Smart People (2008)

Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.

Director:

Noam Murro

Writer:

Mark Poirier (as Mark Jude Poirier)

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church, Sarah Jessica Parker

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Lawrence Wetherhold
Sarah Jessica Parker	...	Janet Hartigan
Thomas Haden Church	...	Chuck Wetherhold
Ellen Page	...	Vanessa Wetherhold
Ashton Holmes	...	James Wetherhold
Christine Lahti	...	Nancy
Camille Mana	...	Missy
David Denman	...	William
Don Wadsworth	...	Hadley
Robert Haley	...	Roth
Patrick Sebes	...	Curtis
Kevin James Doyle	...	Rodney
Paul Huber	...	Ben (as Paul J. Huber)
Iva Jean Saraceni	...	Volunteer
Richard John Walters	...	Parking Lot Attendant

Storyline

Lawrence Wetherhold is miserable and misanthropic: he's a widower, a pompous professor at Carnegie Mellon, an indifferent father to a college student and a high-school senior, and the reluctant brother of a ne'er-do-well who's come to town. A seizure and a fall send Lawrence to the emergency room where the physician, a former student of his, ends up going on a date with him. His daughter, Vanessa, lonely and friendless, who's been bonding with his brother, tries to sabotage dad and the doctor's relationship, but Lawrence is good at that without help. Is there any way these smart people can get a life? Can happiness be pursued beneath layers of irony?

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Plot Keywords:

student | professor | emergency room | high school | college | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes the smartest people have the most to learn

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, brief teen drug and alcohol use, and for some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

11 April 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Una familia genial

Filming Locations:

Allegheny General Hospital - 320 East North Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,092,465, 13 April 2008, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$9,496,882, 1 June 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax,Groundswell Productions,Sherazade Film Development

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Rachel Weisz was originally cast opposite Dennis Quaid in this film, but she decided to leave the project. She was then replaced with Sarah Jessica Parker.

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Goofs

When Lawrence is in the hospital, the bed rails move from being up to down when he is talking with Janet.

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Quotes

Vanessa Wetherhold: I think he smelled the pot!

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: Ellen Page/Wilco (2008)

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Soundtracks

Pursuit of Happiness
Written by Nuno Bettencourt and Gary Cherone
Performed by Nuno Bettencourt and Suze DeMarchi

User Reviews

Crassly opportunistic! It's clear now why they had not released this film before: it's mediocre and depressing.

This movie was made before "Juno," but remained on the shelf. It is clear now why--- it's just not very good. Ellen Page's Oscar nomination, and her incredible performance in "Juno" got some studio to do some thinking. "Aha!" they probably thought,"Here's a way to cash in her new found fame, and unload this turkey." The studio peeps were, in fact very smart people. The movie, however, is rather dull and depressed.

It was interesting to hear Page's perky "smart alec" voice in a character she played before "Juno." It indicates that much of what she showed us in "Juno" was HER, and not mere dialogue or direction.

Alas, the characters in "Smart People," especially Dennis Quaid's, were scruffy dim-bulbs, and not very pleasant, not admirable, nor watchable.

Bottom line, this clunker had sat unreleased and in the warehouse for a reason. It's not pure rubbish, but it comes mighty close. Its release now is pure commercial opportunism. Avoid it if you can!