Ellen Page’s ‘Smart People’ Only as Scholarly as Zealous Senior in High School

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:30:45 -0700

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,” 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 “Juno” inker Diablo Cody.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “Smart People” in our reviews section.

View our full “Smart People” image gallery.

“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.

Ellen Page in “Smart People”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page in “Smart People”.
Photo credit: IMDb

Read the full review…

Hookup: 25 Admit-Two Screening Passes to Ellen Page’s ‘Smart People’ on April 10, 2008 in Chicago

HollywoodChicago.com — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:58:17 -0700

CHICAGO – HollywoodChicago.com on Tuesday announces that – in cooperation with the film “Smart People” with Ellen Page from “Juno,” Dennis Quaid, Thomas Haden Church and Sarah Jessica Parker – we are in this HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film giving away 25 admit-two screening passes to the new movie.

While the film opens wide on April 11, 2008, the Chicago screening for this film is on April 10, 2008. In order to win your pair of tickets, all you need to do is remember what you learned in fifth grade. In the same vein as the TV show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader” on FOX, we have five easy-peasy questions below (source) for you to answer.

Left production still: Ellen page in “Smart People”.
Right production still: Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker in “Smart People”.Photo credits: IMdb

We know you can cheat in lots of ways with this. Don’t, though, in the spirit of fun and to reassure yourself that someone much younger than you isn’t smarter than you. To answer, just click “Add new comment” below and leave your answers like this: 1a, 2b, 3d, 4a, 5b

To win, you need only be among the first 25 respondents who muster a passing grade. In this case, that’s 60 percent, which means you need to answer three out of five correctly. We highly prefer you to be logged into your HollywoodChicago.com account to do add your comment. You can quickly register here if you don’t have one.

Winners will be contacted via e-mail with exclusive codes for digital movie passes along with the time and location information for this special screening. “Smart People,” by the way, is about a widowed professor finding a new love and grappling with an unexpected visit from his adopted brother. Good luck!

Left production still: Thomas Haden Church and Ellen Page in “Smart People”.
Right production still: Dennis Quaid in “Smart People”.Photo credits: IMdb

1) What type of consumer eats both plants and animals?
a) herbivores
b) carnivores
c) omnivores

2) A right angle is…
a) 75 degrees
b) 90 degrees
c) 45 degrees

3) The French gave America a gift of friendship to honor independence for the U.S. What was this gift?
a) The liberty bell
b) The national anthem
c) The statue of liberty
d) The American flag

4) Bulls is to horns as deer is to _________.
a) antlers
b) head
c) hoof

5) What are igneous rocks formed from?
a) magma
b) chemical composition
c) other rocks

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com