Smart People - a film crafted by the producers of the hit movie Sideways - is a jaded dark comedy about the life of Professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), a dejected, bitter widower and intellectual snob who goes about his days offending people and barely making a social connection. His daughter, Vanessa (Ellen Page), isn't much better; she takes her social cues from her father, and insists that the most important thing in life is getting good grades, performing the recommended extra-curricular activities, and gaining admission into Ivy League schools. They are a boring, snobbish lot - that is, until Wetherhold's adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) moves in and tries to loosen things up a bit.

Chuck is a riot. He doesn't have a career but, rather, holds down odd fly-by-night jobs. He smokes pot and drinks and overall has a good time with life. Enter in the moral of the story: it's great to be one of the "smart people," but what about the joys of living life to its fullest?

While Chuck bonds with Vanessa in an attempt to get her to be a kid for once in her life, Professor Wetherhold faces his own demons: socialization, through reuniting with a former student, Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker). Janet has her eyes on Wetherhold and, despite his otherwise disgusting social and physical habits, she somehow - inexplicably - still pursues him with gusto. It's a film that deftly explores the lives of everyday people, while also throwing in a few life lessons as well. And while it wasn't bad - it wasn't that great either, falling way short on one of the most important parts of the movie: the chemistry between the love interests (Quaid and Parker).

I must say, though, that the most surprising performance in the film - at least to me - was Sarah Jessica Parker's, as Wetherhold's former student, Dr. Janet Hartigan. She was engaging and smart and a joy to watch (and this is coming from someone who isn't typically a fan of her work).  Quaid, for his part, was dull and dry - but I suppose that it did completely epitomize his character. And while Thomas Haden Church more than certainly provided most - if not all - of the comic moments of the film, Page tried to deliver funny lines... but never quite fulfilled her role. Much to my dismay, the Juno star simply sat there and seemed like, well... Ellen Page - as opposed to the character she was supposed to embody, Wetherhold's socially repressed daughter Vanessa.

Ultimately, if Smart People had ended just a few short minutes before its actual conclusion, I would be much more apt to jump right in and give it a better review. However, the ending, which was sugary sweet and therefore completely opposite of - and disjointed with - the rest of the film, completely ruined it for me. I didn't buy the love affair between Janet and Wetherhold for a millisecond, much less an ending - at least for this dysfunctional crew - that's filled with sunshines and rainbows.

Bleh.

Smart People starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, and Thomas Haden Church
Miramax Films, Rated R. Available online at Amazon.com.

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