Dan in Real Life (2007)

This was a date movie for me. I took my fiancée out to dinner and a movie and this was the only remotely decent thing playing that we could agree upon. I’m very glad we did because this film is charming and really showcases Steve Carell’s versatility as an actor.

Dan in Real Life got more favorable reviews than it did negative ones, but it wasn’t garnering the kind of positive buzz that builds anticipation for a film in the minds of the masses. The film did have appeal from wildly different demographics because of its star, Steve Carell. When Dan in Real Life hit theaters Carell was still a big draw for young audiences because of his work on The 40 Year Old Virgin, Anchorman and The Daily Show. Older audiences and some bleed-over from the youthful demographic know and like Carell from his performance on The Office and Little Miss Sunshine.

It’s rare to get this kind of catch-all appeal but it worked for Dan in Real Life (to some extent). Its main competition on the weekend was the youth-magnet Saw IV and the next weekend would see the launch of the much-hyped American Gangster and the Jerry Seinfeld vehicle Bee Movie. The odds were certainly stacked against it but it persevered.

I don’t know what critics and moviegoers failed to see in this film, because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can see how some viewers and critics felt like the story was something out of a sitcom, but it all works because the story couldn’t be stretched into a TV show. I think the reason people took issue with it is because it doesn’t fit a specific comedy mold. It’s part romantic comedy, it’s part straight comedy, it has a few slapstick elements, some black humor and plenty of tongue-in-cheek wit. This causes Dan in Real Life to not fit any comfortable genre classification that people ultimately try to associate a film with.

I like films like this- the ones that are virtually unlike anything that has come before it. It’s unique and stands out in my mind. The uniqueness of the film comes from many different factors. Not only is the story good, but the writing and acting all heap goodness upon goodness.

Steve Carell stars as Dan, an advice columnist on the verge of national syndication. Every week people rely on his advice to clean up the messes in their lives. Ironically, his life is full of quirks and messes that he struggles with: he’s a middle-aged widower with three daughters (two of them teenagers) that he doesn’t completely understand. He and the girls head off to a family gathering, where we meet even more eccentric but endearing relatives.

Dan is set to fetch the morning paper in town, where he meets a lovely woman named Marie, played by Juliette Binoche. Dan and Marie awkwardly flirt, both realizing how silly it must seem to see middle-aged adults flirting like children without trying to be too obvious. It’s cute and appreciable. There’s a real emotional honesty in these scenes, as well as the rest of the film, that most romantic comedies fail to capture. Instead of absurd yucks, Dan in Real Life aims for heartwarming chuckles and it succeeds.

Marie and Dan say goodbye and she departs after receiving a phone call from her boyfriend. Dan feels a little bummed, buys the paper and heads back to his parents’ house. He returns only to find Marie fraternizing with his family. Turns out Marie is going out with Dan’s brother, played by Dane Cook. More humor and awkwardness ensues as the two try and work everything out over the course of the weekend.

Carell and Binoche really convey an honesty in their performances that is hard to come by. Despite the seemingly unlikely setup, they really make you feel like everything is real. Technically, it is all very possible, but they made it feel like it was never not possible that this all could happen. It just feels so genuine that it’s hard for me to explain.

And I think that genuine quality explains why its success was so limited. The theater I saw this film at was packed. Half the crowd was young teenagers and half were adults. The kids must have been disappointed because they didn’t laugh very often. Perhaps they thought this would be another 40 Year Old Virgin. The older crowd, myself included (I guess), had a good time. Most of the younger crowd probably told their friends not to bother seeing it because it wasn’t as good as Carell’s crude humor flicks. Older viewers may have recommended it to friends, but we adults are stingy about what we spend money on, so most are probably waiting for it to come out on video.

The disappointed young folk are wrong though. This is one of Carell’s best films to date and easily his best leading role. He excels at being normal- Dan is honest, sensible and vulnerable. Carell really shows his acting chops here because, while we already know he can make us roll with laughter, he invokes laughter from everyday absurdities and also works the audience’s emotional side. For a funny man to make you tear up is truly a beautiful thing.

The rest of the cast is spot-on in their performances. Dane Cook, who I normally can’t stand, is surprisingly normal, tolerable and effective as Dan’s brother. The daughters bring their characters to life and are wonderfully realistic. Every character builds in just the right places to make this film work.

It may be hard to tell from my rambling review, but I really, really liked Dan in Real Life. It’s emotional honesty and subtle humor goes a long way and is a refreshing change of pace from the typical Hollywood comedies. It’s a testament to Steve Carell’s abilities and I hope he goes far in his career. I highly recommend that you check this one out.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5