2008 Woodie Awards
Witty humor makes 'Smart People' enjoyable despite cliches
Stacy Mossberger
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Life & Style
The dry and witty humor that most audiences loved about "Juno" was obviously attempted in "Smart People." Although the laughs are not as successful or as effortless as they were in "Juno," it makes for an interesting comedy.??
The screenplay for "Smart People" was written by Mark Jude Poirier, a relatively unknown screenwriter, whose work includes "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and "Pretty Face."
Although director Noam Murro makes his major directorial debut with "Smart People," he is best known for his work in commercials and for his documentary-style exposes on tobacco giants. His experience in short work, such as commercials, shows up in the occasional lapses in continuity.??
As the title tells the audience, the movie is about a lot of smart people. More specifically, it's about a dysfunctional family of smart people composed of a widower, his student-turned-doctor girlfriend, a daughter who is a senior in high school, and a son who is in college.
The story revolves around the protagonist Lawrence Wetherhold, a middle-aged, narcissistic college professor portrayed by Dennis Quaid. When Lawrence takes a trip to the emergency room because of a minor head trauma, his doctor turns out to be Janet Hartigan, a former student who still has a lingering crush on him. His daughter's obvious reservations about "the physician" makes for humorous tension between the characters.
Meanwhile, Lawrence's freeloading adoptive brother Chuck, played by Thomas Hayden Church, shows up to keep his couch warm and overstays his welcome and "help" Lawrence while he is in various stages of recovery. ??
The tagline "sometimes smart people have the most to learn" is a good summary of what happens as the movie progresses. Poirier attempts to make all of the characters a little less cynical and harsh by the time the movie ends, and achieves so without making it cheesy. Poirier stereotypes the ideal "smart person" for every age group and shows how they transition from using their head to using their heart.??
There were some aspects of "Smart People" that didn't add up, like how an overachieving perfectionist teenager can develop a crush on a pot-smoking deadbeat uncle. Or the relationship between Parker's likable character and Quaid's irritating one.?
?Although each character has interesting quirks, all of the actors seemed to play their usual roles. It would have been interesting to see how they performed outside their comfort zones. Ellen Page once again plays a smart and witty high school senior. Sarah Jessica Parker's role seems like her character from "Sex and the City" mixed with "The Family Stone," while Quaid plays his usual mean-yet-intelligent role.
Although there are some cliché aspects of the movie, it's one that will keep the spectator laughing and won't disappoint.
The screenplay for "Smart People" was written by Mark Jude Poirier, a relatively unknown screenwriter, whose work includes "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and "Pretty Face."
Although director Noam Murro makes his major directorial debut with "Smart People," he is best known for his work in commercials and for his documentary-style exposes on tobacco giants. His experience in short work, such as commercials, shows up in the occasional lapses in continuity.??
As the title tells the audience, the movie is about a lot of smart people. More specifically, it's about a dysfunctional family of smart people composed of a widower, his student-turned-doctor girlfriend, a daughter who is a senior in high school, and a son who is in college.
The story revolves around the protagonist Lawrence Wetherhold, a middle-aged, narcissistic college professor portrayed by Dennis Quaid. When Lawrence takes a trip to the emergency room because of a minor head trauma, his doctor turns out to be Janet Hartigan, a former student who still has a lingering crush on him. His daughter's obvious reservations about "the physician" makes for humorous tension between the characters.
Meanwhile, Lawrence's freeloading adoptive brother Chuck, played by Thomas Hayden Church, shows up to keep his couch warm and overstays his welcome and "help" Lawrence while he is in various stages of recovery. ??
The tagline "sometimes smart people have the most to learn" is a good summary of what happens as the movie progresses. Poirier attempts to make all of the characters a little less cynical and harsh by the time the movie ends, and achieves so without making it cheesy. Poirier stereotypes the ideal "smart person" for every age group and shows how they transition from using their head to using their heart.??
There were some aspects of "Smart People" that didn't add up, like how an overachieving perfectionist teenager can develop a crush on a pot-smoking deadbeat uncle. Or the relationship between Parker's likable character and Quaid's irritating one.?
?Although each character has interesting quirks, all of the actors seemed to play their usual roles. It would have been interesting to see how they performed outside their comfort zones. Ellen Page once again plays a smart and witty high school senior. Sarah Jessica Parker's role seems like her character from "Sex and the City" mixed with "The Family Stone," while Quaid plays his usual mean-yet-intelligent role.
Although there are some cliché aspects of the movie, it's one that will keep the spectator laughing and won't disappoint.
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