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Widower Dan Burns (Steve Carell) is raising his three daughters Jane (Alison Pill), Cara (Brittany Robertson) and Lilly (Marlene Lawston) while plodding through his otherwise lonely life. As a respected advice columnist, he isn't handling teenage Jane's budding romance very well and the teen's angst makes for a long and difficult trip as Dan takes the girls for their annual reunion at his parent's (Dianne Wiest, John Mahoney) home in Rhode Island.
The morning after their arrival, Dan goes to town alone and while browsing in a bookstore, he quickly becomes smitten with an attractive woman. He works up the courage to invite her to coffee and ends up spilling his story to the lovely Marie (Juliette Binoche). He wants to see her again but she discourages it saying she's just started a relationship, and yet she does give him her phone number. Encouraged by this, Dan returns to his parent's home and mentions that he met a "hottie" in town which causes a bit of a buzz and teasing, especially from his brother Mitch (Dane Cook).
Meanwhile, Mitch is preparing his family for the arrival of his new girlfriend and makes it clear that "this might be the one!" Of course, when she arrives, she and Dan are surprised to see each other and yet they don't let the family know about their earlier meeting.
Dan is, of course, saddened by this revelation but goes through the motion of the family reunion routines, like meals, the football game and the talent show, with this lingering enchantment with Marie. But there's much going on in the household with Dan's several siblings (including Amy Ryan), young nieces and nephews, and dealing with his own daughter's issues.
Dan's mother thinks it's high time that Dan marries again and sets him up with an old classmate Ruthie (Emily Blunt). Dan is not happy. Ruthie's nickname in school was "pig face," but he reluctantly agrees to go on the date when Mitch suggests that Dan and Ruthie double-date with Mitch and Marie.
There's a lot going on in this film with the issues of Dan's daughters and his large family, his own sadness, prospects for a career move, and this burning secret love, but it's well put together and coherent with some very funny bits and tender moments.
Directed by Peter Hedges.
Rated PG-13 for some innuendo.
My personal rating: B
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