If you're the father of a daughter who hasn't reached her teen years yet, you're probably better off not watching this movie. There's really no point in wallowing in what's in store for you. But if you're like me (the father of two, neither one even six yet) and a glutton for punishment, you'll find Dan In Real Life to be a feel-good flick that will leave you with warm feelings for family; and in today's society, that's definitely something we could use more of. You'll also get a glimpse of life with teenage daughters... information I could have done without; still, I liked the movie.

I won't bother retreading the same material I covered when Dan In Real Life released in theaters, but I will state once again that it was nice to see a loving, functional family. There's no crass, crazy member who spouts off all the risque stuff just to give the film some edge. There's no contrived family crisis in order to create meaningless drama, we just get to see what a large, loving family looks like when one of their own is hurting for very real reasons. In truth, this movie reminded me a lot of my own family, which warmed my heart even more because I'm one of the few to be blessed with a truly loving, gracious family that actually likes being with each other. (I know; it sounds like something out of the movies, doesn't it?)

Of course, not everyone may identify with the warm family aspect of this film, and if you're one of those, my heart goes out to you. There is good news, however. No matter what your earthly family may be like, we've all been blessed with the privilege of being apart of God's family. You see, God loves us so much that he sent his son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to pay the price for our sins; it's how we can be forgiven for our past. Then he raised him up from the dead so that we might enjoy eternal life as a son or daughter of God. He's offering to adopt all of us, but we first have to choose to be apart of his family.

It's not a choice a lot of people are willing to make because of their experiences with their families or because they sometimes see God's family bickering and fighting amongst themselves... But then again, what family doesn't do that from time to time? However, you won't find anyone as faithful, patient, loving, and kind as our Heavenly Father, so if you don't have a family, know that there's one waiting for you with open arms.

Aside from the fact that you can see it from the comfort of your own home, its kind of hard to get excited about a movie like Dan In Real Life being on DVD. It's not like we're going to get to see the amazing technology behind the special effects or learn how a certain, complex action stunt sequence was put together. This is simple, classic, comedy/drama, and so the extras on this single disc release are also simple and straight forward. We get a few deleted scenes that were deleted for a reason, some outtakes of the actors laughing (although we aren't told what the joke is, so it isn't really all that funny), a commentary with director Peter Hedges and a standard, behind the scenes, making-of documentary. None of these really stand out, but they're all solid in their own right. I can't say, however, that they really add anything to the value of purchasing this movie on DVD.

Dan In Real Life is one of those rare comedy/dramas that you don't feel guilty about watching afterwards. It's warm, it's funny, it's gentle, it's clean, and it actually leaves you feeling good after the credits roll. If you missed seeing Dan In Real Life in theaters, you definitely should rent it. Or, if you're someone who really enjoys families that actually love and care about each other, this is one film that will actually fit in well with your DVD library.