Indies on DVD: 'Smart People,' ' Garcia Girls ... Summer,' 'Orange Thief'

James Rocchi's review of Smart People is more accurate, in my opinion. For you (Peter Martin) to imply that Smart People says nothing about its characters is way off. In fact, one could argue that all it does is present the viewer with very well-developed characters and very little plot. Did you actually watch Smart People? Lawrence (Dennis Quaid) is the best representation of a professor on the screen in a long time. Much more realistic and deep than the much praised Michael Douglas in Wonder Boys. Lawrence is a grouch, a misanthrope, an egotist, but somehow he's both compelling and endearing. Not an easy thing to pull off in the writing or the acting. Lawrence is a beautifully complicated character, one that Dennis Quaid presents in what I think is an Oscar-worthy performance. Ditto for Vanessa, Ellen Page's character. She's so tightly wound at the beginning of the script, she practically ticks like a time bomb. She runs the household, studies like crazy, and espouses a crazy type-A personality, all in an attempt to hide from her misery. Vanessa is a much more layered character than Juno, and Ellen Page embodies her like no one else could. I've seen Smart People three times (once at Sundance, where it got a standing ovation; once at the theater; and once on DVD last night) and each time I noticed more nuances in the script and the performances. I'm convinced people went into this film with expectations of a broader, less specific comedy. The discerning viewer was treated to something much deeper, much (dare I say) smarter. Obviously, the powers that be wanted more of a mass-appeal movie, but it's clear that the filmmakers and the actors weren't concerned with that. They were concerned with making an intimate, funny, intelligent, and moving film, about nothing more than a dysfunctional family that's a little less dysfunctional at the end.

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I really liked this DVD and am surprised you did not like it as much. I usually am right in line with your tastes and often look to you as a guide for things to rent and/or buy. I thought Thomas Haden Church was quite solid in this film, and it was nice to see some teenaged characters who were concerned with something a little bit more intensive than nail polish and race cars. Maybe I have been overwhelmed by the lack of interesting films being released this summer and my response to this is like a legionnaire in the desert who comes upon an oasis -- the water tastes better when you don't have it -- but I really thought Smart People was worth a much stronger review than you have given it here. In fact, I would suggest that it be considered in the fall for some of the award competitions that usually surface during that time.

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We rented this last week, and my daughter loved it so much that we ended up buying a copy. She and her friends are headed back for sophomore year of college in a couple of weeks, and they seemed to think this was quite an accurate depiction of their time at school, so far. They love Ellen Page, of course, but also thought Dennis Quaid did a nice job depicting a professor that they swear was based on a teacher of theirs at school. In either case, I was glad because this is one of a handful of movies where my daughter and I see eye to eye. We both liked it, which is a rarity.

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