NOW ON DVD

DAN IN REAL LIFE
Rated PG-13
Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Dianne Wiest

Brian’s Rating       

Admittedly, I had a pretty good time watching Steve Carell’s movie Dan in Real Life, now on DVD. But before I sing its praises, there are two things I have to get off my chest.

A dismal little film called The Family Stone covered basically the same territory as Dan in Real Life a couple of years ago. Both films involved extended families reuniting over the holidays and both featured siblings competing over the same love interest.

Dan is without a doubt the better of the two, but still, their story lines are fairly close and you would think that the writers would have changed a few things to avoid obvious comparisons.

Second, Dane Cook, who plays a major role in this film, is a talentless goon and I have no idea why this guy is finding work in Hollywood. That being said, Dan in Real Life is an enjoyable comedy that gives Carell a chance to reopen the bag of tricks he used to create his character in Little Miss Sunshine for somewhat of an encore performance here.

A cloud of sadness hangs over most of the film, but there are enough funny moments to keep things upbeat and the presence of the remarkable Dianne Wiest and Juliette Binoche is an added bonus. Dan in Real Life is worth your time and money.