Smart People, 3/5

Rated R. Click here to view the trailer.

Smart People could just as easily be named Dysfunctional People. While the former is probably more marketable (and perhaps more ironic), the latter is probably more accurate.

The dysfunctional father, Lawrence (played by a severely bearded Dennis Quaid), is a jerk of an English professor who is shopping a book with the gentle title, You Can’t Read. His dysfunctional daughter, Vanessa (Ellen Page), is a pot-smoking uber-Republican who gets a 1600 on her SATs and develops an inexplicable crush on her dysfunctional adopted uncle (the fun as always Thomas Haden Church) and his dysfunctional haircut.

Why are they dysfunctional? It’s partly because Lawrence’s wife died several years ago, but mostly it’s because it makes for a fun movie and give them an opportunity to Grow. It also allows Sarah Jessica Parker, a doctor/former student of Lawrence’s, to meet cute and develop a dysfunctional romance that more or less gave me the willies. Does Vanessa approve of her father’s relationship with a former student? I’ll give you three guesses.

The actors are mostly superb, but it’s still just not quite enough rescue the movie for me. Quaid’s gravely voice, exhausted eyes, and screw you way of walking (and parking) through life let you know there is some serious heartbreak in his life. Thomas Hayden Church is at least as good as he was in Sideways and Ellen Page is, well, amazing.

But, like I said, it just wasn’t quite enough for me. Sarah Jessica Parker’s character was very flat and uninteresting, while the movie never succeeded in setting a tone. It’s funny, but not hilarious. I’m not even sure what genre you can put this movie in. it certainly isn’t a comedy in the traditional sense. It’s a little like Sideways (they have the same producer), but it isn’t near as sharp at that 2005 film. I was never sure how I was supposed to feel and I’m pretty sure the screenwriters were just tired when they came up with the ending. Maybe that’s appropriate. Maybe a movie about dysfunctional people should be dysfunctional.