Review of Smart People (2008) by Andy S — 11 Jul 2009

I found it challenging to leave off my feeling that Smart People was contrived from beginning to end. Don't get me wrong, I braced myself for an unsatisfactory conclusion to the film's 95 minutes of heaviness and was pleasantly surprised by the happy ending (I'm a sucker for one). But even this uptick at the end couldn't save a film so desperate to be important.

Now, if the film was meant as a satirical jab at the educated elitists in the room, I might have stood up and paid a bit more attention (after all, I could, perhaps, fall very squarely in that camp). Sadly, I don't think this is the case, unless my powers of recognizing such have atrophied since I saw O' Brother Where Art Thou. No, unfortunately, this story takes itself seriously and in doing so plods along in search of making a point beyond the scope of its characters.

Now, here's the rub. I like the point the film is trying to make--that is, relationships are important and risking hurt and shame to be in them is the true, but narrow path--but I just didn't see evidence for how the characters made the leap from entrenched, miserable loners to engaged (albeit imperfect) relaters. Don't get me wrong, I like the leap and wish I could make it more often than I do, but did they just wake up one day and decide that being who they were wasn't working and they would try a different tack? I don't know, maybe that is possible and I've just grown cynical.

Smart People, while by no means unwatchable, does little to endear itself to its audience. Dennis Quaid does his best to keep us engaged, but even he can't carry a story filled with loose ends that are slipshod together with a feel good ending that can't bear the weight of the foregoing narrative.

If you want to see Ellen Page play yet another cynical, smartalecky character, this film is for you. Otherwise, I recommend taking a pass on Smart People and revisiting Juno instead.