"DAN IN REAL LIFE" (2007) ..... B+ ...

Steve Carell plays it straight in a highly credible performance as Dan Burns, a newspaper advice columnist and a widower with three daughters who wants them to do as he says, but not as he does. However, he fails to practice what he preaches when he instantly falls in love in a chance meeting with Ann Marie (Juliette Binoche), who, as rotten luck would have it, turns out to be the girlfriend of his younger brother, Mitch (Dane Cook).

This is another very pleasant and entertaining film celebrating a common comedic theme about an extended family coming home for the holidays. One or more of the visitors is a newcomer to the family mix and thereby introduces a new set of emotional dynamics (and fireworks) to the gathering. In this story, it is the Burns family who will gather together to celebrate Christmas at a gorgeous, old-fashioned lodge belonging to their parents (John Mahoney and Dianne Wiest) located on the Atlantic coast in New England.

There are thematic elements of this film that are similar to those of "The Family Stone," another movie that I happened to like, but which wasn't particularly well received by the film critics. Both involve grown children coming home to their parents for the holidays and the inevitable conflict which arises when one brother brings home a girlfriend for which he is clearly incompatible, but someone who just happens to be perfect for another brother.

Since the audience sees this romantic possibility long before one or both of the brothers do, the entire film is based on the building tension of watching a sibling rivalry end up as a family train wreck of emotions. In addition, one or both of the principals involved go through all sorts of mental and emotional gymnastics in order to deny the obvious, which is that they are in love with the wrong person. However, both of these films are played with a light touch to emphasize the comedy inherent in this situation. Dan suffers mightily due to a misplaced Cupid's arrow, and even his young daughters are smart enough to realize what is going on.

Dan has the sympathy of everyone else in his family because of the unexpected death of his beautiful wife from cancer. Now four years have passed, and, instead of finding a new mate, Dan has channeled his energy into an annoying state of anal retentive overprotectiveness towards his three daughters, all of whom are lively and two of whom are teenagers ready for romance. In fact, the oldest daughter, Jane (Allison Pill), already has a boyfriend, but she has to hide her true feelings in order to get around the inevitable conflict with her dad.

What makes matters worse for his daughters is the fact that Dan Burns is an advice columnist whose columns will soon be picked up for syndication. Like the old mantra, "Physician, heal thyself," Dan will soon find out that he doesn't have all of the answers when it comes to love. His entire family will be there to help him to sort it all out, especially his loving parents, who are more than willing to offer guidance to their kids.

Director Peter Hedges co-wrote this script along with Pierce Gardner. It is another perceptive script that further evidences his talent. Hedges has flown under my radar screen, but he has written some astonishingly good scripts for many movies that I have admired in the past like the one for the 1993 movie, "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" and the script for the 2005 movie, "About a Boy." 98 minutes and rated PG-13 for some innuendo.