Smart People (2008)

hyped garbage

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

The first must-see film of the year.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

So basically, they just told Ellen Page & Sarah Jessica Parker to be themselves and for Dennis Quaid to go watch a few episodes of House (if he hadn't already) and be Hugh Laurie's character for Smart People. If it hadn't been for Uncle Chuck, played by Thomas Haden Church, this movie would have pretty much totally sucked for me. But then, i'm a Cheech & Chong fan and always loved Reverend Jim on Taxi too, so forget about it. I also think Ashton Holmes did well in this and deserved more recognition than he got. I will also say that Smart People has some pleasant scenery and a sweet score, always a plus.... and it does have a decent ending. The fact that some obviously dysfunctional stuff going on in the character's lives gets at all addressed makes it bearable to watch. Worth seeing one time, but not what i'd call a keeper.

People are complicated. Sometimes there's people who are funny, people who are boring, people who are popular and people who don't. And there's smart people and there's dumb people (whatever that means). And then there's a movie called "Smart People", a movie about complicated persons trying to make things easy (or not). A simple conversation can be too difficult even to a Literature teacher (played by Dennis Quaid) whose arrogance, egocentricity and lack of attention make him forget the name of his students, ignore the fact that his son (Ashton Holmes) buys expensive books and that his daughter (Ellen Page) is trying to enter into a college. And worst: he's a widower man that after an accident falls in love for her medical doctor (Sarah Jessica Parker). And even more worst: while recovering from this accident his adopted brother (Thomas Haden Church) starts to live in his house. If you are only reading the names of the actors here you might want to see this film right now but I tell you: If you think you're going to like it or it's a good movie think again. To call "Smart People" of a boring movie is to diminish its potential. I say that this movie hasn't anything new to show besides of being a compilation of several different movies together that didn't make a good one. All the characters are egoistic, intelligent but with no regards about other people's interest. To them everything is motive of laugh. Too much sarcasm and too much black humor didn't worked at all. Ellen Page is becoming type-casted as sarcastic characters who delivers awkward punchlines after other just like in "Juno" (excellent film by the way). It was annoying. Dennis Quaid's character was too overacted in his manners and in his intelligence. After all it's all boring persons making other people's life more boring but I'll say more. In life, intelligent (or smart if you prefer) are always put aside from other people. Many times they don't have enough skills to talk, skills to be popular, skills to say simple things rightly, and they're too shy to say something or when they say it sounds incomprehensible to some people. Okay, we've seen "The Revenge of the Nerds" and we know that's exactly how it works. But "Smart People" reduced its public by stating that smart people are ignorant and they must be ignored and they don't know how to have a good time, always putting themselves behind books and something similar, not to mention use sarcasm as a weapon. Wrong. There are cases and there are cases. What about people who has Asperger's Syndrome? What about people with social phobia? What about shy people? All these examples are ruthless, cold hearted and sarcastic? It was a too critical movie with no funny moments at all (perhaps one or two scenes). It also has a speech about change what you are. The uncle in the film always try to involve his niece into something new like smoke pot or go to a bar, because he thinks she's always studying to go to college and doesn't have too much time for fun. Or Dennis's character being repelled by Sarah Jessica in their first date because he only talks about himself and his career. Wait a minute. If you love someone you want to change this person? Can't you respect that person for what she or he is? Once again it judged some people too much and you might get depressed or annoyed with that. Screenplay: Bad. It didn't create any interesting situation whatsoever. Acting: Nothing spectacular or inspiring to see. Direction: Misguided and lost at some times. Movie: 4 stars because I've seen worst movies and this is just pointless and has some level of knowledge.

Just because a person is intellectually does not mean he/she has the social skills to make it in the world--CAse in point Lawrence Wetherold. He is a highly intelligent English professor whose pompous attitude lead him to have no friends. He is also hung up on his dead wife Caroline to the point where after his daughter and brother donate his wife's clothes to Goodwill-he buys them back. When he meets an emergency room doctor he is smitten but doesn't know how to act and eventually loses her. This a wake up call for him as he transforms his attitude and starts to behave in a more humane way. Vanesssa, Lawrences daughter is an equally brainy type. However,she too is a social misfit as she is spending too much time getting good grades and taking care of her dad. She gets life experience lessons from Lawrences brother Chuck by getting high on pot and getting drunk at a bar. There is more but just watching this movie I got a good lesson in family dynamics and a few good laughs.

This movie is definitely not for everyone: ignore the fact that SJP is starring, because if you're a fan of her work, you'll definitely end up hating this movie. Long story short, the movie is simply about a bunch of a**holes, thinking they know everything simply because they are well educated. Little do they know about real life, though, and it all comes out when the head of the family meets (again) an attractive lady physician. They are all accompanied by the family uncle, who is definitely "smarter" than anyone else, even though not having a proper education or job. Now this would have been an interesting movie to watch if not for the obvious down-points. Firstly and fore-mostly, the music. Every 10 minutes (quite literally), we are faced with a scene with an acoustic guitar playing. The soundtrack consists of only indie-acoustic songs, which make the movie simply painful to watch. Dennis Quaid's performance is absolutely annoying, and let's leave it at that. It's nice to see SJP out of her natural habitat of New York City (for 90% of the movie at least), which is truly a great surprise; when the movie comes to an end, you realize it was pretty much the only shining star. Ellen Page is being herself, know-it-all and I'm-better-than-you-are attitude all over the place in one scene, only to become needy and pissy at everything in the next one. About halfway through the movie, I bet you'll find yourself asking: What is the matter with these people? and I don't blame you. This movie could have been a great polemic on wisdom, but it just falls flat when faced with indie music and terrible performances, and the absolute lack of any action whatsoever.