Life, Love, and Film

Or, a review of Dan in Real Life

When my wallet turned up, and we were tossing the newly-cancelled credit cards, Andrew and I realized that we had at least 20 free movie passes between the two of us. I had an AMC gift card that I got as a Christmas gift in 2005. I think between then and now, we used it once. I also have a discount move pass to my favorite independent theater, which was a Christmas gift in 2006, but we recharged recently.

I don't normally go to movies for a few reasons:

(1) Expensive. I think it's unreal to pay $15 to see a movie when you can buy it on DVD for the same price and watch it alone. I work during the day, and frankly, I'm inconvenienced by having to schedule my life around matinee pricing.

(Matinee pricing, in my opinion, is one of those things that keeps the rich wealthy. I have a whole spiel about the rich getting more for their money.)

(2) Other people. If I go to a movie, I don't want to hear you talking on your cell phone. I don't want to smell you. I especially don't want you kicking my chair, or chewing your popcorn loudly.

(3) Other people's children. I like well-behaved children, but you only notice the ill-behaved ones in public. You know why? Because well-behaved children don't scream at inappropriate times to get Mom's attention. So, if I notice your kids in the theater, you're going on my list.

In any case, Andrew asked me out on a date, and we made plans to see the first showing on Sunday of "Dan in Real Life". I would like to say that I think Steve Carell is a red-hot smokin' fox. I loved him in "Little Miss Sunshine" and he has that same genuine, heart wrenching earnestness in "Dan in Real Life". I don't normally like movies like this, but I found it to be honest, heartfelt, and incredibly moving. You could say I liked this movie.

It wasn't a sobfest- quite the opposite, actually. There were scenes where I laughed so hard that I had tears streaming down my face. My favorite scene has to be where Dane Cook and Norbert Leo Butz are singing about Ruthie "Pigface" Draper. See it here:

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