Dan in Real Life

This is the movie we watched on this week's date night.

The premise: Dan is a widower, father of three girls, and parenting advice columnist. He meets a woman who fascinates him, only to discover that she is his brother's new girlfriend. Much of the movie is devoted to the frustrations of not being able to have (or even TRY to have) someone he wants.

While largely predictable, the movie was still enjoyable. Miscommunications and misunderstandings (in real life or the movies) really bug me, so this plot is one type that draws me in. The interactions with his children (two are teens) felt true to life, and the extended family was a treat.

Dan in Real Life is rated PG-13 (2007), but is on the milder side of that range. There is no explicit sensuality, and very little inappropriate talk, either. There are a few themes that I would want to discuss with watching teens, but I doubt most would be interested anyway (the focus is on a middle-aged dad, after all).

My rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5. I hardly ever give fives, so this is a perfectly fine ranking. It's not exactly a "dating" movie, but a charming choice for a married date night.