Have you ever watched the same movie for seven days in row? I don't think I ever have but after re-watching ONE rom-com six out of seven nights in row I now realize I just may be a rom-com addict! Or maybe I'm just anal retentive. Or maybe I'm just anal, period! I dunnknow. But after watching "Dan in Real Life" (2007) over, and over and over again I feel read good about putting it in my rom-com cannon. In fact I feel so good about "Dan in Real Life" that I've placed it ahead of such love juggernauts as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin", and "Sleepless in Seattle."
Is "Dan in Real Life" really THAT good?!?
Well, give me some leash, and lets see if ol'E.C. will hang himself, OR be able justify such lauded praise. Hmmm...
"Dan in Real Life" may have the best meet-lose-gets dynamic of all-time. And I'm dead serious about that. The things that Steve Carrell and Juliette Binoche can pull off with looks and mannerisms is a mesmerising sight to behold. Steve Carrell plays Dan, Juliette Binocheplays Marie, the girl Dan falls for after a chance meeting in bookstore. One minute Dan is pinings for Marie, the next he's suffering heartache because Marie is currently the girlfriend of his younger brother, Mitch (played by Dane Cook).
Subtext. For the most part, makes me cringe. BUT in this movie there is so much GOOD SUBTEXT I just smiled and smiled and smiled. Subtext shows jealousy. It shows frustration, it shows the true feelings behind the mask you're forced to wear in the presence of family. And Steve Carrell and Juliette Binoche do it so well.
Truth be told it took me three watching of "Dan in Real Life" to really appreciate Juliete Binoches fine acting in this movie. At first I was prejudice against her because in real life, I'm not really into the "travel the world" types," and that's what Marie, Juliette Binoche character is. But in watching this movie I really got into Marie, especically when she gets jealous of Dan during and after his date with the wild card character, Ruthie Drapper -- which is played BRILLANTLY, by the acting wonder that Emily Blunt is.
Emily Blunt doesn't get a lot of screen time in "Dan in Real Life" but what time she gets, she makes the most of. I loved how screenwriters Pierce Gardner and writer/director Peter Hedges set the Ruthie Drapper character up. Before the audience sees her, other characters in the movie openly make fun of Ruthie "pig-face" Drapper. YET Dan's mother played by Dianne Weist insists that her widower son go out on a date with Ruthie. THEN when the audience sees Ruthie Drapper, a vulnerable, tender-hearted professional, who's not deformed at all but just looking for a guy to have a romance with. All your expectations for this character change. She becomes a wild card character. Someone you're not sure who she is, but she's totally mesmerizing on screen.
Is the Ruthie Drapper character THAT interesting? Well, I bought her hook, line, and sinker. Good job Pierce and Peter! Solid work done dreaming the character up, then an even better job on screen put in by the marvel of acting that Emily Blunt is. Just watch her do her lines in the bar, and subtly flirt and make her romantic intentions known to Dan. VERY good stuff. And that techo song? TOTALLY worked on me; make adult act like juveniles the presence of they affections go out to. Yes it's subtext. It's funny, adults in love, juvenile subtext. And I loved. Love every millisecond of it. The set-piece in the bar, during Dan's blind date with Ruthie Drapper with his brother Mitch and Marie in attendance is a marvel to behold. So much is happening. Mitch is having his cute meet with Ruthie, Marie is forced to confront her own jealousy as a rival emerges for Dan's heart, and Dan gets the upper hand on Marie as now he's the one with scoring up a potential romance all while in the presence of Marie who set him on edge back at his parents house. Lot of dynamics in play here. I'm telling you, that scene in the bar is very special. You should watch it.
Though Marie was a tough sell for me personally to be vested in romantically, I totally fell in love with Marlene Lawston, who plays Lilly, Dan's young daughter. Okay, so I didn't fall romantically in love with her. But that little girl melted my heart. She was so damn cute and adorable. Whoever casted her, deserves an Oscar, because that little girl is special. Never doubt the power of a cute, little girl's smile. I haven't felt that way for a little girl since Sky McCole Bartusiak who played Susan Martin, Mel Gibson's character's youngest daughter in "The Patriot" (2000). Lilly in "Dan in Real Life" was a sweetheart. Very loving. Very personal. Very believable.
And there's a scene in this movie where Dan has to appalogize to Lilly for blowing her off a couple times when she wanted to her father an arts and crafts project she made for him. The project is a picture of their family on beach together. And it features Dan's wife, which is Lilly's mother who died. And Lilly looks a lot like her mom. And when Lilly hugs Dan after he apologizes it's like Lilly is speaking on her behalf that he has her blessing to go after Marie now. It's just moving. Again more brilliant concepts on display from Peter Hedges and Pierce Gardner. Good stuff guys!
Britt Robertson as Dan's middle daughter, Cara, is also outstanding. Cara's plight is she's a passionate teenager who's now forming her own opinions on romance, which seam ever in contrast with belief's held by her dad, Dan.
Great movies score highly in multiple categories. And I do NOT give my highest praise lightly. Hence, I watched the film repeatedly. But there is SO MUCH to like about "Dan in Real Life." The genius subtext of the meet-lose-gets portrayed by the two leads, Steve Carrell and Juliette Binoche, while their characters try to get though a three day family outing. Then there is the Bellamy/wrong guy, Mitch as played by Dane Cook.
You know in lieu of "Good Luck Chuck" (2007)" I never thought I'd want to see another movie with Dane Cook in it. "Good Luck Chuck" was so bad... and he was its star opposite Jessica Alba.
But Dane Cook as Mitch in "Dan in Real Life", different story. VERY good acting on display. Mitch has a respect for his brother that's very refreshing. And the looks Dane Cook gives when Dan first arrives at his parents house is very, very good work. He's not the primary character in this. Rather, he's just a brother glad to see his older brother, and just genuinely liking the family members reuniting. Hardly your atypical gotta-be-funny or down-right annoying character that many Bellamy's/romantic thwart character turn out to be in romantic comedies.
Mitch felt like a real person. Not a caricature. And that was refreshing.
As you've noticed by now I have gone on and on about this movie, "Dan in Real Life." It's just I think it's so good. And so good on many different levels. When you find a movie like that you wanna gush about it for a while. And so that's what I've done in this post; professed my love for this movie.
No, "Dan in Real Life" is not the funniest romantic comedy I've ever watched, but it does have some funny lines in it like:
Dan's daugher Cara, "Don't worry dad when it comes to sex, Marty is one who wants to wait."
Dan responds with, "What about that sentence is supposed to bring me comfort?"
Funny reversal because he's babbling in the presence of the one he loves. Set-up, Dan has just belittled Cara's boyfriend for the dangerous love that those two teenagers and engaged with, at which time, Cara's boyfriend surprises Dan's perception of love when he tells Dan that, "Love isn't a feeling, it's an ability." Then when Marie comments about love, the babbling Dan sites the the same line back to Marie as some kind of I bested you with my superior reason logic. Anyway, trust me, it was funny.
So, yes, "Dan in Real Life," has has some laughs, but comedy isn't its greatest strength. The power perfomances in "Dan in Real Life" is what carries this movie to the hights I've placed it at # 4 on my all-time greatest romantic comedy movie list toped by "13 Going on 30", "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days", and "While You Were Sleeping." And speaking of "While You Were Sleeping"...
I've come up with a new moniker, slash, sub-genre under the romantic comedy umbrella. I'm calling it the "fam-rom." The fam-rom is shortening of the full name of, family romantic comedy. In a fam-com, the family dynamic plays heavy in the romance between a couple.
"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett) is a fam-rom.
"The Family Stone" (2005: Sarah Jessica Parker) is a fam-rom.
"While You Were Sleeping" (1995: Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman) is a fam-rom.
And finally, "Dan in Real Life" is a fam-rom.
Fam-roms all have strong family dynamics which challenge the romance between two people in those families. Usually it's an emerging, new relationship between a man and a woman. And many fam-rom stories center around family reunions happening during the holidays.
So am I on to something with this new moniker, the fam-rom? Did I grade "Dan in Real Life" accurately? Well, I don't like programming other people's head and telling them what to think. So you tell me? Am I off my rocker with my unabashed love for "Dan in Real Life?" You be the judge.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
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