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
Elliot Page	...	Vanessa Wetherhold (as Ellen Page)
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:

drinking from a bottle | two word title | student | professor | emergency room | 

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sarah Jessica Parker and Thomas Haden Church appear together in Divorce, HBO 2016.

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Goofs

Spenser's "Faerie Queene" is misspelled on the blackboard, an egregious error for an English Literature professor. That the camera lingers on the shot may indicate an intentional mistake by the filmmakers.

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Quotes

Chuck Wetherhold: [to Vanessa] You're a monster!

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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

Boring and unfunny

This film is about a smart college professor who has no clue about dating or caring for his family.

I hoped "Smart People" to be funny and entertaining, but unfortunately it was boring. Lawrence's inability to charm women is not entertaining or interesting. I find the story rather poorly developed, especially the relationship between Lawrence and Janet. The difference between their first date and the second date is so contrived and unconvincing. There is no reason to believe that Lawrence has improved so much after just a few words of advice. The relationship between Lawrence and his family is not engaging either. The characters are so hollow and unlikeable, and they are only there to deliver lines. It is a good cast completely wasted. I am disappointed by this film.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

11 April 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Smart People

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,092,465, 13 April 2008

Gross USA:

$9,511,289

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$11,843,604

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