I have an inkling that most people will not fall in love with Smart People. While I wouldn’t accuse the film of moving too slowly, I would venture to state that within the story, there any many limitations put on the actors, preventing them from spicing things up a bit. Additionally, the overall color pallet for the film was even lacking any sense of personality differentiation amongst the characters. This is oddly a decent story, but visually not so stimulating.

A fan of Dennis Quaid, it was interesting to see him as a crotchety, widowed, extremely intelligent professor who unknowingly brings down his family and drives his students to nasty teacher evaluations (for, naturally, he never took any time to get to them). A man who has completely forgotten the goodness that love can bring to one's life, Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) is a deeply lonely man, who unintentionally casts a net of unhappiness over his family; daughter Vanessa Wetherhold (Ellen Page), adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), and son James (Ashton Holmes). Unlikely events turn Lawrence up in a hospital where he comes face-to-face with an old acquaintance who he does not remember.

In comes Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker), a lonely hospital physician, who used to harbor a school-girl crush for Mr. Wetherhold back in her Carnegie Mellon days. A horrible date ensues, but luckily for us, Lawrence has felt the spark of love and life. Parker’s presence is limited, and her character really doesn’t evolve much. We never truly understand why she makes the choices she makes; and if her apartment is any representation of her personality, I will tell you it’s more bland than white. However, the film is blessed with each of her on-screen appearances, as she still has a charm about her that draws you in.

Juno, I mean Ellen Page, does her best, or should I say worst, in this film. Page certainly has a flair for those down-on-your-luck tom-boyish high school girls. Playing an overly intelligent high schooler with no friends, Vanessa’s on-camera minutes are spent being possessive of her father and harboring a crush for her uncle (adopted uncle, mind you), most likely because she needs some positive male attention and her father is unable to give it to her for the majority of this film. As quick and sharp a wit as Page gives Vanessa, I just didn’t see much difference between this character and Juno. Vanessa may be a bit more republican, but she’s equally as dark, sarcastic, and troubled as Juno.

Thomas Haden Church was the ray of light in this film. I fell in love with this guy in Sideways and am happy to report that his character here, as buffoon-like as he was, gave audiences a bit of laughter and delight in an overly shadowed film. While Uncle Chuck is your typical, unreliable character (forgets his few responsibilities, gets his teenage niece drunk at a bar, has no money), there is something about him that is lovable and exciting. Personally, his face cracks me up and his comedic timing is right on in Smart People.

Although Smart People will not be a spring blockbuster, the film smartly (ahem) closes with an uplifting sequence, a vast difference from the previous, more bitter scenes, and a sweet close to an ominous bundle of issues. I liked this film, but for many it’s probably a renter.

Grade: C+

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