Starring: Steve Carell, Juliette Binoche, Dane Cook, Alison Pill, Brittany Robertson, Marlene Lawston, Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney, Emily Blunt

Directed by: Peter Hedges

Touchstone Pictures

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I didn't hate Evan Almighty but it was a stretch to like it. It's ridiculous and disrespectful for me to begin a review for one movie with the jaded memories of the star's last film, but for me, Evan has put Steve Carell's latest ,Dan in Real Life, into an awkward position of needing to be good. Of needing to follow-up strong. Evan was this big Hollywood movie that was the right choice career wise for Steve Carell, but completely stifling comedy wise. Good writing takes a backseat to family-friendly fluff and the overdone "white man dance". Again, I don't hate Evan Almighty, but it's never easy to watch someone you know is funny jumping through these Hollywood hoops.

You want him to be awkward (The Office) or genuine (Little Miss Sunshine) and as highly touted (and then disappointing) as Evan was, Carell had become a marked man. At least in my mind. Dan in Real Life didn't have to be successful, but it better be good. Otherwise I'd be calling for a boycott! At least for Carell's film career.

I'd never really do that. I don't have the energy let alone the mean streak to really commit to something so extensive, but thankfully I don't really have to. Because Dan turned out pretty good. It has its clichéd romantic comedy moments and treads the same family friendly tone that Evan dives into two-by-two, but Dan manages to stay above water with its remarkable buoyant heart.

Carell plays Dan, a widower with three girls that gives out life advice in the daily paper. As the youngest daughter puts it, Dan is "a great father, but not always a good Dad". As the girls are getting older, things like independence and young love threaten to distance them further and further from their lone parent. We've all been stupidly in love and felt like our parents couldn't understand us. It plays for some nice universal laughs here.

When the four head off to a big family retreat in Rhode Island we meet Dan's extended brood consisting of some really charismatic actors (including Dane Cook , John Mahoney and Dianne Wiest) performing just as charismatically together on screen. It instantly feels like a real family, although a very ideal one. The lack of snapping and bickering makes you wish your family were this close and loving. It's a dream family. Credit to the great actors and actresses for making such a warm and inviting environment.

On the first morning Dan heads into town by himself and meets Marie, an exotic stranger played by Juliette Binoche . This is the first time I've seen Binoche on screen and I wasn't sure what to expect from this highly acclaimed actress of foreign film who's dipped her toe into Hollywood's pond only sparingly in the past. But I'm glad this delightful little story could seduce her into the mainstream again because I was completely charmed by her. As was Dan who is quickly won over by the smart and beautiful stranger.

She comes off instantly as "out of Dan's, or anyone else I knows, league". Regardless, sparks fly, connections connect and phone numbers are exchanged even though the mysterious Marie is upfront about an even more mysterious boyfriend. Dan doesn't care. True connections like this in life are rare and it's the first time he's felt this way since he lost his wife.

Of course the boyfriend, Mr. Mystereo, ends up being Dan's brother (Cook). Lucky us because the awkward comedy genius that we've fallen in love with on TV is finally given something to act stupid about. Dan tries desperately to resist his natural attraction to Marie but fails miserably as he makes a fool of himself over and over again.

This could play horribly, but in the right hands I think that Dan and Marie's budding feelings are able to play very sweetly in the less than perfect situation. Even when things inevitably come to a head, no one is ever vilified in the eye of the audience. You root for everyone. You root for love.

Is that too corny? In the eye of some folks, Dan in Real Life will be overall "too corny". It has lots of heart and takes advantage of some tried and true formulas we've seen a dozen times too many on screen, and for some people it'll be too much. But in a season filled with empty comedies, one drama after another, not to mention monsters and madmen ruling the top spots, it's awesome to have something this sweet and this real brighten up the fall. It's not the best romantic movie ever, the best comedy ever or the best anything ever, but it's not trying to be. It's not trying to be When Harry Met Sally or Duck Soup, but most of the movies that try that hard to be that good usually end up like Evan Almighty. Dan in Real Life manages to be really good without trying to be. No boycott.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10 - I'm trying desperately not to overrate this movie. As much as I enjoyed it, and as much as I felt like it was just what I needed at that time, it's still just an above average silly romantic comedy. I mean, how is this different than The Family Stone or Rumor Has it…? I'm trying to look at it realistically. 6.5 feels right.

I wanted to take a moment here to talk about the movie's music. Dan in Real Life is scored entirely by Sondre Lerche, which could be a band name or one dude, but I wouldn't begin to try and pronounce it correctly either way. The music is wonderful though. Light, folky, jingle-jangle acoustic stuff that includes a cover of "Let My Love Open the Door" (which Carell and Cook perform in the film) that all sound awesome behind Lerche's whine and strum. While the movie could have used a few more recognizable songs to help the audience transition into the moment, Lerche's tunes are delightfully original and unique.

I'm still a little to young and angry to pay money to own a movie this sweet on DVD, but I suspect it'll be nice to curl up with on a lazy weekend.

I really didn't want to make fun of this movie. It seemed like it would be easy to poke fun at families or Carell and just have this be another strip taking a cheap shot. Sometimes it just feels better to let those jokes go.

Instead I decided to go with a true moment that crumbles into a fart joke. I don't do this often but when I do I tend to enjoy it. The last time was about a year ago with the brilliant comedy Stranger Than Fiction. That's another movie that deserved something better than a cheap shot. Though to be fair it deserved more than a fart joke as well. Still, I'll sleep easier having made fun of my own strip than had I poked fun at a movie that didn't really deserve it.

In today’s comic Irv helped me out by delivering a much-needed punch line. That’s what friends are for, to help each other when they need it the most. And it works both ways, just like last Friday when Irv asked me to fill in for him on his strip Fish Tank Tango. Irv has created a great world with Fish Tank and it was a lot of fun to step in and deliver a nice violent gag. If you’re not familiar with the strip, spend some time catching up.

That’s it for now but I hope everyone had an awesome Halloween! If there are any really cool movie-themed costumes out there be sure to e-mail me some pics.