Review: ‘Smart People’ on DVD

‘Smart People’ is a movie that takes on the lives of some truly gifted and intelligent people who struggle with the skills of living daily life in the real world. Unlike other well-made but less realistic movies such as ‘Good Will Hunting’, this film from Noam Murrow, written by Mark Poirier, delves beneath the sharp-tongued exteriors of the family Wetherhold and exposes their most delicate weakness, which is how to deal with life as it truly is… imperfect. While college professor Lawrence (Dennis Quaid) and his daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) pride themselves as being intellectually flawless, they cannot grasp what it takes to move past the death of Vanessa’s mother and wife to Lawrence.

Seven years has passed and Lawrence is miserable, passionate about literature but is unable to effectively transfer that passion onto his students. He’s seen as pompous and arrogant and uninterested in even trying to make a difference in his classes. After an accident, he winds up in the hospital and meets a slightly younger female physician named Janet (Sarah Jessica Parker) who turns out to be a former student of Lawrence’s who once had a crush on her professor. Janet secretly still wonders about that lingering ember and the two soon find themselves exploring that feeling and discover it has an awkwardly mutual appeal. However, Lawrence eventually finds his insecurity and inability to live in the present and let the past stay in the past rising to separate him from his relationship with Janet.

The glue that holds this dysfunctional family together is Lawrence’s adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) who arrives one day hoping to win Lawrence’s favor, once again. Despite his better judgement, Lawrence does cave and allow Chuck to move into their house and act as his chauffeur after his accident led to a trauma-induced seizer, meaning he is legally forbidden to drive for six months. As Chuck so deliberately points out, “it’s a win-win situation.” Immediately, Chuck is the odd duck, the black sheep in this small family unit. Church gives a wonderful performance, nailing Chuck’s no frills attitude and laid back acceptance of his own life while surrounded by people who act as though their misery is a result of being surrounded by idiots.

Chuck knows where that misery’s blame truly lies, but somehow manages to piece together a real connection with his niece Vanessa despite her misguided interpretations of Chuck’s intentions. Dennis Quaid really is convincingly miserable in a strange and charming sort of way. As an audience, Lawrence gets under our skin, but we  also  feel sincere empathy for him. We want for him to find a way out of his funk, but are frustrated by his repeated slippage back into his pit of despair. Ellen Page fits the character of Vanessa well enough, but I couldn’t help but find myself comparing this character to that of Juno. I fear she’ll have a difficult time performing her way out of that stereotype for a while.

‘Smart People’ is smart and funny, but it also has a great story about the basic human needs of companionship. Perhaps my favorite scene is the final shot of the film when Lawrence and Chuck are shopping at a big box retail store when they have a silent moment of bonding as Lawrence is pushing the cart. Just before the end credits roll, Lawrence hops onto the back axle of the cart and rides it down the isle like so many of us have as children. It’s a simple but powerful visual ending, signifying that Lawrence has finally found an exit from his misery.

[rating:4/5]

Check out our Original Theatrical Review of Smart People [rating: 4/5] here.