Beautifully written. This has played out in real life.

Dan in Real Life (2007): Dir: Peter Hedges / Cast: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Emily Blunt, Alison Pill: Comedy about dealings with obstacles. Dan is a widowed father who is invited to his parents for the weekend. A chance encounter with a woman in a bookstore ends up being his brother's girlfriend. Directed by Peter Hedges with predictable circumstances where feelings aren't voiced. Steve Carell plays off the desperation and loneliness of Dan. He doesn't anticipate this weekend outing but this new romance sparks life into his otherwise routine existence. Juliette Binoche struggles with her feelings especially when learning that this charming new stranger is her boyfriend's brother. This cannot end well but viewers will likely understand since Dane Cook as the brother is a complete moron. He is all about everything that families aren't. Do families really play hide and seek, and do stupid group exercises in the yard, or sing foolish love songs? No wonder Binoche chose Carell. Then there is an appearance by Emily Blunt who is hooked up with Carell but ends up in another place by conclusion. Frankly, she seems like the bargain. The cast is a half and half in terms of who has a believable role and who plays a total jackass. Theme regards companionship but in reality most families are more like Dan than the spawn he came from. Score: 6 ½ / 10

Dan in Real Life (2007)Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane CookSynopsis: Dan (Steve Carell) a professional self-help columnist and single dad of three daughters, during their yearly summer vacation at the family home and all the family come together. On the first day there Dan's mother tells him to spend some time alone. That morning Dan meets an interesting woman in a small bookshop instantly there's a mutual attraction, only to find out she recently begun a new relationship with someone. Later that afternoon as he seeks advice from his family whether he should pursue a relationship with this woman his brother announces his new girlfriend Marie (Juliette Binoche) to the family as it turns out to be the same woman from earlier, now Dan as to spend a week trapped in this situation. Review: (May Contain Spoilers) I watched this film originally with the thought of other of Steve Carell's work but it's not that type of comedy. Dan starts the story juggling personal life and work for the first twenty minutes of the movie as most parents can relate to him, however he soon becomes self-obsessed during the film and I struggled to find a connection with the character after the story line was placed in to position. Dan and Marie talk about telling the events of that morning's meeting to the family, Dan say's that would be a bad idea and now the film has a premise. If this or similar was to ever happen to you do the exact opposite to Dan, although we wouldn't have had a movie.Dan starts struggling with his children, two of them are teenage girls and he still treats them like children, not letting them spend time with boyfriends or learning to drive. During the holiday he seems to ignore his youngest whilst sneaking around to constantly talk to Marie. Marie's character you can relate to her being new to a family who are very close however she is well liked by all, we're left all the time thinking that Dan is the better choice of brother for her. Saying that Dan from the beginning twenty minutes and not the majority of the movie. Dan does change throughout the duration of the film, beginning with trusting the daughters and sitting down with them and talking. Dane Cook, Dan's bother quickly goes from likable to a horrible character as the story progresses, leaving you thinking that the writers didn't really care about the characters after their use was fulfilled. Verdict: This wouldn't be a film I'd rush to see again but it is on Netflix if you were ever wanted something to watch, although not a laugh out loud comedy it has some good humor and the all the cast members give a good performance and have their funny moments. A nice movie for two, you and your partner can sit with a bottle of wine and enjoy. See this if you liked: Definitely maybe, Last Kiss, Garden State and not Netflix's suggestion of the US Office.

I really rather enjoyed this Carrell vehicle, although I'm much the same sort of middle-aged, middle-class, regret-sump everyman that he plays. This is the point of the film: it's created to tee up the easy-going end of Carrell's shtick and the drama funnels itself down a chicane of warm circumstantial comedy into a happy ending.This doesn't mean one shouldn't like it. Juliette Binoche may be a little Bohemian for the setup but it productive to have that grit in the oyster of an extended family. Carrell is very professional and plays a Dad extremely well, all the self-rapprochement and misgivings deeply buried but not hidden. The family at large is barely believable but not incredible largely because of Diane Wiest, who fulfils the same role to the cast as a mother would to such a family - gravitational centre. The three young daughters are excellent. 5/10