Its premise fits in squarely with any number of family reunion movies – the ghastly, inferior “The Family Stone” comes immediately to mind – yet “Dan in Real Life” invites a stretchy and surprising comparison to “The Weather Man,” directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Nicholas Cage. Though tonally and stylistically very different, both films feature sad sack protagonists who, for differing reasons, can’t seem to pull their lives together. In the case of Cage’s character, David Spritz, the damage is largely self-inflicted through an inability to change what can be changed and, crucially, accept what cannot be changed. For Steve Carell’s Dan Burns, a successful advice columnist on the verge of syndication, the trouble stems from persistent grief over the death of his wife. Both men live in situations that hinder more than help, although Dan arguably has a supportive family to ease his burden. Both must learn how to move forward. These are kindred stories, in a way, although where “The Weather Man” employs fatalism that leads to cautiously hopefully stoicism, “Dan in Real Life” opts for the full-bore optimism of a romantic comedy. Unfortunately, “Dan in Real Life” doesn’t come to its conclusion with the same relentless honesty possessed by “The Weather Man.”
Before getting to that, it’s worth pointing out just how lovely a movie “Dan in Real Life” is. Steve Carell delivers a sympathetic, quietly funny yet also sad performance opposite the always-magnetic Juliette Binoche and amidst a reliable ensemble cast that includes Dianne Wiest. Watching “Dan in Real Life,” with its low-key, unfussy direction and cinematography and a down-to-earth script, is almost like watching a “Little Miss Sunshine” or similar fare with an indie vibe. Almost.
A Tidy Bow for the Ending
But back to discussing conclusions: The problem with “Dan in Real Life” stems from the romantic comedy bow-tie ending, which comes after otherwise spot-on comic-drama. In itself, the ending isn’t wrong for the movie. “Dan in Real Life” could have played for tragedy, but that wouldn’t have stayed true with the film’s spirit. Yet to achieve the happy resolution, the scriptwriters resort to wholly unnecessary cheating – at 95 minutes in length, extra running time to flesh out key details would have been preferable to taking convenient (and not wholly convincing) shortcuts. In a film whose greatest strength is the ability to evoke visceral reactions toward all the characters, the ending fails to truly take advantage of the drama set up throughout the film. Or, rather, the drama hinges on a sudden and inauthentic reversal of trends within the story. Where Dan is, fairly and unfairly, both the target of his daughters’ anger and prone to be treated as an unruly child by his parents for what seem like minor things, the biggest emotional collision – a climactic nova – provokes a suddenly sweet about face. The resulting tidiness casts a superficial pallour on the film’s otherwise rosy complexion.
At the least, there is a thrill in watching Carell and Binoche weave and dodge through family hurdles with their budding and improper romance. While Dan doesn’t ultimately come to benefit from an altered worldview a la David Spritz, thereby blunting the film’s ambition, this story of someone coming back to life after having been emotionally dulled is disarmingly sweet and worthwhile.
Entertainment Value: ** (out of two)
Technical Quality: ** (out of two)
Dan in Real Life. Directed by Peter Hedges. Written by Pierce Gardner and Hedges. Starring Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney and Emily Blunt. 95 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for some innuendo).
