Rated PG-13 for some innuendo.
Directed by Peter Hedges
Starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook…
Dan in Real Life was a creative story idea combined with a strong cast… but it just didn’t deliver the final product.
Widower Dan (Carell) goes on a family weekend only to fall in love with a lady (Binoche) he meets on an errand in town. He quickly discovers that this love of his life is his brother’s (Cook) girlfriend.
Although the synopsis might sound funny, the result was a little frustrating. I think Ben Stiller could have filled this role—the role of the pathetic man who begins saying and doing all the wrong things.
The story did turn for the better before totally spiraling out of control, but many of the situations seemed contrived and unrealistic. And one of his daughters will make you cringe throughout the entire film. To me, that’s just not entertainment.
If the movie is on cable and nothing else is on… sure. Why not? But only if it’s free.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Not young kids. I would probably let my mature teenagers watch it with me, but we’d be pausing the film at several points and talking about what we saw. One of Dan’s daughters is way out of hand and Dan is one of those parents who seems to just shrug his shoulders like, “What are you gonna do?” The film almost implied that the kids were as smart as Dad, so who was he to be telling them who they could date, etc.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
