Dan in Real Life (2007)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Peter Hedges

Writers (WGA):

Pierce Gardner (written by) and
Peter Hedges (written by)

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Something's happening to Dan. It's confusing. It's awkward. It's family.

Plot:

A widower finds out the woman he fell in love with is his brother's girlfriend.

Plot Keywords:

Widower | Bookstore | Love | Vacation | Shore

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Steve Carell	...	Dan Burns
Juliette Binoche	...	Marie
Dane Cook	...	Mitch Burns
Alison Pill	...	Jane Burns
Brittany Robertson	...	Cara Burns
Marlene Lawston	...	Lilly Burns
Dianne Wiest	...	Nana
John Mahoney	...	Poppy
Norbert Leo Butz	...	Clay
Amy Ryan	...	Eileen
Jessica Hecht	...	Amy
Frank Wood	...	Howard
Henry Miller	...	Will
Ella Miller	...	Rachel
Cameron 'C.J.' Adams	...	Elliott

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some innuendo.

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:GP | Singapore:PG | Ireland:PG | Malaysia:U | Australia:PG | Philippines:PG-13 (MTRCB) | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:12 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43598) | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:Btl | Portugal:M/12 | Netherlands:6 | Finland:K-7 | Argentina:Atp | UK:PG | Mexico:A

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The name of the central family in this film is Burns, just as in Peter Hedges previous directorial effort Pieces of April (2003).

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: At the dinner table, when the topic of forgiving pasts comes up, the boom mic falls into the shot. John Mahoney even breaks character to look up at it.

Quotes:

Policeman: This is going to cost you
[writes a traffic ticket]
Dan Burns: Put it on my tab.
Policeman: What was that?
Dan Burns: [Aside] Put it on my tab.

Movie Connections:

References "Bonanza" (1959)

Soundtrack:

Ruthie Pigface Draper

Plan to Be Surprised with a Delightful Movie

The widower family man Dan Burns (Steve Carell) writes the column "Dan in Real Life" giving advices for families in The New Jersey Standard and raises his three daughters alone. Jane (Allison Pill), the older, has just got her driving license but Dan does not allow her to drive; Cara (Brittany Robertson) has a crush on his high-school mate Marty; and the young Lily (Marlene Lawston) misses her mother. When Dan and his daughters travel to Rhode Island for a family reunion, he meets Marie (Juliette Binoche) in a bookstore and they spend hours talking to each other. They feel attracted for each other, but Marie receives a phone call and leaves Dan, giving her phone number first. Dan immediately falls in love for Marie, but when he return to his parent's home, he finds that Marie is the girlfriend of his wolf brother Mitch Burns (Dane Cook), who is also in love with her. Along the weekend, the attraction between the clumsy Dan and Marie increases and they have to take a decision.

"Dan in Real Life" is a great surprise and a delightful movie, with comedy, romance and drama. The chemistry of the gorgeous Juliette Binoche and Steve Carell is awesome and it is very easy to know why everybody loves Marie. The trio Allison Pill, Brittany Robertson and Marlene Lawston is fantastic and their characters are responsible for some of the best moments of this story. The screenplay is wonderful and the performances of the talented actors and actresses are stunning, with a realistic behavior of a family meeting. Follow the advice of Dan's column and plan to be surprised with the reunion of the Burns' family. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Eu, Meu Irmão e Nossa Namorada" ("Me, My Brother and Our Girlfriend")