| Synopses |
Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.
- IMDb.com
Smart People is the darkly comic story of Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), a widowed, acerbic, and self-absorbed literature professor who has alienated his son and turned his daughter into an overachieving, friendless teen. He falls for Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker), one of his former students; at the same time, his ne’er-do-well brother (played by Thomas Haden Church) unexpectedly shows up at his door, low on cash and needing a place to stay. Suddenly, Lawrence's well-thought-out, though not well-managed, life comes crashing down on him. All the intelligence in the world can’t unstick his life.
A seasoned commercial director, Noam Murro is no stranger behind a camera, but Smart People surely signals the beginning of an accomplished new career in feature filmmaking. The script by Mark Jude Poirier is razor sharp, and the obvious rapport among the ensemble cast members makes for a healthy dose of well-conceived humor. Mixing comedy genres, including just a hint of modern slapstick, Murro proves he has an assured grasp on what any good adult comedy needs—an expert balance of pace and pathos. Smart People traces the amusing series of events that trigger, in one man, the need to change and reconnect with his family before he can take the first step forward.
–Sundance Film Guide
Commercial director Noam Murro makes the leap to feature films with this drama concerning an ageing professor turned bitter eccentric from the death of his longtime wife. Upon falling for a former student, the long-grieving educator finally regains his ability to connect with the outside world. Dennis Quaid, Rachel Weisz, and Thomas Hayden Church star in a film that serves as the screenwriting debut of Goats and Modern Ranch Living author Mark Poirier.
- Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide via Spill
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Sundance Movie Review: Smart People
Posted on Monday, January 21st, 2008 at 1:17 am by: Peter Sciretta
Dennis Quaid plays Lawrence Wetherhold, a miserable and pompous
collage professor who suffers a head trauma while trying to jump the
fence at a car impound lot. Unable to drive himself around, his
screw-up adopted-brother Chuck (played by the incomparable Thomas Haden
Church) moves in and becomes his personal chauffeur (if he can ever
remember to pick his brother up). Chuck tries to expose Lawrence's
conservative daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) to beer and drugs, and in
the process, a complicated relationship develops. Meanwhile Lawrence
falls for his Doctor Janet, played by the ever-so annoying Sarah
Jessica Parker, and in the process, must find a way to cure himself of
his unhealthy obsession with his deceased wife.
Page's Vanessa is a snappy sarcastic smart aleck 17-year-old.
Imagine if Juno were less indie/punk and more conservative / school
smart. Page steals every scene she shares on screen. Church, also an
attention hog (in a good way) is ever so charming as the lovable loser.
Screenwriter Mark Poirier is all over Hollywood in a non-Diablo Cody
way. Poirier is set to make his feature directing debut for Paramount
with his script, Bong Hits 4 Jesus. Commercial turned Feature director
Noam Murro makes a fantastic debut.
If there were one complaint about this film, it would be
that the supporting storyline featuring the complicated relationship
between Page and Church was far more interesting than the main romantic
storyline. In fact, I would love to see a movie about those characters in that kind of situation, where more time could be devoted.
I must admit, I wasn't expecting much from Smart People, but left
the theater with a large grin in hand. This is a wonderful movie, not
on the level of Juno, but up there next to Little Miss Sunshine.
/Film Rating: 8 out of 10
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