Actually a really good movie. I was pleasantly surprised by it, because I wasn't expecting much from it. I thought that was a good point at the end, when Steve Carrell's character says we should tell our children they should expect to be surprised by... (read more) Actually a really good movie. I was pleasantly surprised by it, because I wasn't expecting much from it. I thought that was a good point at the end, when Steve Carrell's character says we should tell our children they should expect to be surprised by life. I'm not really sure the woman he loved was worth all the hassle he went through...I mean, she was pretty content with the brother for most of the movie. But it was still a cute story, and VERY funny.

I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but for the vast majority of the movie, Dane Cook turned down his zaniness and delivered a decent performance that left you feeling kinda bad for the guy. Steve Carrell has this patheticly lovable loser... (read more) I can't believe I'm actually going to say this, but for the vast majority of the movie, Dane Cook turned down his zaniness and delivered a decent performance that left you feeling kinda bad for the guy. Steve Carrell has this patheticly lovable loser act down pretty pat. The only thing is that the ending was a little too Hollywood for my taste after 90 minutes of just pure unadulterated misery, but it wasn't too bad.

this looks like a good movie, but i think that the soundtrack (sondre lerche and a fine frenzy) would completely make it

When a widower (Steve Carell) goes on vacation with his three daughters up to their favorite vacation spot with the rest of the extended family, he happens to fall for a woman (Juliette Binoche) who just so happens to be dating his brother (Dane Cook... (read more) When a widower (Steve Carell) goes on vacation with his three daughters up to their favorite vacation spot with the rest of the extended family, he happens to fall for a woman (Juliette Binoche) who just so happens to be dating his brother (Dane Cook). Romantic-comedy, moreso romantic, has its moments with Carell providing his fair share of "that was awkward" moments, but overall the abundant sentimentalism gets to be almost overbearing after a while. Still, not a horrible movie, despite the film's ending in how it tries to make you feel all warm inside, when you really can't just because of how everything unfolds.

Why do all his movies suck?

This was a fine movie. Steve Carell is great, Juliette Binoche is beautiful, and the whole family dynamic displayed is excellent. Almost everything here turned out how I wanted it to.

This isn't Evan Almighty or Get Smart Steve Carell, this is The Office Steve Carell. Dan In Real Life is among the best of his movies, and I can safely say that this is almost as good as Anchorman or Little Miss Sunshine.
Did you know other people w... (read more) This isn't Evan Almighty or Get Smart Steve Carell, this is The Office Steve Carell. Dan In Real Life is among the best of his movies, and I can safely say that this is almost as good as Anchorman or Little Miss Sunshine.
Did you know other people were in this movie besides Michael Scott? Who knew! Emily Blunt along with John Mahoney deliver top-notch performances, although the wrecking ball in all of this is Dane Cook. Didn't like him in Employee of the Month, and I didn't like him here.
Peter Hedges and Pierce Gardner's screenplay is one of the best of 2007. Hedges' directing is wonderfully indie and doesn't try too hard to make its filming location in Rhode Island look like the most beautiful landscape in fair New England.
Dan In Real Life is no 40-Year-Old Virgin, however Carell brings a performance that redeems the credibility he lost in Evan Almighty. A quiet little dramedy that teaches you that life is full of surprises, ones both good and bad, and to just ride it out and hope for the best.

There's nothing groundbreaking about Dan in Real Life -- it's a picture that could have been made 10 or 20 years ago -- and yet its easygoing, affable nature is exactly what makes it pleasurable.

For all its by-the-numbers plotting, Dan in Real Life is winningly good-natured and funny.

Steve Carell's pursed-lipped awkwardness and sweet buffoonery are both in fine form, but those endearing qualities aren't nearly enough to salvage Peter Hedges's incorrigibly hackneyed film.

The plot tickles sitcom, but the film is a winner because Carell and Binoche follow Hedges' lead and keep it real. Sharing their company really is a pleasure.