eeing the name of writer-director Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, About a Boy, Pieces of April) on a movie's credits means you're in for a something a bit off-kilter. And Hedges' latest, "Dan in Real Life" certainly has the potential to register as one of the fall's true crowd-pleasers.

The story is simple enough: sad-eyed widower Dan Burns (Steve Carell) who pens an advice column, is doing his best to raise three girls. He can’t imagine falling in love again, but, while on a vacation with his parents (John Mahoney, Dianne Wiest) at their Rhode Island cottage, he goes to the local bookstore and meets the beautiful and spontaneous Marie (Juliette Binoche).

Marie approaches Dan, wrongly assuming he’s employed there. She’s looking for a book but isn’t sure what she wants, then rattles out a long list of details identifying the book she’s seeking. Immediately, Dan feels the sparks of affection for the first time since his wife's death.

Alas, his hopes of a relationship are dashed when she turns out to be the beloved girlfriend of his shallow brother (Dane Cook). And, to make matters worse, she's on her way to the Burns family cottage to meet Dan and the rest of the gang - which will make the family visit a comically awkward situation as they try to keep their flirtation a secret from the rest of the family.