How refreshing: an unpretentious little comedy that doesn't rely on potty humor or kicks to the crotch for laughs. If anything, the characters, dialogue, and situations in Smart People may be too smart for some, but those longing for humor laced with a bit of intelligence will find director Noam Murro's film to be an oasis in the vast desert of lowest-common-denominator comedies. Acerbic Pittsburgh college professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), a misanthropic widower loathed by students and faculty alike, isn't much of a role model for his preternaturally brilliant offspring: overachieving, friendless daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) and marginally better-socialized son James (Ashton Holmes). But when their little family circle is suddenly breached by two outsiders—Lawrence's irresponsible, financially challenged brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), and former student Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker), now a doctor—the Wetherholds are forced to make some serious attitude adjustments in a hurry. As in Juno, Page here play a similarly wry, intelligent girl, while Quaid and Church are excellent, with the latter's dry ripostes contributing some of the movie's best laughs. The only real drawback is the film's narrative predictability, but that's hardly a fatal flaw in this genuine sleeper—one of 2008's best so far. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director Noam Murro and writer Mark Jude Poirier, 17 minutes of “The Smartest People” interviews with Murro and cast members (including Dennis Quaid and Ellen Page), nine deleted scenes (10 min.), two minutes of “Not So Smart” bloopers, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a smart comedy.] (E. Hulse)
Smart People
Miramax, 95 min., R, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $34.99, Aug. 12 Volume 23, Issue 3
Smart People
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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