Wiggly Socks Movie Reviews

By Linda Winsh-Bolard

Dan is an author of a newspaper family advice column titled “Dan in Real Life” and a single father of three girls ranging from 17 to about 7. Against strong objections of Cara, who is in love, and with constant “Can I drive?” from Lilly, he takes his girls for a Thanksgiving’ visit to his family. His parents live in a large, rambling house not far from the sea.

His family is worried about him, it has been 4 years since his wife died, yet Dan does not have any new love interests or even prospects. They think he needs a break from the girls. Even a temporary one. After all, teenagers are obstacle to any love. So Dan goes to get ‚lost“ in town and meets and interesting woman called Marie in a bookshop. He almost gets a date with her.

Both, Dan and Marie, are truly shocked when it turns out that Marie’s is Dan’s brother’s newest girlfriend, only he calls her Annie because according to French custom she is called Anna-Marie. Dan and Marie are valiantly trying to avoid all temptations but fate is in their way.

There are few hilarious scenes, such as when Dan and Marie get trapped in the bathroom, by his daughter who chooses that very moment to have a serious discussion with a trustworthy grown woman- Marie. Screaming teenagers proclaiming undying love play well against the forbidden „adult“ love, which strangely is just the same, hopefully with a bit more of introspection.

Some good family fun, because the focus is ultimately on family ties and interactions, and this is truly an odd family: everybody likes everybody else and nobody seriously fights. Nothing is really that tragic. Dan and Marie are not inseparable, while Marie and Dan just met, the family likes her, and the maternal wisdom of Dianne Wiest is as influential as needs to be. Daddy cooks, now there is progress. Even the many romantic scenes have some novelty to them, such as the suddenly romantic bowling alley.

It is nicely, homely, warmly shot. Lawrence Sher camera is traditional with soft interior lighting and brilliant outside winter, helping the mood of the film.

Dianne Wiest is an excellent mother; Juliet Binoche is equally good as a woman in forbidden love torn between jealousy and responsibility. Steve Carell is down to the earth father with responsibilities caught in a net he did not foresee and both intentionally and unintentionally comical in his attempts to live this down. Both are capable of acting out the unspoken nuances of secret love.

As long as you do not question the basic premise of the story- what are the chances of those two meeting in such place under such circumstances- it is quite pleasant to watch, occasionally a bit melancholic, sometimes romantic and sometimes truly funny.

Director Peter Hedge wrote the screenplays to About the Boy and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? As well as directed and wrote Pieces of April, his subject are families and their behavioral patterns. Alas with time, he is getting less cutting and more pleasantly shallow.


Buena Vista Pictures
Touchstone Pictures/Focus Features
Credits:
Director: Peter Hedges
Screenwriters: Pierce Gardner, Peter Hedges
Producers: Jon Shestack, Brad Epstein
Executive producers: Noah Rosen, Darlene Caamano Loquet, Mari Jo Winkler-Ioffreda
Director of photography: Lawrence Sher
Production designer: Sarah Knowles
Music: Sondre Lerche
Co-producer: Dianne Dreyer
Costume designer: Alix Friedberg
Editor: Sarah Flack
Cast: Dan: Steve Carell
Marie: Juliette Binoche
Mitch: Dane Cook
Jane: Alison Pill
Cara: Brittany Robertson
Lily: Marlene Lawston
Nana: Dianne Wiest
Poppy: John Mahoney.
Running time -- 99 minutes
MPAA rating PG-13