![]() For everyone else, it’s at the very least, the setup for the driving plot of the second and third act. For those who love books, or perhaps belong to the “old souls club”, this is likely to be the sexiest flirting scene you’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. Whether by coincidence or fate, he ends up at a local bookshop (on a pier! how awesome is that?!) and meets a mysterious, yet soothing woman named Marie (played by co-star Juliette Binoche). Finally, at the merciful suggestion of his mother ( Dianne Wiest), Dan goes for a drive and some much-needed solitude. Sure enough, not long after settling in, Dan is treated to a house full of relatives who constantly pry about where his relationship status may be. A Thanksgiving get-together that our main character attends more seemingly out of obligation than desire. The adventure rolls forward when Dan and the girls pack up the family station wagon and head to grandma and grandpa’s seaside cabin in Rhode Island. “You’re a good father, but sometimes a bad dad.” -Lilly, Dan in Real Life And just when it seems like Dan’s youngest, Lilly ( Marlene Lawston), remains in faithful admiration of her father, she delivers a stinging line of dialogue, when asked why her sisters might be mad at him. Widowed with three daughters, you can’t help but feel for this man who spends the first few scenes walking around in a routine-like stupor, while his two older daughters, Jane and Cara ( Alison Pill, Britt Robertson), make it abundantly clear how much he is letting them down in different ways. ![]() It soon becomes apparent, however, that Dan is not as successful in putting his own words into practice. Dan Burns is a successful advice columnist, specifically family advice. The movie opens with an immediate introduction to Dan in his….real life. There’s no whizbang punchlines or profound plot twists (even the main hinging conflict was somewhat forseeable), but there is an ensemble here that partners with the script to create a very digestible watch. The film doesn’t set out to say “hey, do you love Steve Carell’s front and center comedic performances? Then this is the one for you!”. Like any good story, Dan in Real Life does not rely on the quality or likeability of one actor’s performance alone. It has a certain subdued quality to it that some may not be drawn to, but I think that’s why the product works overall. That this movie would not be in someone’s list of favorite Steve Carell performances, would not necessarily surprise me. The resulting success proved that Steve Carell has a lot more to offer and it arguably paved the way for audiences to more readily embrace other titles of a similar feel in the genre such as “ Beautiful Boy“, or “ Welcome to Marwen“. “If you pay close attention to the narrative formula, you quickly realize that it’s a Hallmark Channel movie with slightly better acting and production quality” -Reel Ramblin’ĭirected by Peter Hedges and starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche, 2007’s “ Dan in Real Life” was one of Carell’s first cracks at broadening his scope of talent beyond strictly comedy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |