Smart People marks the film debut for both writer Mark Poirier and director Noam Murro, but for two newcomers, they certainly didn’t skimp on their cast. Starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, and emerging star Ellen Page (of Juno fame), Smart People tells the story of an incredibly complicated family that becomes even more complicated when the father’s adopted brother shows up for an indefinite visit.
Quirky, Real Characters Add to Smart People’s Strength
- Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid) is a stuck up, grumpy-as-hell professor who has recently lost his wife, and is currently trying to get his first book – “You Can’t Read” – published. He hasn’t dated since he lost his wife, and struggles to maintain relationships with his two children, though he isn’t trying very hard. All he cares about right now is his book and the possibility of becoming the chair of the English department (even though he hates everyone who works there.)
- Vanessa Wetherhold (Ellen Page) is finishing up her high school career and has already been accepted to Stanford (but she hasn’t told her Dad yet.) She is obviously having a difficult time dealing with the loss of her mother, and has taken over the head-of-the-family role. She is a loner and devotes her entire life to studying, being smart, and calling other people stupid until her uncle Chuck shows up. At first they bond as uncle and niece, but then Vanessa starts to misinterpret the relationship, adding to her strife.
- Janet Hartigan (Parker) is a past student of Lawrence’s who treats him at her current job as an ER doctor when he shows up at her hospital. She has had a crush on him since college, and is still interested in pursuing a relationship with him, but she clashes with his arrogant personality. Things become even messier when she discovers that she’s pregnant with his child.
In the meantime, we also meet Chuck Wetherhold (brilliantly and hilariously portrayed by Haden Church) – Lawrence’s adopted brother – who seems to just want to be a part of a family, and James Wetherhold – Lawrence’s son (played by Ashton Holmes), who waffles between wishing his Dad were involved in his life and wishing he would leave him alone.
The Verdict
Smart People is a smart film – its characters are easy to identify with to the point that at times, you may feel as though you’re watching your family members on the big screen. Lawrence’s absolutely disagreeable personality becomes tiring at times, as does his daughter’s, but this simultaneously makes the film feel more real. People do not change in an instant, and that’s what Smart People ultimately tells us – life is about small changes, and about the will and desire to change. By the end of the film, you get the feeling that things just might work out if the Wetherhold family is willing to accept one another’s flaws.
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