Smart People

Year of Release: 2008
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Rating: R for some language and brief drug references.
Director: Noam Murro
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church.

Date Of Review: April 2008

“Smart People” is a rich, insightful look at a dysfunctional family. It is an intellectual melodrama featuring a creative script that is crammed with the type of wit that you would expect from the “Smart People” that the film inhabits.  Dennis Quaid is outstanding as the English literary professor trying to get his dysfunctional life in some form of order. He is a widower struggling to adapt to his new existence as a single parent, raising two children (Ellen Page and Ashton Holmes), while attempting to maintain his career status and publish a book all at the same time.  

To complicate his situation Quaid is injured in a rather embarrassing, freak, work-related accident that he would prefer people think was a mugging. Things don’t get any easier when he falls in love with the doctor (Sarah Jessica Parker) who treats him at the hospital. As it turns out Quaid doesn’t know that the Doctor was once a former student of his that had a crush on him. That’s right, Quaid is at that point in his life when he doesn’t remember any names or any faces for that matter of the students that he once taught, no, let me rephrase that, Quaid even struggles to remember the names of his current students as well and is forced to peer at his roll call sheet in class to clarify things. Add to this situation, Quaid’s adopted, deadbeat brother (Thomas Haden Church) who moves into his home, unwanted, and becomes his chauffeur because Quaid’s injury prevents him from driving.  After continuous knock backs by publishers, Quaid’s book is given a new lease of life, via a title change (“You Can’t Read”) suggested by his daughter.  His daughter is more akin to his emotional and mental state than anyone that he knows and is almost like a mini-him.  His son on the other hand is on a different plane.

Although shot before “Juno”, “Smart People” is the 2nd time in recent months that audiences are able to see Ellen Page and this film provides filmgoers with another great opportunity to see the extremely talented young actress at work. Page again plays a sharp-tongued teen and puts in a fine performance as Quaid’s conscientious, over-achiever daughter. In one memorable line, that embodies the essence of the "Smart People" in this film, Page, in a bar scene asks a fellow teen "What's it like being stupid?". Page is not the only scene stealer in this film that is crackling with great dialogue. The other one is Thomas Haden Church, who is still echoing the same quirks as his “Sideways” character. As comedy relief, Church comes up with some of films best quips, one that comes to mind is when he says to Quaid, only moments before Quaid's date with Parker, "You spend $50 on dinner, that's grounds for intercourse". Church's immaturity and never grow-up attitude brings a sense of grounding to the smart but complicated characters that surround him. However, Church’s unreliable but free-spirited approach to life has its consequences when he attempts to break Ellen Page’s character out of her shell and sensibilities by getting her drunk and exposing her to marijuana use.

Dennis Quaid, at times resembling more a homeless alcoholic than a literary professor, gives a performance that appears to be almost mimicking that of actor, Harrison Ford.  This is not the first time I have found this association with Quaid’s performance, he also reminded me of Harrison Ford in the romantic comedy “In Good Company” (2004). It seems the older Quaid gets the more he reminds me of Harrison Ford, whatever the case, Quaid embodies the eccentricities of the literary professor convincingly. As for Quaid's relationship with Sarah Jessica Parker, it's ironic to note that there is a small mirroring of events between Quaid's recent real-life happenings with those of his Professor character. I won't entirely go into it, but let's just say the result of his relationship with Parker plays out on the end credits. Also, if I was to pinpoint a small gripe with the film it would be that the chemistry between Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker is slightly lacking. It seems Parker does her best with a role that I believe is somewhat under-developed.

“Smart People” is a mature film for mature people. Arty, intelligent, melancholy and brimming with understated wit; “Smart People” magnifies life’s frustrations to comedic and dramatic effect. In fact "Smart People" may not soar to great heights for everybody but it was nevertheless a pleasant surprise for me and was actually a much better film than I expected. It also reminded me of the Michael Douglas film “Wonder Boys” (2000) which coincidentally is also about an English professor trying to publish a book. I don’t know what it is about writers but they make great fodder for movie script writers. When you watch “Smart People” give the characters some time to marinate and I am sure you will get something out of it. One thing is for sure book worms and English teachers will love it.

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Wonder Boys (2000) [DVD]
Michael Douglas is a Pittsburgh area college professor who finds himself facing a variety of crises as he struggles to complete the follow-up to his successful first novel. With problems ranging from a wife who's just left him to a lover--his department chairman's wife--who's pregnant, Douglas must also deal with two students: a boarder who's in love with him and a troubled writer who sees him as a mentor. Frances McDormand, Katie Holmes, Tobey Maguire also star. Curtis Hanson directs this adaptation of Michael Chabon's book. 112 min. Widescreen (Enhanc ed); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.0, French Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: English; "making of" featurette; music video; location map; theatrical trailer.

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