Producer: Jon Shestack, Brad Epstein
Composer: Sondre Lerche
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
Reviews for Dan in Real Life
A charming, though occasionally off-target -- and consistently tempo-challenged -- romantic comedy.
Una comedia romántica muy menor, predecible e intrascendente que desaprovecha por completo el talento de un buen elenco. Una lástima.
I prefer a little more dysfunction in my dysfunctional family comedies.
Carell seems to be at his best when he is put in awkward situations and is forced to make a fool out of himself, and there are plenty of those moments in Dan in Real Life.
Alas, [Hedges'] forays behind the camera with Pieces of April and now Dan in Real Life indicate he's got Sundance intentions but a Hallmark Channel soul.
Writer/ director Peter Hedges likes to touch on deeper emotional truths, but he doesn't have the courage to really probe his characters' struggles in a meaningful way.
Because it touches on the universal themes of loss and love so honestly, it is a film that feels authentic even in its many contrivances.
...ultimately succumbs to an egregious emphasis on inauthentic elements...
I wound up enjoying most of what I saw, despite its familiarity and predictability. The film's got a good heart.
It attempts to take a Three's A Company situation and mix it together with a widower trying to raise three children. This is not cool.
Dan in Real Life is a film willing to admit that love is messy and that family, no matter how strained, is still the most perfect cauldron within which to ferment all those things that make life worth living...
It's hard for a film like this not to come off as too sweet, but this grown up comedy manages in making it a real gem.
Writer-director Peter Hedges ('Pieces of April') maintains a perfect balance between the comedy and the romance.
Latest News for Dan in Real Life
March 10, 2008:
RT on DVD: Call It, Friend-O -- No Country For Old Men Hits DVD
The critically-acclaimed, Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men comes to DVD this week, accompanied by a litany of fellow Fresh films (Lake of Fire, Summer Palace, Dan in Real... More...
December 13, 2007:
Fifty-Nine Songs Vying for Best Song Oscar Nominations
When they sit down on January 15th to determine the Best Song nominees for this year's Oscars, voting members of the Academy's Music Branch will have plenty of tunes to choose... More...
November 01, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Bees and Gangsters Slug It Out For #1 Spot
Following a sluggish fall season, November kicks off with a bang this weekend with two high profile films both reaching for the number one spot while appealing to vastly... More...
October 28, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Fourth Saw Pic Generates $32M Debut
For the third straight year, the weekend before Halloween was ruled by a $30M+ opening from the Saw franchise proving that the horror series is still the top choice for those... More...
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