BEFORE: Jennifer Aniston was in "The Good Girl" with John C. Reilly, who was in "Step Brothers" with Will Ferrell, who was in "Anchorman" with Steve Carell, who stars in tonight's film. Hopefully Mr. Carell can pull me out of my rom-com funk - and birthday SHOUT-out #17 goes to Emily Blunt (last seen in "Charlie Wilson's War"), who appears here in a small role.
THE PLOT: A widower finds out the woman he fell in love with is his brother's girlfriend.
AFTER: In a way this represents a combination of some elements from other recently-watched films - first off, we've got a couple who meet cute in a bookstore, like in "Falling in Love". Then we've got a romantic situation where the partners clearly need to be re-shuffled, as in "He's Just Not That Into You". And finally we've got a family getting together at their vacation home, where touch football is played, like in "Wedding Crashers".
Oh, and Dan (Steve Carell, last seen in "Evan Almighty") is having the worst day ever, like Molly Ringwald's character in "Sixteen Candles". He's stuck in the most awkward situation possible, watching as his own brother is dating the girl he's just fallen for, and seems to be very compatible with. Good thing that Steve Carell seems to excel in awkward situations.
He's also a widower who hasn't yet found his way back on to the dating scene - and we see him being both supported and mocked by his large family, which rang quite true. No one can love you like your family can, and no one can give you a hard time like your family can.
But what to do? Pursue the woman he's got a connection with and risk betraying his brother, or keep silent and watch the potential love of his life with another? He's stuck - which is made more ironic by the fact that he's some kind of advice columnist, who for once doesn't know what to do.
Some of the family stuff was a little too cutesy - people playing charades, and putting on a family "talent show", but the film takes place in Rhode Island, so I'm willing to believe there's not much else to do there. And I have to take off points for a quite predictable ending - and for a wonderful acoustic version of "Let My Love Open the Door" performed by Carell, and ruined by Dane Cook.
However, in the movie's defense, it found a way to be heartwarming and heartbreaking simultaneously, which is not an easy task.
Also starring Juliette Binoche (last seen in "Bee Season"), John Mahoney (last seen in "The Russia House"), Dianne Weist (last seen in "Falling in Love"),
RATING: 7 out of 10 bowling balls (really an 8, but 1 point deducted for excessive Dane Cook-ness.)
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