The words “bitter” and “elitist” have been bandied about quite a bit lately in the latest media created political NON-troversy. The implication seems to be that the descriptions are mutually exclusive, that suggesting someone else might be bitter would then make you an elitist. Well, the new movie “Smart People” shatters that myth by proving that it’s possible to be both bitter and elitist!

 

The movie stars Dennis Quaid as a “pompous windbag” (one character’s description) of a college professor named Lawrence Wetherhold. The name alone oozes cliché elitism. In fact, everything about the character is paint by numbers hyper intellectual snobbery. He wears a thick beard and unkempt hair, a rumpled corduroy blazer with wrinkled mismatch pants. His home is full of dark wood furniture, cabinets, and staircases. Everything is covered in papers and heady books lie strewn all about the house, including on the steps leading upstairs. 

 

Wetherhold has a 17 year old daughter named Vanessa, played by Ellen Page who broke through a few months ago by playing the title character in the film “Juno”. This role is almost identical except that Vanessa is not pregnant and is likely much more intelligent than Juno. However, both seem to harbor an innate mistrust of adults, and a general lack of polite social skills.

 

Thomas Hayden Church portrays Wetherhold’s adopted brother, who volunteers to move in and be his driver after Wetherhold suffers from a mild seizure prohibiting him from getting behind the wheel for six months. Church’s character is flaky and unreliable but clearly meant to be the one to teach these smart people how to enjoy life.

 

Also teaching Wetherhold how to enjoy life is Sarah Jessica Parker. She plays the nurse that treated him in the ER who also happens to be a former student. They inexplicably attempt an on again off again relationship despite his incredible self-involvement, aloofness, and underlying depression. 

 

I found the movie to be quite miserable honestly. Almost everyone in the movie is depressed, arrogant, and generally unpleasant to be around. Parker is tolerable and Church has a few humorous lines. However, I couldn’t wait for it to be over. The tag line is “Sometimes the smartest people have the most to learn.” Yawn. Apparently the creators thought this to be a clever concept but how many times have we seen some variation of the “braniac that doesn’t know how to interact with people” storyline?   It’s unfortunate that the generally likable and oft-underrated Dennis Quaid has now starred in easily the two worst movies of the year thus far. Smart people should avoid the movie “Smart People”. SKIP IT.