Smart People review by MissMovieFan

Rated: R

Cast: Dennis Quaid, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church, Sarah Jessica Parker

Directed by: Noam Murro

Smart People takes place in the world of Pittsburgh academia. Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) is a widowed literature professor and frustrated novelist who specializes in berating his students. His obnoxious, Young Republican daughter, Vanessa (Ellen Page), acts as a surrogate housewife in her, in the absence of her late mother. Then chaos ensues with unwelcome arrival of Lawrence’s slacker stepbrother, Chuck, (Thomas Haden Church) who basically takes over the house. Lawrence suffers a seizure and loses his driver's license for six months. Reluctantly, he hires Chuck as his driver. Meanwhile, the unlikable Lawrence finds himself attracted to Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker) the doctor who treated him in the ER, unaware that she is a former student of his who once had a crush on him.

Although Smart People isn't based on a novel, novelist Mark Jude Poirier wrote the completely wretched screenplay. Terminally dull is the best way to describe it... with no clear plot. It never develops into a story that is believable or even particularly interesting. The pacing was all over the place. Twenty minutes into the film, the acoustic-guitar score was already sounding like the movie was about to end. First-time director Noam Murro gets muddled up in characters' collective depression and forgets to give us any back story that makes the viewer care about why everyone is so sad. With a cast like this, one would assume that you would at least be able to like some of the characters. But Page, in her first performance since Juno, is completely cynical and devoid of charm in this role. Haden Church came off as smarmy. Quaid is extremely loathesome and just grated on my nerves. Parker’s entire storyline seemed like an afterthought and you never understand what she sees in Lawrence.

I waited a while to write this review, hoping that I could come up with at least a few positive things to say about this film. But nothing came to mind. I can only give Smart People 1/2 out of 5 stars. Smart People will avoid this movie at all costs.