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…

In the Forums: ‘The Incredible Hulk,’ ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘10,000 B.C.,’ ‘Drag Me to Hell,’ Pixar’s ‘Up’

HollywoodChicago.com — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:23:15 -0700

CHICAGO – While our discussion forums are an unfettered venting ground for all of our readers, we also originate a wide array of must-read news there from other trusted, high-quality entertainment publications.

For those of you who don’t frequent our forums and for those of you who typically read us via RSS or our daily mailing, the purpose of this In the Forums package is to bring the news we’re publishing in our forums front and center into our news section, RSS feed and daily mailing.

As you can see from our first In the Forums below, the package consists of a compilation of links to the most interesting and important local and national news items originating from our forums.

A preview of “The Incredible Hulk” trailer is now online.
Watch it now here!

The New York Times has visited the set of “The Dark Knight” and has released new production stills.
See them now here!

Despite atrocious reviews from critics everywhere, “10,000 B.C.” has brought in $35.7 million in first weekend.
Read more here!

Justin Long will now star in Sam Raimi’s “Drag Me to Hell”.
Read more here!

Filming on Terry Gilliam’s “The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus” is back under way in Vancouver.
Read more here!

Disney says Pixar’s 2009 film “Up” will be released in digital Disney 3D.
Read more here!

The Neo-Futurists conclude their last Chicago theater series with “Picked Up,” which is a series of six never-before-seen television pilots performed live on stage.
Read more here!

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