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

Colour:

Colour

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

Filming Locations:

New Jersey, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

The duet that Frank Wood and his wife perform in the family talent show is "La ci darem la mano" from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Don Giovanni". The duet is a seduction scene in which Don Giovanni convinces Zerlina to leave her fiancé.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The cop takes Dan's driver's license after his accident and then later Dan says he can no longer drive because he doesn't have a license. Although the police can take your license in lieu of a cash bond, they can not take away your driving privileges. You can still drive while waiting for your court date by using the ticket as your driver's identification. Typically only your state's DMV or a judge can revoke your driving privileges.

Quotes:

Cara Burns: You don't have to worry because when it comes to sex, Marty is the one that wants to wait.
Dan Burns: What part of that sentence is supposed to give me comfort?

Movie Connections:

References The Graduate (1967)

Soundtrack:

Nasty Girl

A One-of-A-Kind Movie Experience

I was lucky enough to see this at a pre-screening last night (Oct. 20) and I was incredibly surprised by the wonderful plot and genuinely heart felt acting.

While the plot is not particularly complicated or exceptionally new, the story unfolds in a way that feels fresh, unique, and distinctly "indy" in style. It isn't something that can easily be compared to films of the past, it's a unique take on a sort of classic middle-aged depressed love story.

I was particularly struck by the casting of the film. Down to every last extra in the family, it was a beautiful and talented cast. The three daughters did a wonderful job, the talent was evenly dispersed between them and none of them "out-shone" the other two.

It was truly a delightful film, appropriate for all ages and laugh out loud funny while also being truly touching and heart warming. It was a wonderful break from the sex jokes and nudity of recent films.