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.

The story, set in a house full of animated relatives, follows the subplots of extended-family love stories with good effect. Carell is a great minimalist comic, but director Peter Hedges’ juvenile script has him emulating Ben Stiller bombs. Binoche, though, is a ray of warmth whose solid performance makes Dan in Real Life more enjoyable.

While the animated clan provides an engaging backdrop of familial love, we root for Carell even as he drifts through the movie, basically reprising his Little Miss Sunshine performance.