Adjectives abound when describing Dennis Quaid in “Smart People,” not one of them flattering. He’s self-absorbed, melancholic, bitter, thin-skinned, pompous, defeated and grieving. Quaid rarely dabbles in such vulnerable traits – he hasn’t since 2002’s “Far From Heaven” – and his immersion in this character is the main reason to check out Noam Murro’s Sundance drama.
Quaid plays Lawrence Wetherhold, a widowed English professor at Carnegie Mellon University who’s wallowing in a personal and professional rut. He’s half-heartedly lobbying for his department’s open chairman’s slot, matching wits with his overachieving daughter (Ellen Page), nurturing his pot-smoking adoptive brother (Thomas Haden Church), and entering a relationship with his physician (Sarah Jessica Parker), a former student.
Quaid’s professor calls to mind Michael Douglas’ hangdog novelist in Curtis Hanson’s spectacular “Wonder Boys.” The crucial difference between the films lies in the supporting cast. “Boys” surrounded Douglas with equally compelling counterparts, from Tobey Maguire’s mysterious graduate student to Robert Downey Jr.’s flawed literary agent. As much as I enjoyed Quaid’s introspective turn, his co-stars play characters lifted straight out of Screenwriting 101. Smart people, yes. But interesting people? Not as much.
