Dan In Real Life
Rated PG-13 for some innuendo.
reviewed by Steven Harrell
In a month where most of the flicks that hit the theatres are either the latest slasher horror film or the early crop of Oscar contenders, “Dan in Real Life” is a family-friendly romantic comedy that is hilarious and enjoyable.
Story
Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is a widower who works hard to raise his three daughters and write his weekly family advice column. His own family is having their yearly reunion at his parents’ coastal Rhode Island home, so he and his daughters hit the road to be with everyone. On the drive up, we see that Dan seems to have a little trouble accepting the fact that his daughters are getting older. He refuses to let his 17 year old drive the car and grounds his 14 year old for life after finding out that she has a boyfriend.
Dan and co. are looking forward to a relaxing time away. Things look even better the next morning after Dan runs into a beautiful woman named Marie (Juliette Binoche) at the local bookstore, and the two seem to have a real connection. As it turns out, however, Marie is really Ann-Marie, Dan’s brother Mitch’s (Dane Cook) new girlfriend. The family loves her, especially Dan’s daughters, and everyone applauds Mitch for his choice and encourages Dan to try and find someone. The problem is, Dan is head over heels for Marie, and she seems to feel the same way. What’s a family expert supposed to do when he’s in love with his brother’s girlfriend?
Verdict
I really enjoyed “Dan in Real Life.” To me it has everything a romantic comedy should have. It’s funny and warmly sweet, with just a little bit of sugary sap. Most romantic comedies are either filled with loads of sexual/potty humor or they are so cheesy that only the most sentimental can stand to sit through them. “Dan in Real Life” is a great balance of romance and comedy, but the movie doesn’t make either aspect too explicit.
The performances of all the actors involved, most surprisingly Dane Cook (“Employee of the Month”), are spot on. In both his stand up and his movies he has always come across as a highly energetic frat-boy-next-door type, the kind everybody wants to hang out with but nobody wants to be roommates with. Here, he turns down the energy level and comes across like a really pleasant semi-loser that we almost feel bad for. He steps back more than once to let the actors around him shine, most notably during the family talent show when he and Steve Carell sing, “Let My Love Open the Door,” as well as during a touching family rendition of “Ruthie Pigface Draper.”
Steve Carell (“The Office,” “Evan Almighty”) is also his usual awkwardly funny self. His erratic movements meant to show off to the salsa instructor Marie are endearing; even more endearing is the way she smiles and pretends to be impressed.
Director Peter Hedges (“Pieces of April”) does an excellent job of creating a warm and amiable dynamic within Nana and Poppy’s home. I don’t come from a large and chaotic family like the Burns, but seeing this movie makes me wish that I did. The importance of marriage as a lifetime commitment is emphasized; pre-marital sex is discouraged; and the manners are strictly adhered to.
As odd as it sounds for a PG-13 romantic comedy featuring the star of the super raunchy “40 Year Old Virgin” and a stand-up comic known for shock humor and gross-out gags, “Dan in Real Life” is relatively clean. I’m honestly not sure what pushes it from PG to PG-13 territory.
Worldview
At the core of “Dan in Real Life” are the strong relationships between Dan and the rest of his family. Granted, he seems to be doing a pretty good job of raising three teenage daughters on his own, but even so he has still significantly fallen short with each of them. He doesn’t yet trust Jane to drive the car; he over-reacts when Cara wants a boyfriend; and he has a hard time giving Lily enough attention without a maternal influence. With his brother Mitch, Dan isn’t honest enough with him to tell him that Marie was the woman from the bookstore. Despite Dan’s apparent expertise in family relationships, he is far from doing everything right in his own life.
What I loved about this movie was the way in which Dan’s failing were honestly portrayed and how there was significant understanding and forgiveness by the end. After lamenting about how much he screwed up, his mom tells him to go fix it. By talking it out, apologizing, and then correcting his actions by letting Jane drive, admitting that love is possible to Cara, and paying attention to Lily, Dan really is able to make these relationships stronger. More than that, his family forgives him.
In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus, “How many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus replies that he should forgive his brother seventy times seven times, then in usual fashion he finishes the answer to Peter’s question with a story. I encourage you to read it for yourself (verses 23-34), but the gist is that there was a servant who was forgiven a huge debt by his master and still refused to forgive a relatively small debt he was owed by someone else.
By means of the cross, we have been forgiven of an incredible debt we owe due to sin. It’s a debt we could never hope to pay back, but God forgives us of it through no action of our own. Because of that, we should be conscious that those around us are going to mess up occasionally and, when they do, we should be understanding and forgive them just as we have been forgiven. The people close to Dan knew that he was a good, loving man who occasionally messed up and were willing to forgive him. It’s a great picture of the kind of love Christ calls us to have in “Real Life.”
Questions:
Which Steve Carell do you think is more funny, the clean family-friendly Steve (“Evan Almighty”) or crude-and-vulgar Steve (“40 Year Old Virgin”)?
Were you surprised by the low-key Dane Cook? Did you like the change or no?
Was “Dan,” the film, what you expected?
Do you come from a big family or a small one? Did the dynamic of the Burns’ remind you of your own family? How?
Does your family ever have reunions? What are they like?
Why do you think it is so difficult to forgive sometimes? Is there anyone that you need to forgive right now?