Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Cute and clever does not always translate into funny. The movie had numerous funny moments and lines, but it also spun its wheels at numerous times trying to get going. Perhaps the funniest line (plot spoiler) was near the end when Dennis Quaid asks, "Why would you have a baby with me?" Sarah Jessica Parker responds, "Because you don't know how to properly wear a condom." The movie is at its best when the daughter Ellen Page (I love her) or the adopted brother, Thomas Haden Church are on the screen. They are the real stars in this movie. The banter between Quaid and Parker is far less humorous, although clever and witty, which is hard to do. The movie also over uses a lame acoustical guitar soundtrack, a clear cry for help in an attempt to say "clever and witty." There are a few f-bombs but not overly so. The sex scenes are minor and do not last longer than teen sex.

A film by director Noam Murro, "Smart People" stars Dennis Quaid as Lawrence Wetherhold, a pretentious English professor. Lawrence's daughter (Ellen Page), the overachieving Vanessa, is similarly pompous."Smart People's" second half finds Vanessa and Lawrence learning to be less uptight and more sympathetic toward the wants, needs and interests of the "academically challenged". Teaching these lessons are Lawrence's brother (Thomas Church) and a local doctor (Sarah Jessica Parker). Trite but watchable, Thomas Church steals the show as an affable slacker. For a better film about similarly dysfunctional intellectuals, see Noah Baumbach's "The Squid and the Whale".6/10 – Worth one viewing.

This is a comparatively slow-moving film which takes time to explore what teaching for a long time in a university can do to some professors, and what roles single parenting can sometimes mistakenly dissolve into for both parents and their children.The role of the long-suffering, self-contained, in need of renewal/sabbatical/analysis professor was particularly well- written and acted: Dennis Quaid did a great job in this film and, as a viewer, I rarely remembered that he was acting: his demeanor, his stance, his wardrobe, his droning voice--even his eye contact--were just right.As usual, Haden-Church was the actor who made the movie zing. His "just one step out of this dimension" attitude and usual attention to perfection in his acting was a delight. He's one of our great character actors.Ellen Page compels the viewer to watch her delightful portrayal--though I am not yet willing to concede that she is one with her role yet. I continue to enjoy watching her thorough and she is going to be a great actress.I recommend this film highly for thoughtful viewers who enjoy digging into time, place and characters. It's pace is not brisk, but its rewards are great.

This movie is definitely not for everyone: ignore the fact that SJP is starring, because if you're a fan of her work, you'll definitely end up hating this movie. Long story short, the movie is simply about a bunch of a**holes, thinking they know everything simply because they are well educated. Little do they know about real life, though, and it all comes out when the head of the family meets (again) an attractive lady physician. They are all accompanied by the family uncle, who is definitely "smarter" than anyone else, even though not having a proper education or job. Now this would have been an interesting movie to watch if not for the obvious down-points. Firstly and fore-mostly, the music. Every 10 minutes (quite literally), we are faced with a scene with an acoustic guitar playing. The soundtrack consists of only indie-acoustic songs, which make the movie simply painful to watch. Dennis Quaid's performance is absolutely annoying, and let's leave it at that. It's nice to see SJP out of her natural habitat of New York City (for 90% of the movie at least), which is truly a great surprise; when the movie comes to an end, you realize it was pretty much the only shining star. Ellen Page is being herself, know-it-all and I'm-better-than-you-are attitude all over the place in one scene, only to become needy and pissy at everything in the next one. About halfway through the movie, I bet you'll find yourself asking: What is the matter with these people? and I don't blame you. This movie could have been a great polemic on wisdom, but it just falls flat when faced with indie music and terrible performances, and the absolute lack of any action whatsoever.