Dan in a Real Life

Dan in a Real Life

Dan Burns (Carell) is a single father who dedicates his life to his children, but one day he meets Marie (Binoche) at a bookstore. but then Dan finds out that Marie is actually dating his brother, Mitch Burns (Cook).

he ads for Dan, starring Steve Carell as a widowed dad who falls for his bro's girlfriend (Juliette Binoche), show the actor with his head on a plate of pancakes. It's an appropriate metaphor, since the recipe here is to stack up the awkward, comedic situations and to top it all off with sap. Carell and Binoche do make a sweet couple, but this rom-com fare—albeit tasty at times—isn't as substantial as it should be.

The Bigger Picture: Meet the boisterous Burnses. Every autumn, this close-knit clan gathers at the Rhode Island home of Nana and Poppy Burns (Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney) for bonding time and gobs of family activities. These guys have crossword puzzle tournaments, perform talent shows, make crafts, play games, bowl, bake, sing and Jazzercise together! It's all a little too precious and movie-ish. It's also somewhat disappointing, given that writer-director Peter Hedge's previous films—What's Eating Gilbert Grape, About a Boy and Pieces of April—depict edgier, more complex family relationships. That's real life!

Dan, an advice columnist, arrives at this New England lovefest with his three rebellious daughters. Taking a break from all that togetherness, he wanders into a local bookstore where he meets Ms. Right, er, Marie (Binoche), who suddenly makes Dan feel like a man again. But—bummer for him—this alluring, articulate woman turns out to be the new girlfriend his brother Mitch (Dane Cook) proudly introduces to the family.

During the long weekend, Dan and Marie attempt to avoid each other, even as their mutual attraction grows. But then—as is the movie's repetitive pattern—desperate Dan does dumb stuff to embarrass himself and to confound his family, and then the lonely loser stares off sadly as everyone bustles around him.

Don't look for big yuks here. Dan is more understated than you might expect, though it occasionally detours into sitcomland. Fortunately, Carell can handle these wrong turns and tone shifts, but like the film, he's better in quieter moments, revealing a charming vulnerability and earnestness. Though this doesn't serve as satisfactory recompense for the sins of Evan Almighty, Carell does demonstrate why he's one of our more winning seriocomic actors.

The 180—a Second Opinion: Sure, Binoche is luminous, and anyone would fall in love with her. But we never get to know Marie very well. Neither does Dan actually, since during their fateful bookstore meeting, he talks only about himself for hours and hours as she attentively listens. Typical self-involved dude, right?