It is 2007. Steve Carell is the king of the world, or at least the king of the "sad-sack-dad" archetype. He’s right in the middle of his The Office run, and he stars in this quiet, acoustic-guitar-heavy dramedy called Dan in Real Life. Most people remember the Juliette Binoche romance or the weirdly aggressive Dane Cook performance. But if you go back and watch it now, one person jumps off the screen.
Emily Blunt.
Wait, Emily Blunt was in that? Yeah. She was.
Honestly, she basically teleports into the movie for about fifteen minutes, wreaks absolute havoc on the plot's emotional stability, and then vanishes. She plays Ruthie Draper. Or, as the family affectionately (and somewhat cruelly) calls her: "Pigface."
Who is Ruthie Draper, anyway?
In the movie, Dan (Carell) is a widower struggling with three daughters and a massive crush on his brother’s girlfriend, Marie. His parents, played by the legends Dianne Wiest and John Mahoney, decide he needs a win. They set him up on a blind date with a childhood acquaintance.
Enter Ruthie Draper.
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The name "Pigface" comes from a childhood nickname, and the family even sings a song about her before she arrives. It's one of those awkward, mid-2000s indie movie moments that feels a little mean-spirited until Blunt actually shows up. When she walks through the door, she is... not a pig. She’s a 24-year-old Emily Blunt in a red dress.
The contrast is the whole point. Dan is supposed to be this relatable, disheveled guy, and suddenly he’s sitting across from a woman who is—honestly—way out of his league at that moment.
The "Fever" Dance Scene
If you remember anything about Emily Blunt in Dan in Real Life, it’s the bar scene. It’s legendary for all the wrong (and right) reasons.
The group goes out to a local spot. The song "Fever" starts playing. Ruthie, who is portrayed as incredibly confident and maybe a little too intense for Dan’s quiet vibe, decides it’s time to dance.
Blunt plays it with this weird, magnetic energy. She’s "seducing" him, but it’s also kind of a power move. She’s swaying, she’s shimmying, and Steve Carell looks like he wants to dissolve into the floorboards. It’s a masterclass in secondary character work. She isn't just a "date"; she's a catalyst. Her presence makes Marie (Juliette Binoche) jealous for the first time, which finally pushes the plot toward its breaking point.
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Why her role was a 2000s time capsule
At the time, Emily Blunt was fresh off The Devil Wears Prada (2006). She was the "mean assistant" everyone loved. Placing her in a Rhode Island family retreat movie felt like a deliberate attempt to see if she could do "effortlessly sexy and annoying" at the same time. She could.
She wasn't a household name yet. Not really. She was just that "British girl who is good in everything." In Dan in Real Life, she doesn't even use her real accent. She goes full American, which added to the "who is that?" factor for audiences back then.
The cast was actually stacked
Looking back, this movie had a ridiculous eye for talent.
- Britt Robertson played one of the daughters.
- Alison Pill was the eldest.
- Lucas Hedges (yes, Manchester by the Sea Lucas Hedges) is in the background as a dance partner.
- Amy Ryan shows up as part of the extended family.
But Blunt is the one who shifts the gear of the movie. Without the Ruthie Draper character, the tension between Dan and Marie stays internal. Ruthie forces it out into the open. She is the "threat" that makes the lead characters realize they actually want to be together.
What people get wrong about her performance
Some critics at the time thought Ruthie was too much. A bit "cartoonish" compared to the grounded, somber tone of the rest of the film.
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But that's the point.
Families like the one in Dan in Real Life are insular. They have their own jokes, their own songs, and their own rhythm. When an outsider like Ruthie Draper comes in—someone who is loud, confident, and doesn't know the "rules" of the house—it’s supposed to feel jarring. Blunt understood that she was the "disruptor."
She wasn't there to be Dan's soulmate. She was there to be the mirror that showed Dan how much he was hurting.
How to watch it today
If you’re doing a "Before They Were Famous" marathon, Dan in Real Life is a mandatory stop. It’s currently available on most PVOD platforms like Amazon and Apple, and it pops up on Disney+ or Hulu depending on the month.
Actionable Insights for Movie Buffs:
- Watch for the improvisation: The "Pigface" song was largely spearheaded by Norbert Leo Butz (who plays the brother, Clay). Watch Blunt’s reaction in the background; her "good sport" energy is palpable.
- Compare the accents: If you’ve only seen her in A Quiet Place or Oppenheimer, her Ruthie Draper voice is a trip. It's a very specific, slightly "preppy" East Coast inflection.
- Check the soundtrack: The music is by Sondre Lerche. It’s peak 2007. If you like the vibe of the Blunt/Carell dance, the whole album is worth a spin on Spotify.
The movie might belong to Steve Carell, but the memory of it definitely belongs to the woman who made "Pigface" the most intimidating date in cinema history.
To get the most out of your rewatch, pay close attention to the double-date sequence. Notice how Blunt uses her physical space to crowd Carell; it's a subtle bit of acting that makes his awkwardness feel much more earned. You can also look for her "deleted scenes" on the physical DVD or YouTube, which show a few more beats of Ruthie trying—and failing—to fit in with the eccentric Burns family.