Smart People2008

Director
Noam Murro

Actors

Dennis Quaid (Lawrence Wetherhold)
Sarah Jessica Parker (Janet Hartigan)
Thomas Haden Church (Chuck Wetherhold)
Ellen Page (Vanessa Wetherhold)
Ashton Holmes (James Wetherhold)
Christine Lahti (Nancy)

A pompous widowed professor, his overachieving daughter, and his slacker brother are forced under one roof, turning a mid‑life crisis into a chaotic lesson in love and family.
Lawrence Wetherhold is a grumpy, self‑absorbed literature professor who has never dealt with his wife’s death and hides behind his intellect. After a minor accident leaves him unable to drive, his easygoing, broke brother Chuck moves in as his chauffeur, colliding with Lawrence’s rigid household and fiercely ambitious teenage daughter Vanessa. At the same time, Lawrence begins an awkward romance with Janet, a former student turned ER doctor, forcing him and his family to confront their emotional blind spots. Over one turbulent season, this unlikely group slowly discovers that real growth has less to do with being clever than with learning how to care for each other.
“Perfectly cast, intelligently written, and a nicely paced blend of humor and heart.” – TheIndependentCritic.com
“It’s so well-made, so well-acted and so impressively smart that anyone who seeks it out will find something to admire and enjoy in its craft and heart.” – Cinematical
“’Smart People’ made me happy from start to finish.” – Wall Street Journal