Neal Vitale Reviews: Dan In Real Life
October 28, 2007
3.5 stars out of 5
Dan In Real Life is not exactly real life - things don't work out this neatly - but it is a cute, sweet film with a good ensemble cast and an often funny script. The mix of actors is eclectic, from TV personalities like Steve Carell (the American version of "The Office") and John Mahoney ("Frasier"), to filmdom's Dianne Wiest (Hannah And Her Sisters, The Horse Whisperer), Juliette Binoche (Chocolat, The English Patient) and Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada), and even stand-up comic (and baseball promoter) Dane Cook and a winsome batch of kids. Writer/director Peter Hedges adds another entertaining and appealing tale of the challenges of parenting, family dynamics, and the search for love and acceptance to a resume that already includes About A Boy, Pieces Of April, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape?