Smart People....

So I watched the movie "smart people" last night and it is an amusing movie that almost works. Thomas Hayden Church is hysterical and I don't know why he doesn't get cast more often. The movie has a few things working against it, though:

1) Sarah Jessica Parker's face
2) Dennis Quaid's gut
3) Over-emphasizing Ellen Page's character

I'll go in reverse order.

Ellen Page is a charming actress and is certainly as cute as a bug's ear, talented, blah blah, etc. It is obvious, though, that the movie was edited in the post-Juno (or PJ) era to feature her more and the script just doesn't support it. She brings a lot to her scenes and it is not her fault, but the story just doesn't make sense with her as the main character. In fact, it is very difficult to determine who the primary character is because she has a sub-plot that is more interesting and has more subtext than the central romantic relationship. In the end, her presence is almost stifling because the other actors and the script don't balance out her onscreen dominance.

Dennis Quaid sports a gut that looks like he is wearing a pillow or a fake pregnancy belly. Also, his supposed-to-be noticeable limp changes from scene to scene. During his love scenes, and actually throughout the whole movie, his general appearance resembles a pair of stretched out gray sweatpants. I get the subtext, but it would've been nice to get a slightly more varied appearance from Quaid - even if it was just a change in expression from arrogantly befuddled to pompously bemused.

"Sarah Jessica Parker shouldn't be allowed to act in anything that's not related to 'Sex & the City'. She can't stop herself from being Carrie Bradshaw". This is an exact quote from my husband during the first date scene in the movie. He's completely right. Unfortunately, SJP isn't all that likeable as anyone other than Carrie. You almost wish she would just BE her in all her roles - like Matthew McConnaughey plays himself and Ben Stiller plays Zoolander. Sadly that is not the case in this movie...AND her face looks like a foot. I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to say that she has "real" beauty and character and all that...no. Not for me. I'd give her tits a 9.2 and her face a paper bag. Judge me if you will, but I just can't keep it inside anymore.