What can I say about Dan in Real Life? Heartwarming.
I’m not a professional movie critic, but to me, Dan in Real Life is simply a heartwarming, brilliantly written movie of a widower, doing his best to raise three daughters while struggling with his suppressed desire to do something for himself.
I, myself, have never been in this situation, so take my “brilliantly written” with a grain of salt, but for me, it was a pinwheel of emotion. I found myself circling the range of sentiment, from happiness to sadness, to discomfort and back to happiness.
The overall plot-line was superb, but, to be critical, I felt the individual characters often behaved irrationally. But as we all know, individuals are irrational. Maybe I’m too used to seeing caricatures in movies instead of dynamic, realistic, sentient being.
f you are looking for a barrel full of laughs, look elsewhere. If you’re looking for American Beauty meets Along Came Poly, Dan in Real Life is for you.
I used to not know who I was until I saw this movie. Was I man? Was I a prarie dog? Was I a mutant from the class ‘H’ planet, Tau Cygna V? (Star Trek reference for all of you “Trekies”. Great flick.
This guy was widowed then dumped on by his daughters, extended family, and police officers. I really put myself in his shoes, and thought that Marie was a breath of fresh air, a true woman that catered his needs, sexually and emotionally. She was too good to be true. I don’t want to spoil it for non-viewers, but she wasn’t who he thought she was. But don’t worry, you find that out soon after they awkwardly depart from the coffee shop. Then, as ST’s The Jerk already imposed, hilarity/sadness ensues. It didn’t smear my mascara like in “Bridge to Terabithia” but this movie got to me.