Reviewed by
Kidzworld on Oct 25, 2007
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When a widower falls for his brothers girlfriend, things are bound to get complicated. Check out our review of Steve Carells latest flick, Dan in Real Life.
Dan Burns is an advice columnist who finds himself in a sticky situation when he realizes the woman he's in love with is his brother's girlfriend. Will he be able to follow his own brand of common sense advice? Read on for Kidzworld's review!
Dan in Real Life - Reality Bites
Dan (Steve Carell) is a widower with three daughters - Jane (Alison Pill), Cara (Brittany Robertson), and Lilly (Marlene Lawson). Although he writes a parenting advice column, he has a hard time managing his own life. He's over-protective of the kids, more than a little neurotic, and hasn't had a date since his wife died four years ago. But things are about to get even more tense when Dan and the kids head to his parents' house for a long weekend of family bonding.Dan in Real Life - The Real World
Dan's mom can sense the growing tension between father and daughters, and sends him into town to get the newspaper in order to give everyone the chance to cool off. While there, Dan meets a woman in a bookstore who takes his breath away. Marie (Juliette Binoche) is luminous, charming and funny. And best of all, she makes Dan smile again. Unfortunately she tells Dan she's in a relationship, but she agrees to chat with him again "as friends".Dan in Real Life - The Surreal Life
The real craziness comes when Dan returns to his parent's house to find that the bookstore girl is actually his brother Mitch's (Dane Cook) girlfriend. The two keep their earlier meeting a secret and try to pretend they don't have feelings for each other, but Dan struggles to act normally. As his behavior becomes more and more erratic, his family becomes more and more concerned about him. The growing tension will have to break at some point, but who is going to get hurt when it does?Dan in Real Life - The Bottom Line
Dan in Real Life is a bittersweet and witty romantic comedy about loyalty, love, and the balance between the two. Steve Carell, as always, turns out an authentic and subtle performance and Juliette Binoche is scene-stealing. Many of the "family fun" scenes are overly sweet and Kennedy-esque (does anyone actually do aerobics with their family on the front lawn?) but the bittersweet love story brings things down to earth. All in all, this is a likable date movie or girls-night-out flick.Dan in Real Life Rating:
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