JPRaup

I'm going to see a preview screening thursday, I'll let you know how it is. Don't have high expectations for it, but my friend has huge ones.

argh923

It's so annoying when we have topic titles with the wrong release dates that nobody ever bothers to correct.

fujishig

What's funny is that I went to book this past Saturday's showing because I had thought it was already out... but it was some kind of special early release.

harrydoyle

I saw it at an early screening and liked it a lot. Carell is very good, but what separates this movie from many others for me was the music and cinematography. It gave the movie much more of a mood than others with similar plots.

Brent_MN

I enjoyed this quite a bit. It was nice to see a family get together where everyone's not fighting. One of the better films I've seen this year.

Steve continues to impress.

maingon

Went with my family and we all really liked this movie. Steve Carell was really good in this movie.

JPRaup

Pretty funny and sweet comedy. Binoche was great and gorgeous. The plot is as thin as sitcom though still enjoyable.

7/10

Patman

Even with the presence of Dane Cook in this film, I managed to pretty much enjoy the entire running time of "Dan in Real Life", mainly for the very good ensemble performances, and Steve Carell does most of the heavy lifting, providing solid dramatic and comedic touches throughout the film. The film has a nice warm emotional core, and makes for a very accessible film on the value of family and a second chance at love.

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.

rkndkn

I enjoyed the film -- as predictable as it is, Carell plays Dan with just the right amount of pathos to make you care for him. And surprisingly, the film contains one of the most touching scenes I've seen this year.

Al Padrino

Anyone who's passing on this because of Dane Cook shouldn't. He's nothing like his "real life" persona and he's more of a supporting player than anything else.

The first 30 minutes or so felt real uninspired, but it grew on me as things progressed. I'm a huge fan of Carell's ability to make the most mundane dialogue interesting. He's got great body language and it's refreshing to see him excel in different roles.

Jason Bovberg

The damn family in this movie really annoyed the shit out of me. A bad screenwriter's vision of a perfect family.

Daytripper

God, THANK YOU! I sat there watching the movie wanting to blow my head off. That family! Doing cross word puzzles together. All playing hide and seek together. Dancing/exercising out in the front yard together (what the hell was THAT about?). Ambushing Dan's room together to give him advice about his love life. Looking out the window together watching a private moment between Dane Cook and Juliette Binoche. Showing up together at the bowling alley. I cannot tell you how much I hated this film. It was so nauseating, predictable, bad sitcom-like (the scene with Carell hiding in the shower!) and sickly sweet. Which surprises me because director/writer Peter Hedges wrote the screenplay for "About a Boy" (one of my Top 5 favorite movies of all time) and directed and wrote "Pieces of April". Also a great film IMO. And yes, Dane Cook was a bad as you can imagine. But in his defense, I blame that awful awful awful screenplay. I didn't enjoy a single performance or second of this film.

will travel

I thought this a very heart-warming and charming movie.
Loved the family. Although the middle girl Cara was sometimes annoying.
Steve and Juliette had good chemsity together.

Gets a solid 'B' from me.

Brent_MN

well I guess we're just so used to what a "normal" family is supposed to look like because it's become such a cliche in movies. it was nice to see a family more generally mirroring mine than one who is always ripping on one another and what not.

not the aerobics in the front yard tho... we don't do that.

Daytripper

For the record, I just want to say I'm not knocking films about families. I'm from a huge one. I got together with mine and all my aunts/uncles/cousins all the time. The problem I had was how cliched the script and dialogue were for "Dan". And stupid sitcom-like scenes. For example, when everyone was upstairs in the hallway. They were running around, talking, laughing, etc. Then, for no apparent reason, and as if a whistle were blown to signal them, they all went in their various rooms. Shutting the doors. All at the same time. Leaving Dan alone.

Anyway, I found two (what I thought were) very funny responses in another movies discussion group about this film.



The first:

by weaponx2143. I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with everyone on here. Although I absolutely loath Dane Cook, I went to this movie thinking it would be funny because of all the reviews saying it was Steve Carrells best movie ever. I was very disappointed with it turned out, every 'funny' scene was in the preview for this movie, and the previews didn't make the movie seem too appealing in the first place. And through some crazy anomaly in the universe, Dane Cook manages to be even more annoying when he is trying to be serious than when he's screaming other people's jokes on stage.

Also, I don't know whos family actually is like that, but if your family acts like that and has talent shows, workout sessions in the yard and regularly sits around a piano and sings, then you're weird... stay away from me and my kids.

The only part of this movie that I thought was awesome was when the woman begins to quote all the lines from Dan's book that Dane Cook had been using on her, and says "All of his best lines were yours". I can't help but think that that part was put in just because it was Dane Cook who had that part, and that some higher up in that movie wanted to give a big ol' F- You to Dane for being a joke thieving douche.


And the second:

by RosieFeats. I was going to thank weaponx2143 for covering most of what I would've said about this film right down to the fact that "All of his best lines were yours," was a great line, but then I wound up writing all the rest of this stuff. I suppose I don't hate Dane Cook with such a vengence , but he was seriously annnoying throughout the film.

Everything about this film was predictable, as others who posted before me in this thread pointed out. You could easily get up and go to the restroom two or three times and not worry about missing anything crucial because you knew right from the git-go how it would all work out.

For me, the most amazing thing was how I managed to make it through the film without throwing up, although the gag factor was consistently present. I was glad to hear via the message boards that I'm not the only one who, while growing up, didn't have a family that -- over one long weekend -- had talent shows, workout sessions, group crossword puzzles, charades, craft sessions, numerous heart-to-heart deep conversations with near total strangers, football games, songfests around the piano, etc., etc., blah blah puke, but would also be more than just a little bit frightened at a family that did! I mean, come ON now! Does that really happen? It was entirely too precious, and entirely too much to expect us to believe in. I thought I had a relatively normal upbringing, and I don't remember ever doing some of those activities, much less cramming them into a long weekend!

I suppose people will say, "Oh, but that's the charm of the film, portraying a wonderfully happy, way politically correct upper middle class (or higher) American family enjoying each other non-stop, 24/7, in their perfectly picturesque home located on 2.5 manicured acres alongside their spectacular oceanfront property." No, that's one of those films where people leave and think, "Man, I guess I lived a crappy little life. Must be why everything is so screwed up." And when I say people, I mean ME.

That said, I did think that considering what they had to work with, Carrell and Binoche did a fine job, and I always like John Mahoney (who I thought looked somewhat slightly mortified while delivering a few of his sappy lines). There were some fleetingly humorous moments and Carrell never went over the top, which he could have easily done. Also, I thought Binoche carried off the American accent very well. I do wish Dianne Wiest would quit showing up as the understandingly warm Mom in every single film that comes out.

I think I've worked off all my frustrations at my own obviously less than perfect -- yet still amazingly happy -- childhood! Now I think I need to either go see something realistic, or try to round up what's left of my family for a weekend of crossword puzzles and a talent show. Like that would happen in this lifetime! Any suggestions?

Brack

Saw this today with my "free night at the movies" ticket I get using my movie card. Cute little movie. I liked the whole "perfect family" vibe about it. I didn't need to see another "dysfunctional family" movie. Predictable? Sure, but the performances were very good, and helped the movie rise above its predictability.

B.A.

The wife and I saw this last week. My wife really enjoyed it, while I thought it was good. *** out of five.

I could have done w/out Dane Cook though.

BDB

I enjoyed this quite a bit, esp the bits with his kids.
If someone brought be home to there house for a holiday celebration and it involved charades etc, I'd have bolted so fast. No way..

Sure board games are fine, but mini performances or talent show things.

candyrocket786

Just picked this up on Blu-ray and really enjoyed it.

Interesting to see a different side of Steve Carrell.

Mr. Cinema

I enjoyed this one as well. Emily Blunt was lookin' hot as usual. Too bad she has extremely limited screen time.

Jericho

It was an ejoyable movie, despite it's bizarre quirks. Yeah the perfect family stuff seemed over the top and Daytripper's post has a nice long list of specifics involving the family. I also have no idea why everyone was doing laundry constantly, particularly whenever Carrell's character went to bed or later when his parents tried to talk to him alone). Thought that was an unneeded distraction. But the core of the movie, even if it is predictable, is still an enjoyable romantic dramedy.

amplified

I thought it was one of the better films of 2007. I really enjoyed it and can see myself watching it several times each year. The music was perfect and the cinematography was excellent. I'm not a Dane Cook fan but he could not take away my enjoyment of this film.

Mopower

LL Bean only allows clean clothes to be shown in movies featuring them. j/king



This movie was hard to sit thru. Extremely boring and predictable. Why Carrell didn't tell everyone from the start who the girl at the book store was is beyond me. Also the woman looked like she could be Dane Cook's mother, not girl friend. And I really wanted to slap the middle daughter.

fernsita

I have STILL yet to rent this movie! I had so many friends see it when it was out and I still want to catch it. Is it out for rental yet? I love Steve C.

Drexl

It came out last week on DVD and BD.

BTW, did anyone else think the guy on the poster/cover looks more like Will Forte than Steve Carell? Especially in the thumbnails it looks like him.