Dan in Real Life (2007) PG-13
Carrell Delivers More Than a Touch of Real Life
The world, naturally enough, sees America through the prism of its entertainment exports.
Which is pretty scary when you consider what is out there in record stores, and theaters from Durban to Dortmund, and everywhere in between.
It was quite a surprise then, to find a normal, functional family, on display in one of 2007's sleepers, Dan in Real Life, starring man-of-the-moment, Steve Carrell.
Carrell is Dan Burns, New Jersey advice columnist. A kind of Newark Dear Abbey. He is also the father of three daughters - desperate to drive Jane, in love with being in love Cara, and resident social commentator - Lily. Dan has been raising the girls alone for a number of years after his wife's sudden death from illness.
Funnily enough, Dan's columns are about all things family, especially raising teens. Something he clearly thinks he has under control.
As the movie opens, with the family packing up to head out to Rhode Island to Dan's extended family's annual retreat, control is the last thing he has. His oldest is battling her Dad's obstinance regarding her driving. The 14 year-old is in the dramatic grip of life's true love, having known the boy for three days. And the youngest deftly injects her intelligent, well-informed opinions right when they aren't needed. Seems like we all have one of those!!
Not dysfunctional, but rather, alarmingly, real-life functional.
Upon arrival in Rhode Island, the gang are exhausted, frazzled, and ready for some space. Dan's space turns out to be a bed in the laundry, as his room has been given up for his younger brother Mitch's new girlfriend. Mom and Dad Burns have a strict "separate rooms before marriage" policy.
Next morning, on an errand from his darling Mom, Dianne Wiest, Dan bumps into fellow out-of-towner Marie, and unexpectedly falls madly in love over a muffin and coffee.
Dan floats home, falling foul of the State Troopers in the process, and arrives with the news that he has finally 'met' someone. There is a catch, in the form of Marie's current boyfriend.
At this point, the plot twists deliciously with the introduction of brother Mitch's new love, of course, none other than the beautiful Marie.
From there, things don't quite descend into farce - although there is significant humor with Carrell lending his prodigious gift for comedy to proceedings - rather Dan in Real Life exposes its heart in this warm and loving treatment of the joys of family.
The resulting action ends up taking the viewer from fits of laughter to tears, in seconds, as Dan's yearning for love and companionship plays out against his fierce loyalty to his family.
Full of enjoyable characters, with a clean and witty script to support it, Dan in Real Life is one of the movies of 2007, and celebrates that at times, it is indeed the dysfunction that makes us all function.
Dan in Real Life is available through all repected DVD and Blu-Ray outlets worldwide, and is rated PG for thematic elements.
By Brett Stringer
