Movie Review: Dan in Real Life
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that although this Steve Carell comedy
is fairly tame overall, it does include some violence,
innuendo, and other iffy behavior (Dan and Marie share a
shower, they lie to Dan's family, and Dan flirts with Marie
inappropriately in front of his whole family). Dan also gets a
black eye and a broken nose and is in a minor car accident. A
mother's death is mentioned, and a teenager lies to her father
about dating a boy (he sneaks up to make out with her on the
family vacation). One character makes jokes about "self-love"
and "unclogging the pipes," which may lead tweens to ask about
sex and masturbation. Language includes one use of "f--k."
Families can talk about the difference between how love is portrayed in movies and how it is in real life. Why do you think so many movies pair depression and misery with love? Is it funny to watch romantic movies like that? Why or why not? How fun do you think it would be to actually be in a relationship like that? In this movie, Dan and Marie lie about their attraction and end up hurting a lot of people. Remind kids that anyone you have to hide or lie to your family about probably isn't the right person for you.
Common Sense Media Review
DAN IN REAL LIFE is kind of like
8
Simple Rules ... for Dating My Teenage Daughter
on vacation. There's the same father-daughter dynamic and
the same hapless-but-loving dad. And, overall, the film is just
as family-friendly and cute as the
John
Ritter TV show -- with a few notable exceptions.
Four years after his beloved wife's death, newspaper columnist Dan ( Steve Carell) is devoted to their three daughters. But the teen girls are quickly moving out of his control. Cara (played with the perfect amount of melodramatic hyperbole by Brittany Robertson) is in love for the first time and lies to her father about it, sneaking off to smooch her new fella. Parent-ified Jane (the stoic Alison Pill) is 17 and ready to drive, and Lilly (Marlene Lawston) is sick of being coddled. As Dan's father (the fabulous John Mahone) aptly remarks when Dan says his children hate him, "You must be doing something right."
It's after arriving at his parents' home for a mythically happy family reunion -- complete with football and a talent show -- that Dan meets Marie ( Juliette Binoche) at a bookstore and falls for her. The problem? She's already spoken for -- by Dan's hyper, self-involved brother, Mitch (a well-cast Dane Cook). Will he be able to keep his feelings to himself?
You'll know the answer in the first 15 minutes, since Dan in Real Life is a romantic comedy convinced that misery and self-abdication are the true signs of love. Contentment? Joy? Communication? Respect? Nah, those are too boring. Instead, viewers are treated to the thesis that people never really grow beyond the puppy-love stage, where they gnash their teeth, aren't responsible for their behavior, and generally suffer. It's a typical movie message, but maybe not a good one for teens who already make a habit of dramatic suffering.
