Smart People: Intellectual dramedy, good. Ellen Page, freaking awesome
Release date: 11 April 2008
By Jerilyn Covert
Sometimes the smartest people have the most to learn. So goes the tagline for the new comedy Smart People. But perhaps we should append “about themselves” to that line. Within the film’s opening sequence, we the viewers learn more about Lawrence Wetherhold than he knows–or, at least, would admit–about himself. Arrogant, stuffy, uptight, insecure, frustrated, contentious, self-involved and, most of all, sad, the curmudgeonly Carnegie Mellon professor is the type of man who wears corduroy blazers and pleated pants, who refuses to devote his precious time to help students after class, much less make an effort to get to know them or remember their names, who’s consumed by his latest book project, which has yet to impress a publisher. Wetherhold, played by a scruffy, pudgy Dennis Quaid, is as ignorant about proper social interaction as he is, apparently, of the fact that a tucked-in shirt does not a protruding belly flatter. Indeed, he may be bright in the world of theory, but when it comes to real life, he hasn’t got a clue. “Do you think I’m self absorbed?” he asks his high-school-aged daughter, played by the insanely brilliant Ellen Page. “I think self absorption is underrated,” she cleverly replies. If Juno McGuff had uttered this same dialogue, it would be perceived as sarcasm. As Vanessa Wetherhold, Page’s performance has all the well-timed comedic earmarks of a pastiche. Her character is both Vanessa, the overachieving young Republican and straight-A student, and, at the same time, the unknowing parody of herself. In fact, she or any of these characters could easily translate into reality–the commitment-phobic, work-focused doctor, the developmentally-stunted freeloading brother, the sexually-active liberal collegiate son. Let’s face it, we know them all. Hell, we are them all. Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Doctor Janet Hartigan, has referred to the film as the story of “complicated, thinking people” living ordinary lives. That would be one way to describe them. Dysfunctional might be another. The director, Noam Murro, and screenwriter, Mark Poirier, are both newcomers to the silver screen. Their mutual debut follows Professor Wetherhold on a mid-life journey of self discovery and renewal. Since his wife passed away several years ago, he’s muddled through, obliviously, narrowly focused on academic success and taking for granted those he loves. His son (Ashton Holmes) resents him for having been such a crappy father. His daughter, portrayed by the aforementioned Page, vies continuously for his approval. One day, his adopted brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), shows up at his house and announces that he’s broke and needs a place to stay. Meanwhile, Wetherhold, having suffered a head trauma, decides to take a chance and ask out his attractive doctor (the aforementioned Parker), who also happens to be his former student. For this role, Parker manages to be every bit as neurotic as her token TV persona from Sex in the City, though much, much less glamorous. After all, a Carrie Bradshaw type probably wouldn’t fit very well into a film like this. Although, it might have been really fun to watch Page make fun of some of those outfits.All the movie’s funniest lines belong to Page. As the confused, grades-obsessed, bitingly witty Vanessa, she steals most of the laughs and, thus, the show. Different as her character is from Juno, their comedic styles are actually quite similar. And the dynamic between her and Church only serves to help the humor along. “Great. I’m in an after school special,” she says, as her uncle whips out a marijuana joint. However, it’s Quaid who delivers the best acting, nailing all the pomposities and subtle mannerisms that make his character come alive. Ultimately, this movie is enjoyable, though like-minded films do exist that are better. The Squid and the Whale (2005) comes to mind. That one tackles a lot of the same themes that Smart People does, but it’s far more touching. Still, if you like to watch the drama of intellectuals unfold and you have 95 minutes to kill, may as well give Smart People a shot. At the very least, you’ll get to see what Juno would’ve been like as a young Republican.