Dan in Real Life (2007)

Director:

Peter Hedges

Writers (WGA):

Pierce Gardner (written by) and
Peter Hedges (written by)

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

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

Plot:

A widower finds out the woman he fell in love with is his brother's girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Bookstore | Love | Widower | Vacation | Shore

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Steve Carell	...	Dan
Juliette Binoche	...	Marie
Dane Cook	...	Mitch
Alison Pill	...	Jane
Brittany Robertson	...	Cara
Marlene Lawston	...	Lilly
Dianne Wiest	...	Nana
John Mahoney	...	Poppy
Norbert Leo Butz	...	Clay
Amy Ryan	...	Eileen
Jessica Hecht	...	Amy
Frank Wood	...	Howard
Henry Miller	...	Will
Ella Miller	...	Rachel
Cameron 'C.J.' Adams	...	Elliott (as Cameron 'CJ' Adams)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some innuendo.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:GP | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Malaysia:U | Australia:PG | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43598) | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:Btl | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:6 | Finland:K-7 | Argentina:Atp | UK:PG | Mexico:A | Brazil:Livre

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Largely based on co-writer Pierce Gardner's personal experiences on years going to summer vacations at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware with his wife's extended family.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: At the dinner table, when the topic of forgiving pasts comes up, the boom mic falls into the shot. John Mahoney even breaks character to look up at it.

Quotes:

Dan Burns: What don't I understand, Cara? Please, help me out. What is it? Is it frustrating that you can't be with this person? That there's something keeping you apart? That there's something about this person that you can connect with? And whenever you're near this person, you don't know what to say, and you say everything that's in your mind and in your heart, and you know that if you could just be together, that this person would help you become the best possible version of yourself?

Movie Connections:

References "Bonanza" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Modern Nature

A Delightful Treat for Adults

The most satisfying element about "Dan in Real Life" is that the relationship between Dan (Steve Carell) and Marie (Juliette Binoche) makes sense and is beautifully realistic. The casting of Oscar-winner Juliette Binoche as Dan's love interest was a superb decision; she is exceptionally talented, intelligent, naturally attractive and, thank goodness, appropriately aged for the part! Had this movie been made with Jessica Alba or Scarlett Johansson, it would have been a disaster.

Another wonderful aspect about "Dan in Real Life" is that it is a perfect film for adults who are interested in a mature comedy that leaves out the three pillars of the "frat pack" formula: dumb chicks, chauvinistic guys, and sleazy jokes. "Dan in Real Life" is witty and has fun, intelligent laughs throughout. Whereas other comedies incorporate or are almost entirely based on jokes that shock the audience into laughing, the jokes from "Dan in Real Life" are more natural and clever, and involve some thinking on the part of the audience.

My only problem with "Dan in Real Life" is that the rebellious, middle daughter is played too outrageously by actress Brittany Robertson. It's difficult to say if this was a personal choice on her part or a choice by the director. Either way, her character is unrealistic and annoying. But, this is only a minor flaw in the film, and does not take away from the story as a whole.

All in all, "Dan in Real Life" is a great film, a fantastic escape from the redundancy of offensive and dumbed-down comedies. The quality of the writing, directing, acting, and (especially) cinematography is excellent. It is simply a beautiful, light-hearted comedy.