Life just happens in ‘Dan in Real Life
Where we picture ourselves going in life isn’t always where we
end up. When I was 4 or 5, I said I wanted to be a doctor, marry a
cowboy and have 10 children
– at least that’s the story my parents tell.
That changed early on and when I was 16, my friends and I all
had clear pictures of where we would be in a decade. We would
complete doctorate degrees in our early 20s, be married by 26 and
the first of a couple of kids would be on the way.
Life just happens in ‘Dan in Real Life
Where we picture ourselves going in life isn’t always where we end up. When I was 4 or 5, I said I wanted to be a doctor, marry a cowboy and have 10 children – at least that’s the story my parents tell.
That changed early on and when I was 16, my friends and I all had clear pictures of where we would be in a decade. We would complete doctorate degrees in our early 20s, be married by 26 and the first of a couple of kids would be on the way.
Needless to say, neither version of my future came to fruition and I am still happy with the outcome – although I do work in San Benito County, so maybe marrying a cowboy is still a possibility. As John Lennon put it best, “life is just what happens when you are busy making other plans.”
This is really the premise of “Dan in Real Life.” Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is an advice columnist for a New Jersey paper who is raising three girls on his own. His wife died four years earlier and he has yet to fully recover. While he is spot on when giving advice to other parents on how to deal with their teens, he is sometimes at a loss about the best way to handle his own kids. His oldest, Jane, (Alison Pill) is angry that he won’t let her drive. Cara, (Brittany Robertson), is angry because her father disregards her feelings for the boy she loves – he says its not really love, though she has known him for three weeks and knew after three days.
Only Lilly (Marlene Lawston) is talking to him on the drive to his parents’ house for a family reunion, but he quickly upsets her, too. When they arrive at the Massachusetts seaside, Dan’s siblings are already there. He has two brothers and a sister, who are all paired off, and the two married siblings have plenty of kids bouncing around. His other brother has a guest coming so Dan is sequestered on a cot in the laundry room for the entirety of the visit.
The next morning, when his children still aren’t speaking to him, his mother (Dianne Wiest) sends him out to “get lost.” While out Dan thinks he has found someone great when he runs into a French woman in the tiny village town. He finds himself telling his entire life story to her over coffee and a muffin. But alas, Marie (Juliette Binoche) reveals she is in a new relationship and not available, though the attraction is undeniable. Dan returns home and tells one brother that he met someone and soon the entire family knows. But unfortunately, he soon realizes his brother Mitch’s (Dane Cook) new girlfriend “Annie” is his Marie from the town.
Through the rest of the movie Dan tries to deny his feelings for Marie with plenty of comic mishaps – including a fully-dressed shower and a fall from the roof. The pairing of Cook, who started as a stand-up comic, and Binoche, who is known for French films and high-brow fare, is so unlikely it almost makes a Carell-Binoche pairing seem realistic. The duo has much more chemistry than expected.
The movie has its heart-breaking moments, though, as Dan tries to reconcile with his daughters while keeping away from Marie. One of the great things about the movie is that even though Dan is an adult and raising his own kids, his mother still picked up on plenty and had ways to punish him for bad behavior. After being rude at the dinner table, Dan gets sent to do the dishes – alone – while everyone else plays charades.
Coming from a close-knit family I could relate to some of the moments in the house. News spreads like wildfire and there are no secrets. And everyone always has plenty of advice to offer, even when you don’t ask for it. When his parents try to talk to Dan about dating again, each of his siblings and in-laws puts their two cents on what he should do. The advice ranges from “unclogging the drain” to “open yourself up for love.”
Though I would have preferred more interaction between Dan and his daughters, the writers did a good job of showing their relationships. It is clear how much he cares about his girls when he makes peanut butter sandwiches for their trip. One has bananas, one has jam and one has honey – all have the crust cut off. The daughters in the film really act their age. In a lot of movies, young characters are written to act much younger or older than they should, or so extremely bratty that it ruins the film. The girls just seem like typical kids – focused on themselves without being obnoxious about it and sure no one will ever think their dad is hot.
Expect a good mix of laughs and tears, with a happy ending, just like in real life.
