Dan in Real Life

Steve Carell plays the title character, Dan Burns, an advice columnist who's been widowed for four years. He's a nice guy and a great father to three daughters. The only problem is that he's very overprotective with his daughters, especially with his two eldest daughters, Jane and Cara. Jane (Allison Pill) wants to get a driver's license but Dan won't let her and he prevents Cara (Brittany Robertson) from seeing her boyfriend. Dan and his kids go to Rhode Island for their annual visit with his family. During the visit, he meets Marie (Juliette Binoche) and they have a great time together. After their time together, Marie tells Dan that she can't see him anymore. To make matters worse, Dan finds out that Marie is dating his brother Mitch (Dane Cook), who invites her to stay for the entire visit. The whole trip becomes awkward for Dan. Carell makes you root for him the whole way through. You feel for him because his character feels this strong connection with this woman that he hadn't felt in years. His whole family makes him feel like the odd man out, since he is the only single person there, with the exception of his daughters.

There is some fantastic music by Sondre Lerche, a great cast, a well-written script and great direction. You must see Dan in Real Life if only for Carell's performance. It is also filled with sweet and touching moments. It will be a new addition to my list of favorite movies.

Review written for IMDb July 31, 2010