At first glance this may seem just like the typical film portraying a charming father, his 1-3 children, and the effort to return to normal after the death of a much-loved mother--the father insisting all the while that true love only happens once, while the forces of love act on him and eventually convince him to let go of the past and focus on the future. Actually, that's exactly what this film is. But a combination of Steve Carrell's hilarious performance, a great cast, and a soundtrack filled with music by Norwegian singer/songwriter Sondre Lerche manage to make this a successful film. Steve Carrell is funny in a quieter, more subtle way than he is in his other movies, and the result is that he has no trouble fitting right into this family-oriented romantic comedy, which is not his typical film. Yes, it's predictable, but it's also heart-warming and filled with laugh-out-loud moments. Sometimes there's nothing more refreshing than a movie like Dan in Real Life, which ends just how you think it should end, although with surprises along the way.