Into the life of a widowed professor comes a new love and an unexpected visit from his adopted brother.
Director:
Noam MurroWriter:
Mark Poirier (as Mark Jude Poirier)
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Title: Smart People (2008)
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3 nominations.
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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 | |
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
Sometimes the smartest people have the most to learnMotion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for language, brief teen drug and alcohol use, and for some sexuality | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
11 April 2008 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Una familia genial See more »Filming Locations:
Allegheny General Hospital - 320 East North Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$4,092,465, 13 April 2008, Wide ReleaseGross USA:
$9,496,882, 1 June 2008Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
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Written by Nuno Bettencourt
Performed by Population One (as Population 1)
See more »
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. See more »Goofs
In the bar scene in the middle of the film, there is a song overdubbed. When you turn the subtitles on, the lyrics are displayed and prefaced by "Man:". However, a woman is singing. See more »Quotes
Chuck Wetherhold: These children haven't been properly parented in many years. They're practically feral. That's why I was brought in.See more »
Soundtracks
Nothing But TroubleWritten by Nuno Bettencourt
Performed by Population One (as Population 1)
See more »
Not for your average movie-goer, this one. Although the situation is teed up nicely for a typical feel-good ensemble gush-fest, it resists that temptation and takes you to a place where the characters are not, although they seem to need it, ready for rehab. It has an easy, rambling style that gradually rather than gratuitously opens their world to us without (for the most part) overly relying on hackneyed situations and gimmicks (although Quaid's insistence on keeping his wifes clothing was not one of them). In fact, the situations portrayed are so dark and lo- keyed that I wondered if this movie could have been made without the ready-made typecast qualities of Quaid, Haden-Church and Parker. ...Gritty Pittsburgh backdrop in a very real academic surrounding adds to the slice-of-life tone.