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| SMART PEOPLE |
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| Actors: Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Ellen Page, Ashton Holmes |
| Directors: Noam Murro |
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Distributor: Miramax |
| DVD release:12 August 2008 |
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Runtime: 95 minutes (1 disc) |
| Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen |
| DVD features: Audio (English - Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround), Subtitles (English, French, Spanish), The Smartest People (interviews with the producers, cast and crew), Commentary by director Noam Murro and writer Mark Jude Poirier, Not So Smart (outtakes), Deleted scenes, Smart People At Sundance (exclusive footage from the premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival) |
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The movie Smart People has solidified how much I really love Ellen Page as an actor. She has such incredible range and is a joy to watch on the screen. Both my husband and myself truly enjoyed her performance.
Smart People is about a semi-dysfunctional family. Widowed dad Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) is a highly intellectual college English literature professor who is trying to get his book, which is continually rejected, published. His daughter, Vanessa (Ellen Page), is almost his clone as a high school senior-overachiever, sharp-tongued, and opinionated. Life is turned topsy-turvy when Lawrence's adopted brother (Thomas Hayden Church), a chronic underachiever, shows up to live with them. When Lawrence is involved in a mishap and ends up in the hospital, he becomes reacquainted with a former student, now doctor, Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker). The two begin to foge quite an up-and-down relationship, complicated by Lawrence's family and their own insecurities.
Smart People is witty and charming. While it may be about a dysfunctional family, viewers may be surprised (or pleased) to discover that this family is pretty much "normal" for today's world. The development of Lawrence and Janet's relationship is true to life; neither one really knows how to act around the other, and it's a bit comical to watch them stumble through things. Ellen Page is a definitely bright spot, providing wry comments at every turn, even in the more serious moments. Thomas Hayden Church is also stellar in his role as the slacker brother/uncle.
The bonus features include deleted scenes, interviews with the filmmakers and cast, bloopers/outtakes, and a commentary with director Noam Murro and writer Mark Jude Poirier. Overall, Smart People is a movie possessing a wide range of appeal for those who like a good mix of comedy and drama with a bit of thinking thrown in.
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