What Do The Critics Say?

"What is it like being stupid? Ellen Page's smart teen Vanessa asks three bimbos at the local night club. The answer is spelt out in this story about a super-bright dysfunctional family who are too dumb to work out how to make their lives work. Everything revolves around Dennis Quaid's pompous windbag professor Lawrence who seems to wallow in having a bad time of it professionally and personally. Quaid plays down and out with gusto." Louise Keller URBANCINEFILE "So much good work must not go overlooked. I just loved this movie because it’s witty, intellectual without being pretentious, and filled with characters who are logically stressed and anxious to connect to a world outside of themselves. They’re smart people. They’ll figure it out. And I predict you will love them while they do. Smart People is the real deal. It’s the best movie about academics dancing on the lip of an ivy-covered volcano since Wonder Boys." Rex Reed NEW YORK OBSERVER "In his first film as director, Noam Murro creates moments of comic disconnection, relieved by minuscule surges of warmth. He’s very precise; he has a nice touch." David Denby NEW YORKER "Fiction writer Mark Jude Poirier has a long history teaching college, and his debut screenplay explores the contempt some academics feel for people who can't function at their intellectual level, as well as the unhappiness such arrogance brings. The characters are credible and sharply observed and all four actors go to town." J. R. Jones CHICAGO READER "A funny film dealing with a serious subject of how two exceptionally smart people cope with dealing with those who don't get it as quickly or succinctly as they do. Director Noam Murro, in his directorial debut, has a brilliant script, sometimes very funny, sometimes poignant, by novelist and first time screenwriter Mark Poirier. Page, with one of the most beautiful faces in Hollywood, Quaid, Church, and Parker all give performances that live up to the material, and that’s high praise." Tony Medley TOLUCAN TIMES

"The script is smart and funny, and the characters are human and warm. This is one of the rare movies of late that actually develops the characters and lets the audience feel as though they know and understand them. A smart script plus smart acting makes this one smart movie. "Smart People" is an out of the ordinary movie that works because of its sensible and surprising script as well as its perfectly cast actors. All of them are good but it is Page who steals the show." Jackie K Cooper JACKIEKCOOPER "The dialogue from a superb script by Mark Jude Poirier is sharp, intelligent and witty. "Smart People" could have kept going for another half-hour and still kept my interest as well as generate some more chuckles." Gary Brown HOUSTON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS "What Church really drives is this film's quietly purring comic engine. "Smart People" is all about taboos, really, and what drives intelligent people into stupid life moves. If you enjoy glib, offbeat humor, the smartest thing you might do all day is buy yourself a ticket." Larry Ratliff SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS With a title like "Smart People," a movie should be, at a minimum, reasonably bright. This one is unreasonably bright; it passes the IQ test with flying colors. A good deal of the freshness comes from a grand, clownish slob played by Thomas Haden Church. "Smart People" made me happy from start to finish." WALL STREET JOURNAL "Call the cops. Oscar nominees Ellen Page and Thomas Haden Church steal Smart People right from under the noses of its ostensible stars, Sarah Jessica Parker and Dennis Quaid. In my humble opinion, that's not a bad thing. Page and Church work so brilliantly together as a comic team." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST

The Inside Story "Smart People" is the story of an entire family coming of age, kicking and screaming the whole way. The head of the family, Lawrence Wetherhold, is having a colossal mid-life crisis. He’s a venerable professor who can’t connect with his students, a brilliant writer who can’t publish his book, an aloof father who can’t comprehend his equally smart children and a lonesome widower who can no longer remember the details of how love works. Things are at a standstill in the Wetherhold household, until two events shatter the angst-ridden peace and change everything. First, Lawrence’s adopted brother Chuck, a perpetual, overgrown adolescent, comes back into his life, looking for a place to crash while he gets his life together for the thousandth time. And then, against all odds, Lawrence does the unthinkable: he falls in love. As chaos breaks out on all fronts, Lawrence’s brainy, blustering, well-armored defenses also began to break down, confronting him with the grouchy shadow of a man he has become and the parent, teacher and lover he once wanted to be. The story of the Wetherholds first came to life in the mind of Mark Poirier, an acclaimed young American novelist and short story writer who is just starting to break into screenwriting. Poirier’s two critically praised novels, "Goats" and "Modern Ranch Living", explored the humor and anguish hiding within the surreal fabric of modern life in the Southwestern U.S. But with "Smart People", Poirier wanted to delve into another insular, quirk-filled world with which he is quite familiar: academia. After all, Poirier has both attended and taught writing at Bennington College, Johns Hopkins University and Stanford, among others. It’s a realm that has been satirized and dissected in various ways throughout movie history; but Poirier was interested a different aspect of the academic universe: its family life and the volatile emotions and darkly funny situations that often hide behind the overblown self-importance and heady anxieties of the intellectual world. The characters also cut close to the bone for Poirier. "When I was a kid, people used to call me 'Old Man', because I was very sort of grouchy and unhappy and a lot like Lawrence," he explained. "Vanessa, his daughter, is also sort of an extreme version of who I was in high school: someone who was achieving a lot, but for all the wrong reasons. And Lawrence’s son James and brother Chuck are the people I always wished I could be, you know, to be that cool and to dare to do what you really loved." His screenplay soon attracted the devoted attention of leading producers Bridget Johnson ("Jerry Maguire" & "Riding in Cars with Boys"), and Michael Costigan ("Brokeback Mountain" & "American Gangster"). They sent the script on to 2005 DGA Director of the Year Noam Murro. Murro, whose previous work included clients such as Nike and Adidas, was looking for the right vehicle to launch him into directing his first feature film. "The story had a really specific and original voice, and when you read something with that strong of a voice, it’s hard to ignore," the native-born Israeli said. "There’s a wonderful poignancy to these characters, but at the same time they can be painfully funny." Murro notes, "It’s a story that invites you in without feeling too heavy. These aren’t perfect characters – they’re all quite damaged in various ways, but for me, that was a great place to start." Meetings between Murro and the producers confirmed they were all on the same page. "We were always very confident that he would bring a unique visual style to the film, and that he would be great with the characters and the actors," the 1998 Golden Satellite Award winning Johnson ("As Good As It Gets") recalled. Murro and Poirier would spend the next twelve months intensively collaborating on a new draft of the script, finding a very strong creative rapport. Meanwhile, Bruna Papandrea ("Better Than Sex") and Michael London ("Sideways" & "The Illusionist") of Groundswell Productions came on board. London, who had previously brought Rex Pickett’s novel "Sideway" (which starred Thomas Haden Church) to the screen, as well as "The Family Stone" (which starred Sarah Jessica Parker), immediately responded to the story. "It had all the elements that attract me: films about families and real people, that are both funny and sad," the 2005 Independent Spirit Award winner notes. "Right away, I was sold on the script and on Noam. Watching his ad work, I could see straight away that he had his own voice and sensibility. His work was funny, human and interesting, all the qualities needed for "Smart People". Michael and Bridget had spent years giving birth to this project and we found ourselves in the luxurious position of receiving it. I loved the script and the director and now it was a matter of getting the right cast together." The most crucial role in the film is that of Professor Lawrence Wetherhold. So crucial to the film that it happened early on while "Smart People" was still in the earliest stages of development. It would require an actor of great versatility and courage. That actor was two time Independent Spirit Award winner Dennis Quaid (1988 "The Big Easy" & 2003 "Far from Heaven"). Lawrence Wetherhold was like no role Quaid had done before. And, despite his rather towering set of flaws, Quaid was rather touched by him. "He’s a true curmudgeon and a grouch. He might be extremely intelligent by his own account, and by others, but at the same time, he’s an emotional idiot." Did Quaid have anything in common with the character? "Lawrence is someone very different from myself," he said, "except for the grouch part. He’s very sedentary and lives entirely in his head and I’m much more of an extrovert, so it was hard at first to envision myself in the role. But the story was so good and that’s what really attracted me. It’s a very human comedy and it got to me." Quaid's preparation included gaining twenty five pounds to mirror Lawrence’s lumpy, gone to pot physique and even giving up smoking just prior to production so that he would arrive on the set as irritable and edgy as possible! When it came to the role of Lawrences brother Chuck, one actor stood out: 2005 Screen Actors Guild Award winner Thomas Haden Church ("Sideways"). "I was hearing Thomas’s voice in the role of Chuck the minute I began reading the script," London recalls. "It turned out that Noam was equally excited and receptive to the idea." Church was lured in by the script. "I thought it was, well, very smart. I really liked the style and the story," he says. "And I liked the way the character of Chuck evolved. He seems like this clueless, hapless bohemian, but then, as with Lawrence, you start to see the layers stripped off. What I like about Chuck is that he’s got nothing to hide, there’s no duplicity. He has a candor that I think the rest of the family are largely avoiding, and really needs" Dennis Quaid notes that Church’s performance struck close to the bone for him. "He reminded me a little of my own little brother, and just the way brothers are in general, the way they can get under your skin and annoy you, yet how much they also make you laugh," he explained. When it came to the role of Lawrence's daughter Vanessa, Murro had one actress in mind, Ellen Page: the young Nova Scotian who first came to the fore as a savvy teen who turns the tables on a pedophile in the indie drama "Hard Candy" and more recently has won hearts, accolades and awards for running away with the title role in "Juno". Unfortunately, she wasn't available, until, at the eleventh hour, her schedule shifted and she met with Murro. He knew instantly she was what he had been looking for all along. "Our meeting took place in a Burger King at Newark Airport. I came in from Pittsburgh and Ellen flew in from Canada. I saw her small figure and frame walking towards me and I just knew in that instant that she was the genius I was looking for," Murro recalls. "I feel very blessed to have had this chance to work with her." The 2004 and '05 Gemini Award winner says she found empathy for what her character is going through. "She’s in the middle of this whole role reversal with her father, where she’s maintaining the household and doing the cooking, and all she does is clean and study and practice for her SAT’s. I got where she’s coming from completely," Page said. "It’s kind of heartbreaking, but I also believe she’ll get through it." Page also said she loved the chance to work so closely with Thomas Haden Church. "Thomas is hilarious, extremely smart and has fantastic instincts, and he was always trying new things." "Ellen is so gifted it’s hard to fully comprehend it," says Church. "She has nuances to her performance that I think are very rare." He recalls telling Quaid, "I think this must be what Leonardo DiCaprio was like as a teenager." Rising young star Ashton Holmes plays Vanessa's older brother, James. "When I saw "A History of Violence", I loved the film and I loved Ashton. I couldn’t see anyone else in this role," says the director. Four time Golden Globe winner Sarah Jessica Parker took on the role of Janet much to Dennis Quaid’s delight. "I thought she was amazing," he said, "with a character that’s very different from anyone she’s played before." It was the unusual turbulence in the romance between Lawrence and Janet that first attracted Parke to the role. "I liked that it was a real adult story about two people doing their best version of attempting a relationship: one that neither of them is really well equipped to deal with," says Parker. Synopsis

Professor Lawrence Wetherhold might be imperiously brilliant, monumentally self-possessed and an intellectual giant, but when it comes to solving the conundrums of love and family, he’s as downright flummoxed as the next guy. His collegiate son James won’t confide in him, his teenaged daughter Vanessa is an acid-tongued overachiever who follows all too closely in dad’s misery-loving footsteps, and his adopted, preposterously ne’er do well brother has perfected the art of freeloading. Luckily for Lawrence, his brother Chuck has unexpectedly shown up at just about the same time as he accidentally suffers a head trauma injury while trying to recover his briefcase from his car, which has been towed to an impound lot. Admitted by ambulance to the ER ward, Dr Hartigan gives him the bad news. No driving for six months. No worries, Chuck has come to his rescue by offering his services.

The Verdict "It's one thing to be smart but it's another thing to have 'the smarts'. This is painfully obvious when we meet Professor Lawrence Wetherhold and his self obsessed daughter Vanessa. She's hoping to walk in her widower father's footsteps, and that's a tragedy, as she will soon discover. Wetherhold's son James was smart enough to move out of home and live on campus. Here he can pursue a free-er lifestyle while still pursuing academic goals. Thrown into the mix are two people who will help bring sanity back to this disfunctional family: former student and now medical specialist, Dr Janet Hartigan and, Lawrences adopted brother Chuck, who hasn't a buck to his name or a roof over his head. While Quaid, Parker and Holmes give noteworthy performances, it is "Juno" star Ellen Page and "Sideways" star Thomas Haden Church who provide the spark in "Smart People". While Page looks a little beyond the age of her seventeen year old character Vanessa, she once again shows, as she did in "Hard Candy", that pond for pound, inch for inch, there is more talent packed into her little finger than many of the actresses who tower over her dimminutive five foot one inch high body. As he did in "Sideways", Church gives a performance that leaves you longing for more. It's a pity cinema audiences see so little of this remarkably talented actor. Fortunately, when we do, the wait is truly worthwhile. If you've had a few life experiences or attended an institute of higher learning or moved within circles where being 'smart' is to be applauded at the expense of being smart with life, you'll really enjoy "Smart People". While it's true that the world needs all types of people (uncluding smart people), "Smart People" truly is one of those films you don't have to be 'smart' to enjoy: only smart enough to have seen it. Very recommended. 4 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "SMART PEOPLE" stars .......
Valladolid International Film Festival Award winner Dennis Quaid ["Flight Of The Phoenix", "Yours, Mine and Ours" and "Vantage Point"]; Two time EMMY Award winner Sarah Jessica Parker ["The First Wives Club", "State and Main", "The Family Stone" and TV'S "Sex and the City"]; National Board of Review Ellen Page ["Love That Boy", "Hard Candy" and "Juno"]; Ashton Holmes ["A Million Miles To Sunshine", "A History of Violence" and "Wind Chill"] and EMMY Award winner Thomas Hayden Church ["Sideways", "Spanglish" and "Spider-Man 3"] as Chuck.
"SMART PEOPLE" was .......
directed by Noam Murro ["Smart People"]; screenplay by Mark Jude Poirier ["Smart People"]; costume design by Amy Westcott ["The Secret Lives of Dentists", "P.S." and "The Squid and the Whale"]; production design by Patti Podesta ["Splendor", "Memento" and "Bobby"]; cinematography by Toby Irwin ["Smart People"]; original music by Nuno Bettencourt ["Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure", "Super Mario Bros" and "Highlander III"]. Who's Who?

Dennis Quaid Sarah Jessica Parker Thomas Haden Church Ellen Page Ashton Holmes Christine Lahti Camille Mana David Denman Don Wadsworth Robert Haley Patrick Sebes Kevin James Doyle Paul Huber Iva Jean Saraceni Richard John Walters Scott A Martin Jane Mowder Adam Kroloff

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Lawrence Wetherhold Janet Hartigan Chuck Wetherhold Vanessa Wetherhold James Wetherhold Nancy Missy Chin William Hadley Roth Curtis Rodney Ben Onufrey Volunteer Parking Lot Attendant Weller Julia Knight Talbot

Run Time 95 minutes Rated M [AUST] Copyright ©2008 - Icon Films - All Rights Reserved ENDURING© - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved Protected by Australian, International, Copyright & Trademark Laws.