Second Chances
I was awfully excited to see Dan in Real Life when I saw the trailer back in 2007. I liked the cast, I liked the autumn setting, I liked the romantic comedy angle, I liked the Pete Townshend song playing. When I saw the movie a few weeks later, I felt disappointed that those things didn't add up. It's not that I didn't like the movie -- I thought it was fine -- but it seemed slight and didn't deliver on the promise I had built up in my head based on that trailer.
Watching it again on DVD, I could better see the movie for what it is than for what I wanted it to be. Yes, it's still slight, but that's one of its strong suits. It's a fairly rare commodity -- a comedy drama not about situation or plot mechanics, but about character and observable human behavior. It's sweet and believable; only in those moments that go a little to broad (a few beats of physical comedy) does the film falter.
The Story
The movie stars Steve Carell (already a major plus) as advice columnist Dan Burns, a widower with three young daughters. He's a great father and popular writer, but masking some deep sadness and loneliness. In a bookstore one day, he meets Marie, (Juliette Binoche) a woman he instantly connects with -- only to discover upon arriving at his annual family vacation that she's dating his younger brother (played by stand-up comedian Dane Cook). For the rest of the vacation, Dan has to hold it together while keeping his growing love for Marie a secret causes him to slowly unravel.
Strong Work from Two Comedians
It's difficult to describe the plot of Dan in Real Life and make it sound very interesting. That's because like a lot of good movies, the excellence is in the details -- it's the writing, the atmosphere and the performances. And Dan works in all of those departments. Co-writer/director Peter Hedges made a great choice in casting Carell, who does his best work here. He automatically engenders so much goodwill with the audience that we like him within seconds of knowing him, but Carell isn't also afraid to show us Dan's flaws. It's great that Carell chooses to do movies like this and Little Miss Sunshine to balance out his movie star turns in product like Evan Almighty and Get Smart. It proves that he's interested in being a real actor.
The same could be said -- almost -- of Dane Cook's performance in the film. Cook has been the star of some bad movies, but his supporting role in Dan in Real Life should serve as an example of the kind of parts he should be choosing. It actually helps that Cook brings a lot of baggage to the role; we know his persona through his stand-up and massive media exposure. That means we understand his character within seconds of meeting him -- he's a little cocky, a little insecure. He is, in many ways, the anti-Dan/Carell. Cook never pushes the comedy, delivering a relaxed, natural performance (he's got a great moment where he throws a small tantrum and calls for his mom after having his heart broken). Dan in Real Life suggests that Cook could be a real actor, too, but only if he's always this smart about choosing roles.
Dan in Real Life crept up on me. Now that I've warmed up to it considerably, I see that it's actually an easy movie to warm up to. DVD makes it kind of a perfect Saturday afternoon movie -- probably because I love that gray sky, sweater-wearing, New England atmosphere. I suspect I'll end up revisiting the movie at least once a year, because I like the way it makes me feel. Not many movies are able to do that.
DVD Details:
- Release Date: March 11, 2008
- Running Time: 98 minutes
- 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround (English)
- Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (French)
- Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (Spanish)
- English, Spanish and French Subtitles
- Rated PG-13 (for Some Innuendo)
- Studio: Fox
DVD Bonus Features:
- Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Peter Hedges
- Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary
- Outtakes
- "Just Like Family" Making-of Featurette
- "Handmade Music: Creating the Score" Featurette
