No one doubts that Steve Carell can do comedy, and "40 Year Old Virgin" gave us glimpse of his ability to work pathos. With this film, however, he begins to move into an area of performance that has been the homeland of great actors like Jack Lemmon.
This film bristles with comedy that will warm your heart, just as it makes a 180 degree turn into heart wrenching drama. The story of an advice columnist who seems to find all the world at odds with what it is supposed to be is one that everyone can find themselves in. When Dan goes to a family reunion he finds the love of his life, only to find she is taken. By his beloved brother. The two of them fight their natural urges while everyone around them has their own notions about what is going on.
All of this is going on while Dan consistantly makes all the wrong choices in dealing with his own three daughters. His life is falling apart at his family reunion just as represatives from a syndicate come to talk to him about putting his column in newspapers across the country.
Here is some of the cast:
Steve Carell . . . Dan Burns
Juliette Binoche . . . Marie
Dane Cook . . . Mitch Burns
Alison Pill . . . Jane Burns
Brittany Robertson . . . Cara Burns
Marlene Lawston . . . Lilly Burns
Dianne Wiest . . . Nana
John Mahoney . . . Poppy
Norbert Leo Butz . . . Clay
Amy Ryan . . . Eileen
Jessica Hecht . . . Amy
This film went unnoticed by the public on its initial release, but thanks to DVD and cable it may become a secondary hit. It is certainly worth giving a couple of your hours of time to find. Give it a chance!
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