CHICAGO – I’m flummoxed. I know “Smart People” was supposed to be comedic drama with a splash of romance. Instead, I have been misled. It’s not a comedy. It’s not a tragedy. It’s not even a tragicomedy.
“Smart People” is a blandly scripted “poor me” with an attempt at a plot and some glitzy Hollywood names thrown in for good box-office measure.
While I know this was no “Juno [19],” I couldn’t help cursing first-time writer Mark Poirier for not taking a much-needed page – or a full-fledged course of mentoring – from Oscar-winning [20] “Juno” inker Diablo Cody [21].
 Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Smart People” in our reviews section. [22]View our full “Smart People” image gallery. [23] |
“Smart People” is also a product of another newbie: first-time director Noam Murro.
Since her “Juno” stardom in 2007 – and actually her big-screen break out even before that in 2005’s “Hard Candy” – 21-year-old Ellen Page has righteously warranted her way on Hollywood’s “A” list.
My draw to “Smart People” was Page and Page alone. While she’s always a professional who crafts the best she can from the material she’s handed, an actor ultimately is a slave to his or her script. “Smart People” offensively held Page back whereas “Juno” unleashed her.
 Photo credit: IMDb |
 Photo credit: IMDb |
Read the full review… [22]Links:
[1] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/users/hollywoodchicagocom
[2] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/adam-fendelman
[3] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/alison-lohman
[4] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/dennis-quaid
[5] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/labels/diablo_cody.html
[6] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/drag-me-to-hell
[7] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/ellen-page
[8] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/hard-candy
[9] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/hollywoodchicagodotcom-content
[10] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/labels/juno.html
[11] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/mark-poirier
[12] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/movie-review
[13] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/noam-murro
[14] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/sam-raimi
[15] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/sarah-jessica-parker
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[17] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/smart-people
[18] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/thomas-haden-church
[19] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/2007/10/juno-first-livejournal-blogger-film.html
[20] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/1391/80th-academy-awards-headlined-by-no-country-for-old-men-juno-the-bourne-ultimatum-there-wi
[21] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/2007/11/interview-why-hollywoods-enraptured.html
[22] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/reviews/2095/ellen-pages-smart-people-only-as-scholarly-as-zealous-senior-in-high-school
[23] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/image/tid/2517