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Pop A DVD In: Smart People

PopSugarUK — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:00:00 -0700

Smart People is a blackly comic drama set in Pittsburgh, which focuses on widowed professor Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid), his study-mad daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) and his student poet son James (Ashton Holmes).

Lawrence struggles to communicate with his family and his colleagues at the university where he teaches literature, even though his is a "smart person".

When his adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) moves in, the slacker brings some much needed warmth in to the family, which is further improved when Lawrence gets involved with another "smart person", Dr Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker).

To find out what I thought about the film just read more.

Smart People provides a detailed examination of dysfunctional family life, and as such is full of downbeat characters and miserable moments. Lawrence in particular is a mope-fest, and it is difficult to really care about his character. I expected him to become more human once he got involved with Dr Janet Hartigan, but the warmth comes too late to have really rooted for a happy ending for these characters.

It's not all downbeat though, and there are quite a few blackly comic moments which brought a welcome smile to my face. We are provided with some witty dialogue in the family arguments, particularly from Vanessa - it certainly looks like Ellen Page relished the chance to put that Juno-esque acerbic tongue in to action again.

Thank goodness, then, for adopted brother/uncle Chuck. Thomas Haden Church does a great job as the supposed idiot amongst the smart people, and makes Chuck the character I cared about most. His growing relationship with Vanessa provides some laughs and some of the more complex aspects of the familial dysfunction, too.

I have to agree with my girl Buzz's review of this film - Smart People does have a lot going for it, especially its great cast, but it could have been that bit better.

Smart People is available in the UK on DVD by Icon Home Entertainment now.

What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday

BuzzSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 08:30:16 -0700

All of the new DVD releases hit stores (and Netflix) on Tuesdays. So each week in What to Netflix: New DVD Tuesday, I sort through the best of the batch and tell you what to add to your queue.

Smart People
I had high hopes for Smart People, mainly due to the stellar cast that includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, Thomas Haden Church, and Dennis Quaid.

The story takes place near the Carnegie Mellon campus and centers around a family headed by a widowed professor (Quaid) who are all having a terrible time relating to each other and the outside world, despite how book smart they are. When the professor's free-spirited brother (Church) crashes into their lives they all start to thaw out a bit and discover how far a little humanity can go.

The movie didn't quite meet my expectations but it's certainly a worthwhile rental if you're looking for a few laughs and a genuinely talented ensemble cast.

Special features include interviews with the producers, cast and crew of the movie, commentary from the director and writer, a collection of outtakes, nine deleted scenes and exclusive footage from the premiere of Smart People at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

Two more new options on DVD if you read more.

The Wire: Season Five
I still have not totally come to grips with the fact that this final season of The Wire was overlooked by Emmy voters. The show has spent years as one of the most consistently well reviewed shows on television, though its ratings were never high. Today the final piece of the puzzle, the show's fifth season, is out on DVD, and marks the final chapter of David Simon's epic saga about Baltimore with a critical look at the media.

The season got more criticism than most (maybe because the media had to see themselves, rather than police officers or teachers, through Simon's bleak lens), but that didn't make it any less satisfying for me. The 10 episodes wrap up many of the stories Simon and series co-creator Ed Burns had been working on for years, and even at the end, nothing about The Wire is ever too neat or tidy. Once again, the lines between good guys and bad guys end up blurred, and that's a big part of what makes the show so captivating.

Special features include "The Wire Odyssey: A Retrospective of the First Four Seasons," "The Wire: The Last Word - A Documentary Exploring the Role of the Media," and six audio commentaries with Simon and members of the cast and crew.

How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer
I just happened to read something yesterday about how difficult it is for studios to embrace and market smart movies that are for and about women, even after the huge success of Sex and the City. So, it's an interesting coincidence that an example of this phenomenon is out on DVD today. I hardly heard anything about this film, even though it received an 84% on RottenTomatoes and stars one of Hollywood's biggest young stars. What the heck?

Anyway, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer is about three generations of Mexican women grappling with issues of romance and sexuality - at all stages of life. It looks compelling, thoughtful and relatable and I, for one, am stoked to see this. The movie stars America Ferrera, Elizabeth Peña, Lucy Gallardo, and Eliana Alexander and was screened in competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. (Yeah: 2005! Sheesh.)

Do, Dump or Marry?

DearSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 09:00:00 -0700

Smart People came out on Friday and seeing Sarah Jessica Parker on the big screen got me more than excited to see the new Sex and the City movie. Now I could go on and on about her, but we're here to talk about Dennis Quaid! He's had a rough few months, but luckily he was able to escape in his role in this much buzzed about movie. We haven't seen him on the big screen in a while but I'm glad he's back. I've been a huge fan since he played a southern charmer/philanderer in Something to Talk About and although he's not the most photogenic, I happen to think he's a total babe. So ladies, even though he's very much taken, tell me, would you want to do, dump or marry Dennis Quaid?

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Box Office: A Memorable Prom Weekend

BuzzSugar — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 07:30:38 -0700

Maybe it's that time of the year, or perhaps there was a strong nationwide desire to see a scary movie, but whatever the reason, horror flick Prom Night was crowned queen at the box office this weekend. Variety reports that the movie's $22.7 million marks the best opening for a horror picture so far this year, possibly due to the teen-friendly PG-13 rating.

Though Street Kings is loaded with bloodshed and big names like Forest Whitaker and Keanu Reeves, it was still no match for the teen screamfest, earning second place with an estimated $12 million. 21, on the other hand, is still performing well, taking the third spot with $11 million. It was followed by Nim's Island, Leatherheads, and Horton Hears a Who.

Little family comedy Smart People starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Ellen Page, and Dennis Quaid came in No. 7 earning about $4.2 million. The overall box office is still experiencing a slump compared to last year. I wonder if Forgetting Sarah Marshall will get more folks to the theaters next weekend?

And if you're curious about Prom Night, head over to movies.ivillage.com for the trailer and video clips.

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

Smart People: Emotionally Unintelligent

BuzzSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 07:30:08 -0700

Smart People has a lot of good stuff going for it: a great cast (including Ellen Page in the follow-up to her star-making Juno role), sharp and funny dialogue, and a studied look at familial dysfunction.

The movie takes place in a dreary Pittsburgh near the Carnegie Mellon campus and is centered around a family headed by a widowed professor given a name that could only go to a serious blow-hard: Lawrence Wetherhold (Dennis Quaid). He is father to high school senior Vanessa (Page) and Carnegie Melon student/talented poet James. Lawrence, we quickly learn, also has an adopted brother, Chuck (Thomas Haden Church), who's a major slacker and/or free spirit who comes to crash with the family when he's run out of money.

The story isn't the most original idea ever scripted, but if told right, it could have been a nice little movie about learning to love and appreciate the crazy nut-heads we're all dealt in life: our relatives. Unfortunately the loving and appreciating comes far too late and as a result, we end up watching a lot of seriously miserable people roam around being miserable without much point. To see what I think rescues this film from being a total Debbie Downer, read more.

The Wetherholds, save for Chuck, are, as the title suggests, extremely intelligent (in the "we wear tweed and get published in The New Yorker" kind of way) but completely emotionally withdrawn. It takes a new love interest (Sarah Jessica Parker) to begin to melt the ice around the professor's heart and the fun-loving uncle to get the family to reveal an ounce of humanity to the outside world. Thankfully, they're so darn smart that when they take verbal jabs at each other, they're witty and biting enough to make for some good laughs.

Page, in particular, plays her politically conservative, uptight character with the same smart-aleck timing as slacker-teen Juno MacGuff - so it's funny, but not an acting stretch. However, some of the best moments of this film come during her scenes with Church, who takes an interest in getting his stick-in-the-mud niece to loosen up a little. They smoke pot together, get drunk, and have some really wonderfully touching, offbeat moments of bonding that are the result of two fine actors bringing out the best in each other.

Quaid's character, on the other hand, is really quite repellent. He is withdrawn, shows zero interest in his students, takes his children for granted and is that guy who talks about himself for 45 minutes on a date without asking the woman a question. Why would any woman, much less an attractive, accomplished doctor, want to be with him?

Unfortunately, the professor doesn't begin to see the error of his ways until it's much too late and as a result, it's hard to care about him - and, by extension, his family. At least there is one character who found the Wetherholds' repressed, socially awkward personalities unpleasant and indulgent. As Chuck, Church mastered a facial expression during exchanges between these unhappy people that perfectly expressed what I as a viewer was thinking: "Man, and they call me the idiot?"

To see the trailer and more clips from Smart People check out movies.ivillage.com.

Photos courtesy of Miramax Films

SJP and Ellen Page Are Bright Ladies at Smart People

Molly — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 02:01:00 -0700

Surprisingly, Ellen Page was the girly looking one at last night's NYC premiere of Smart People. Sarah Jessica Parker, on the other hand, went a little more rock star with her leggings, leopard print and hot pink. The cute little ladies' costars Dennis Quaid and Thomas Hayden Church were both on hand for the event. This was one of the hot movies at Sundance Film Festival and with such an adorable and talented cast, I can't wait to finally see it when it hits theaters April 11.

To see more from the premiere including Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, just read more

View 21 Photos ›

Images include: Beth Ostrosky, Candace Bushnell, Cynthia Nixon, Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin, Ellen Page, James Lipton, Jane Fonda, Matthew Broderick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church

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BuzzSugar's Most Anticipated Spring Movies

BuzzSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 08:30:00 -0800

The sunlight might be lasting longer and longer these days, but I'm still planning to spend time indoors at the movie theater this Spring. What is striking about the movies coming out this season is the variety: From quirky little indies that premiered at Sundance to highly anticipated blockbusters, you can check out the movies I'm most excited to view in the coming months by pressing "Start." Source

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Sundance Spotlight: Ellen Page, SJP in Smart People

BuzzSugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:30:19 -0800

I have been sulking ever since I couldn't into the premiere of Smart People at Sundance. The cast is fantastic and the buzz surrounding it has been good. The family dramedy stars Dennis Quaid as an acerbic widowed professor with some sassy kids (including Vanessa, played by Ellen Page) whose life gets complicated when he falls in love with his former student (Sarah Jessica Parker), and his adopted brother (Thomas Haden Church) re-enters his life.

After the jump there are a couple clips from the movie, featuring Ellen Page once again making wisecracks like someone beyond her years. I'm still sad that I didn't get to a screening for this one, but the clips help a little. To check them out, read more.

SJP and Matthew Have Lots To Celebrate at Sundance

Molly — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:31:43 -0800

It was back to back nights of Sundance premieres for the Sarah Jessica Parker/Matthew Broderick power couple with Sunday bringing out her Smart People and Sunday featuring his Diminished Capacity. Both actors were happy to accompany their other halves to the big premieres - awwww. While I've heard good things about SJP's project with Dennis Quaid and Thomas Haden Church, I was actually there to see Matthew's movie last night. It's an incredibly sweet and funny film - Matthew plays perfectly slightly neurotic but hilarious while Alan Alda was just great as Matthew's elderly uncle. Plus, I can't not gush a little about seeing SJP again (this time from afar, though Sunday's treat of seeing her interviewed was thrills enough) as she came into the theater to a sea of flashing cameras of other audience members. Definitely a great weekend in Park City for all the stars and makers of these two films.

SJP is there for her Smart project, but of course everyone wants to hear about Sex and the City especially the new addition to one of the star's families. Christopher Noth's girlfriend had a baby over the weekend and Sarah was happy to gush about the new dad. She said, "I'm thrilled for him because I think first of all he's going to make a wonderful, wonderful father...He found a lovely lady to have a child with. It's the perfect time for him and I think he's very ready." Mr. Big Daddy? Sorry, sorry, I had to.

To see more from the premieres just read more

View 21 Photos ›

View 14 Photos ›

Images include: Ashton Holmes, Camille Mana, Dennis Quaid, Kimberly Buffington, Geoffrey Gilmore, Matthew Broderick, Noam Murro, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Alan Alda, Terry Kinney, Louis C.K., Kaycee Stroh

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Link Time!!!

PopSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:00:46 -0800

Jennifer Aniston stays hydrated but not with Smart Water - TMZ
Countdown to New Moon, time to get your geek goods! - GeekSugar
Jay-Z takes on Sinatra for mayor of NYC anthems - PopEater
New outtakes from Robert Pattinson VF photo shoot - Pink Is the New Blog
Kanye and Amber Rose sightsee in Rome - Lainey Gossip
Johnny Depp lends a hand to old pal Nicolas Cage - D-Listed
Jessica Gomez brings the heat to FHM - Egotastic
Nicole Kidman scared a few people at the CMAs - The Superficial
Blake wasn't feeling very lively on her latest trip - Hollywood Tuna
Not everyone loves Beyonce as much as we do - Hollywood Rag
Lindsay Lohan sparkles and shines - cityrag
Is Jon Gosselin getting paid to endorse smoking? - popbytes
Rebecca Gayheart talks openly about her pregnancy - JustJared