Linda Thomas: at the movies

Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is a widower with three daughters. He writes an advice column in the newspaper but he needs some advice himself on raising girls. He is over protective and he doesn’t understand them at their various ages. They all go to a reunion at his parent’s home. His mother sends him out for some alone time. He meets a lovely woman, Marie (Juliet Binoche), at the local bookstore. He is interested in a woman for the first time since his wife passed away. They exchange numbers and he heads back to his parents. He arrives only to find that Marie is his brother’s new girlfriend. He spends the rest of the movie trying to pretend that he doesn’t care about Marie. The movie is full of affection between the family, the joy and pain of love and shots of Dan going quietly nuts. These are two adults that really need each other and a family that loves one another. The characters are good; the movie is funny and very human at the same time. Steve Carrel does a terrific job with all the facets of this role. Teen-agers 13 and older should enjoy the movie along with their parents. Why won’t he let his oldest daughter drive? Why doesn’t he tell his brother that he met Marie and he is interested in her?