By Brendan O’Reilly
Since co-writing and starring in Judd Apatow’s “The 40-Year-Old-Virgin,” Steve Carell has had an uninterrupted presence in American pop culture. Between “The Office” and the much acclaimed “Little Miss Sunshine,” Carell is unavoidable. He was also trusted to helm the most expensive comedy ever made, “Evan Almighty,” which ultimately disappointed critics and fans, though it had more to do with its poor story and writing than Carell’s performance.
After that brief hiccup, Carell is back with “Dan in Real Life” to provide a stream of laughs to adoring audiences. Here, Carell plays widower Dan Burns, a New Jersey advice columnist raising three girls ages 9, 14 and 17. His two eldest are at the age where they are obligated to hate their father and he resents how fast they are all growing up.
Middle daughter, Cara (Brittany Robertson), is so nasty in exchanges with her father that audience members wish he would just smack her-or that they could do it themselves.
Jane (Alison Pill), the 17-year-old, isn’t so annoying, but she does want to drive the family car. Dan insists that its not her driving talents he’s concerned about, but the millions of other drivers.
As the film progresses, Dan and the girls pack up his car and head for a family reunion in Rhode Island, where the real dramedy starts.
It is here that Dan meets an accented woman named Marie (Juliette Binoche, “Chocolat”) while browsing a bookstore. He is instantly attracted to her-probably the first time he’s felt this way about a woman in the four years since his wife’s death-and Marie returns his feelings. Upon returning from the bookstore, Dan finds that Marie is at the reunion already. No, she’s not his long-lost cousin from France. She’s his brother’s girlfriend.
This surprise has already been spoiled by the film’s trailer, but if one wasn’t informed before entering the theater, it would still be easy to see where the film’s going. Dan and Marie hide their encounter from his brother (Dane Cook, who seems to have been born to play an oblivious guy) and the rest of the family. The forbidden-attraction dynamic is executed well, with awkward moments that leave the characters uncomfortable and the audience members laughing, or perhaps uncomfortable themselves.
As a subplot, there is a chance Dan’s local newspaper column may get picked up for national syndication, much like how Nicholas Cage’s character was hoping to get to go from local television personality to national star in 2005’s “The Weather Man.” Other points of the film stir déjà vu and feel cliché, but “Dan in Real Life” is original overall.
The aforementioned subplot, as well as his middle daughter’s forbidden love (forbidden only by the overprotective Dan), could stand to be have been fleshed out. The extra plot lines were so unexplored that they hardly needed to be included as is.
Also, just as Dan apologizes to Marie for talking about himself and learning nothing about her, the audience is left knowing close to nothing about this woman who has Dan so enamored.
The audience will leave curious about characters past and futures but still satisfied.

Steve Carrell, starring opposite Juliette Binoche, continues to keep audiences laughing as the widowed advice columnist who finds love in the film “Dan in Real Life.” (AllMoviePhotos.com)