Dan in Real Life

Last updated
Dan in Real Life
Dan in real life.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Peter Hedges
Written byPierce Gardner
Peter Hedges
Produced by Jonathan Shestack
Brad Epstein [1]
Starring Steve Carell
Juliette Binoche
Dane Cook
John Mahoney
Emily Blunt
Dianne Wiest
Cinematography Lawrence Sher
Edited by Sarah Flack
Music by Sondre Lerche
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release date
  • October 26, 2007 (2007-10-26)
Running time
98 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25 million [2]
Box office$68.5 million [3]

Dan in Real Life is a 2007 American comedy drama film directed by Peter Hedges, and stars Steve Carell, Alison Pill, Juliette Binoche, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney and Dane Cook.

Contents

This is the first Touchstone Pictures film to be distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures after Disney retired the Buena Vista brand from its distribution division. The film received generally favorable reviews from critics and grossed $68 million worldwide.

Plot

Dan Burns is a newspaper advice columnist, widower, and single-parent to his three daughters, living in North Jersey. The family takes a trip to the oceanside Rhode Island home of his parents for an annual family gathering. Also in attendance are Dan's brother and sister with their families, along with Dan's younger brother Mitch, who is known for his carefree lifestyle.

The morning after their arrival, Dan meets Marie in a bookshop. They share a muffin and a heart-felt conversation, although she gently warns him that she has a new boyfriend.

Dan returns to his parents' house and announces that he has "met someone", whereupon the whole family encourages him to "go for it". Later, at the house, Mitch introduces his new girlfriend, who turns out to be Marie. Dan is disheartened and resists his father's relationship advice about finding someone of his own.

Dan reluctantly agrees to a double date with their once unattractive childhood friend, Ruthie "Pig Face" Draper. Marie jealously watches him and Ruthie. The next morning, Dan endures her "silent treatment punishment" for his late night with Ruthie by eating the burnt pancakes that she serves him. Tension grows between Dan and Marie, culminating at the family talent show, from which Dan has been excused by the family.

Mitch has Dan accompany him on the guitar as he sings, "Let My Love Open the Door". During the bridge, Dan begins to sing as well, seemingly to Marie. The next morning outside at her car, Marie breaks up with Mitch and drives away.

However, she soon calls. Later, having made their way through pouring rain in their cars, Marie and Dan meet at a bowling alley to talk. The meeting evolves into a date and finally a passionate kiss, interrupted when Dan's entire family arrives to bowl. Mitch punches Dan in the face and Marie hurries out. Meanwhile, Dan's middle daughter, Cara, grows more frustrated because of his meddling in her relationship with her boyfriend, Marty, whom she earnestly professes to Dan that she "loves."

After the bowling alley fiasco, Dan's three daughters angrily turn on him. Later Dan reconciles with them and they travel together to New York City, where they finally find Marie at her gym. As he makes eye contact with her, Dan, in voice-over, tells the readers of his advice column that instead of merely planning ahead in life, they should "plan to be surprised."

The film ends with Dan and Marie celebrating their wedding at his parents' Rhode Island home; Mitch happily dancing with Ruthie and Cara happily dancing with Marty, whom Dan has now accepted.

Cast

Home media

The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on March 11, 2008.

Production

The film was shot in New Jersey and Rhode Island in the cities of Newport, East Greenwich, West Greenwich, Jamestown, Westerly, and Providence in November and December 2006. The opening scene was filmed at Seven Stars Bakery in Providence. However, the facade of the building and the interior are altered. The first time Dan is pulled over by the Jamestown, Rhode Island police, he is on Ocean Avenue in Newport, Rhode Island. The second time, Dan is pulled over by Mackerel Cove in Jamestown. In scenes filmed in Jamestown, two bridges are clearly visible: the Jamestown Bridge and its replacement, the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge. Demolition of the Jamestown Bridge was initiated on April 18, 2006. The film also cast local residents of neighboring towns and cities consisting of Middletown, North Kingstown and North Providence as Dan's nieces and nephews. The date scene was filmed in two different places in Westerly. The inside shots were filmed at Alley Katz Bowling Center, while the exterior shots were filmed at Misquamicut Beach. What is now the Windjammer was dressed to look like the outside of the bowling center. The sunset scene with the entire family on the beach was filmed at Napatree Point in Westerly. [4]

Soundtrack

Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche composed the majority of the music in the film, and has a cameo appearance in a scene at the end.

Full soundtrack listing:

  1. "Family Theme Waltz" - Sondre Lerche
  2. "To Be Surprised" - Lerche
  3. "I'll Be OK" - Lerche
  4. "Dan and Marie Picking Hum" - Lerche
  5. "My Hands Are Shaking" - Lerche
  6. "Dan in Real Life" - Lerche
  7. "Hell No" - Lerche and Regina Spektor
  8. "Family Theme" - Lerche
  9. "Fever" - A Fine Frenzy
  10. "Airport Taxi Reception" - Lerche and The Faces Down Quartet
  11. "Dan and Marie Melody" - Lerche
  12. "Human Hands" - Lerche and The Faces Down Quartet
  13. "I'll Be OK" (Instrumental Reprise) - Lerche
  14. "Let My Love Open the Door" - Pete Townshend
  15. "Dan and Marie Finale Theme" - Lerche
  16. "Modern Nature" - Lerche and Lillian Samdal
  17. "Ruthie Pigface Draper" (bonus track) - Dane Cook and Norbert Leo Butz, taken from a scene in the movie

"Mr. Blue Sky" by the Electric Light Orchestra is featured in the TV and radio advertisements for the movie, as well as "Let My Love Open the Door" by Pete Townshend and "Henrietta" by The Fratellis. The club mix of Inaya Day's "Nasty Girl (Vanity 6 song)" and Earth, Wind & Fire's "September '99 (Phats & Small Remix)" are also featured in separate scenes in the movie but are not on the soundtrack. "Human Hands" written by Elvis Costello (the original version appears on his album Imperial Bedroom ).

Reception

Box office

The film opened October 26, 2007 in the United States and Canada, and grossed $11.8 million in 1,921 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #2 at the box office. [5] By the end of its run, the film grossed $68.4 million. It was the first Touchstone movie to be released under the Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures name following the retirement of the previous Buena Vista Pictures Distribution.

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 65% based on 170 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The fine performances elevate Dan in Real Life beyond its sentimental plot." [6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 65 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [7] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale. [8]

Some critics described it as a non-holiday holiday film that is derived from that genre and the rom-com genre in general. [9] [10] A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote "not to expect too much from Dan in Real Life that way you can be pleasantly surprised.". [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Benny & Joon</i> 1993 film by Jeremiah S. Chechik

Benny & Joon is a 1993 American romantic comedy-drama film released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer about how two eccentric individuals, Sam and Juniper ("Joon"), find each other and fall in love. Aidan Quinn also stars, and it was directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik.

<i>Old School</i> (film) 2003 film by Todd Phillips

Old School is a 2003 American comedy film directed and co-written by Todd Phillips. The film stars Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn, and Will Ferrell as depressed men in their thirties who seek to relive their college days by starting a fraternity, and the tribulations they encounter in doing so. The film was released on February 21, 2003, received mixed reviews from critics, and grossed $87 million worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Buzzi</span> American actress and comedian (born 1936)

Ruth Ann Buzzi is an American retired actress and comedian. She has appeared on stage, in films, and on television. She is best known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973, for which she won a Golden Globe Award and received five Emmy nominations.

<i>Elizabethtown</i> (film) 2005 film by Cameron Crowe

Elizabethtown is a 2005 American romantic tragicomedy film written and directed by Cameron Crowe and distributed by Paramount Pictures. Its story follows a young shoe designer, Drew Baylor, who is fired from his job after costing his company an industry record of nearly one billion dollars. On the verge of suicide, Drew receives a call from his sister telling him that their father has died while visiting their former hometown of Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Deciding to postpone his suicide and bring their father's body back to Oregon, he then becomes involved in an unexpected romance with Claire Colburn, whom he meets near the start of his journey. Elizabethtown stars Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst, Alec Baldwin, and Susan Sarandon.

<i>The Reaping</i> 2007 American film

The Reaping is a 2007 American supernatural horror thriller film, starring Hilary Swank. The film was directed by Stephen Hopkins for Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment. The music for the film was scored by John Frizzell.

<i>Waiting...</i> (film) 2005 American film

Waiting... is a 2005 American independent comedy film written and directed by Rob McKittrick and starring Ryan Reynolds, Anna Faris, and Justin Long. McKittrick wrote the screenplay while working as a waiter.

<i>An Unfinished Life</i> 2005 film by Lasse Hallström

An Unfinished Life is a 2005 American drama film directed by Lasse Hallström, and based on the Mark Spragg novel of the same name. The film stars Robert Redford, Jennifer Lopez, and Morgan Freeman. It is the story of a gruff Wyoming rancher (Redford) who must reconcile his relationship with his struggling daughter-in-law (Lopez) and previously unknown-to-him granddaughter, after they show up unexpectedly at his ranch and ask to stay with him and his disabled best friend and neighbor (Freeman).

<i>Marie Antoinette</i> (2006 film) 2006 film directed by Sofia Coppola

Marie Antoinette is a 2006 historical drama film written, directed, and produced by Sofia Coppola. Based on the 2001 biography Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser, the film covers the life of Marie Antoinette, played by Kirsten Dunst, in the years leading to the French Revolution.

<i>A Streetcar Named Desire</i> (1951 film) 1951 film by Elia Kazan

A Streetcar Named Desire is a 1951 American Southern Gothic drama film adapted from Tennessee Williams's Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name. It is directed by Elia Kazan, and stars Vivien Leigh, Marlon Brando, Kim Hunter, and Karl Malden. The film tells the story of a Mississippi Southern belle, Blanche DuBois (Leigh), who, after encountering a series of personal losses, seeks refuge with her sister (Hunter) and brother-in-law (Brando) in a dilapidated New Orleans apartment building. The original Broadway production and cast was converted to film, albeit with several changes and sanitizations related to censorship.

<i>Faces Down</i> 0000 studio album by Sondre Lerche

Faces Down is the first album released by Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, in 2001. It was released in 2002 in the United States, and in 2003 in Japan. All songs on the album were written by Lerche.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cara Buono</span> American actress (born 1971)

Cara Buono is an American actress. Emmy-nominated for her role as Dr. Faye Miller in Mad Men, she has played Karen Wheeler in the horror sci-fi series Stranger Things since its premiere in 2016. She also portrayed Kelli Moltisanti in the sixth season of The Sopranos.

<i>The Naked Brothers Band</i> (TV series) American musical comedy television series

The Naked Brothers Band is an American musical comedy television series created by Polly Draper, which aired on Nickelodeon from February 3, 2007, to June 13, 2009. It depicts the daily lives of Draper's sons, who lead a faux world-renowned children's rock band in New York City. As a mockumentary, the storyline is an embellished satire of their real lives, and the fictional presence of a camera is often acknowledged. The show stars Nat Wolff and Alex Wolff, the lead singer-songwriter and drummer, respectively. Nat's fictional female interest and real-life friends Thomas Batuello, David Levi, and Cooper Pillot, as well as Qaasim Middleton—who has no prior acquaintance with the family—are featured as the other band members, with Draper's jazz musician husband Michael Wolff as his sons' widowed accordion-playing dad and her niece Jesse Draper portraying the group's babysitter.

<i>Evening</i> (film) 2007 American film

Evening is a 2007 American drama film directed by Lajos Koltai. The screenplay by Susan Minot and Michael Cunningham is based on the 1998 novel of the same name by Minot.

<i>Heartland</i> (Canadian TV series) Canadian family drama television series

Heartland is a Canadian family comedy-drama television series which debuted in Canada on CBC Television and originally in the United States on The CW Plus syndication on October 14, 2007. Since 2010, the series moved first-run to Up TV, but still continues to air in reruns on the latter channel as a part the service's weekend schedule.

<i>The Big Empty</i> (2003 film) 2003 American film

The Big Empty is a 2003 comedy film directed and written by Steve Anderson. It stars Jon Favreau as a struggling actor with a bizarre request from his neighbor to deliver a suitcase that he cannot open. While there, he meets an unusual cast of characters, and starts to think this delivery might be more than it seems.

<i>Hungry Hill</i> (film) 1947 British film

Hungry Hill is a 1947 British film directed by Brian Desmond Hurst and starring Margaret Lockwood, Dennis Price and Cecil Parker with a screenplay by Terence Young and Daphne du Maurier, from the 1943 novel by Daphne du Maurier.

<i>The Change-Up</i> 2011 film by David Dobkin

The Change-Up is a 2011 American fantasy romantic comedy produced and directed by David Dobkin, and written by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore. The film stars Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman as Mitch Planko and Dave Lockwood, two best friends living in Atlanta who “switch bodies” after urinating into the fountain to wish they had each other's lives. The film was released on August 5, 2011, in North America by Universal Pictures. It received negative reviews from critics.

<i>Dolphin Tale</i> 2011 film by Charles Martin Smith

Dolphin Tale is a 2011 American 3D family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith and written by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi. It stars Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd, Nathan Gamble, Kris Kristofferson, Cozi Zuehlsdorff in her film debut, and Morgan Freeman. The book and film are inspired by the true story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin that was rescued in December 2005 off the Florida coast and taken in by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. In the film, Winter loses her tail after becoming entangled with a rope attached to a crab trap, and must be fitted with a prosthetic one in order to swim naturally again.

<i>Paper Towns</i> (film) 2015 film directed by Jake Schreier

Paper Towns is a 2015 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Jake Schreier from a screenplay by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, based on the 2008 novel of the same name by John Green. The film stars Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne, with Halston Sage, Austin Abrams, and Justice Smith in supporting roles. The story follows the search by Quentin "Q" Jacobsen (Wolff) for Margo Roth Spiegelman (Delevingne), his childhood friend and object of affection. In the process, Quentin explores the relationship with his friends, including his compatibility with Margo.

<i>Amy</i> (2015 film) 2015 film

Amy is a 2015 British documentary film directed by Asif Kapadia and produced by James Gay-Rees. The film covers British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse's life and her struggle with substance abuse, both before and after her career blossomed, and which eventually caused her death. In February 2015, a teaser trailer based on the life of Winehouse debuted at a pre-Grammys event. David Joseph, CEO of Universal Music UK, announced that the documentary titled Amy would be released later that year. He further stated: "About two years ago we decided to make a movie about her—her career and her life. It's a very complicated and tender movie. It tackles lots of things about family and media, fame, addiction, but most importantly, it captures the very heart of what she was about, which is an amazing person and a true musical genius."

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Dan in Real Life (2007) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved 18 April 2021.
  2. "Box office / business for Dan in Real Life (2007)". The Internet Movie Database . Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  3. "Dan in Real Life (2007)". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2009-04-16.
  4. https://www.rhodeislandredfoodtours.com/2023/06/14/lets-set-jet-places-in-ri-where-your-favorite-films-and-shows-were-made/
  5. "Dan in Real Life (2007) - Weekend Box Office". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 2007-10-30.
  6. "Dan in Real Life (2007)". Rotten Tomatoes . Flixster . Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  7. "Dan in Real Life Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive (CBS Corporation). Retrieved May 18, 2015.
  8. "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Dan in Real Life" in the search box). CinemaScore . Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  9. Wilonsky, Robert (October 25, 2007). "Steve Carrell's Strke Two: Dan in Real Life". Dallas Observer . Archived from the original on February 19, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  10. Bradshaw, Peter (January 11, 2008). "Dan in Real Life". The Guardian . Archived from the original on February 18, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  11. Scott, A.O. (October 26, 2007). "A Family Just Like Yours (if You Lived in a Movie)" . The New York Times . Archived from the original on Aug 22, 2018. Retrieved February 18, 2018.