He writes an advice columnist, although he seems to be in need of advice himself.
That's the backdrop to “Dan in Real Life,” starring Steve Carell.
Dan must drag his daughters, including Cara, played by Brittany Robertson, to a long weekend get-together. Cara is so in love she can't stand it and she can't stand her father.
And what a family Dan has, with scads and scads of siblings, siblings-in-law and nieces and nephews.
His parents (Dianne Wiest and John Mahoney) have a rustic Rhode Island home with enough room to accommodate them. Dan is stuck sleeping in the laundry room off the kitchen. The first night, mom throws wet clothes in the dryer and turns it on as he readies for a night of sleep. He must drift off to the thump, thump, thump of the dryer.
Dan has a lot on his mind, his rebel daughters, his loneliness over the loss of his wife and his anxiety over possibly getting his column syndicated.
Mom suggests Dan go to his favorite book store to relax. She even gives him a dollar to buy a newspaper.
There Dan meets and falls for a sparkling woman played by Juliette Binoche. (Remember when she was French?)
After a day of pouring out his soul to this woman, he goes home excitedly to tell the great mass of relatives about his newfound friend and new outlook on life.
His euphoria lasts about two minutes, because brother Mitch (Dane Cook) arrives with his new girlfriend. Yep, it's the Binoche character.
Dan fades into the background while the family takes to the newcomer, during their days of eating, crossword puzzle competition, family football and the like.
There's a funny scene in which one daughter, played by Alison Pill, slips into the bathroom to talk to the Binoche character about life's problems. Unfortunately Dan happens to be in there talking to her. He is forced to hide in the running shower . It gets worse.
There's also another great screne with the pair going bowling.
You can't help but feel sorry for Dan. You also get a sense this is a real family, active and funloving and supportive, no matter what.
Also, the film is family-friendly. No nudity, no obscenities, no violence.
So bring “Dan” into your real life.
DAN IN REAL LIFE
• Directed by Peter Hedges, written by Hedges and Pierce Gardner
• Runtime: 98 minutes
• Rated PG-13 for innuendo
• 4 stars out of 5
From WEEKENDER, Sept. 19, 2008
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