Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- melancholic
- lazy sunday
- date night
What critics said
Critics generally found the sharp cast and occasional laughs appealing but considered the plot too thin to fully resonate.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lawrence is a pompous Carnegie Mellon professor whose intelligence and professional identity isolate him from his family and potential relationships.
Lawrence is a widower whose misery and indifference affect Vanessa and James while the family struggles to reconnect.
Janet, the physician who dates Lawrence, was formerly his student, making their relationship unusually entangled with his academic past.
Lawrence and Vanessa approach relationships through sarcasm, sabotage, and defensive intelligence rather than direct vulnerability.
Films like Smart People, and why
The Squid and the Whale
Shared mix of romantic comedy, family dysfunction, intellectual pretension, and emotionally guarded characters.
The Savages
Shared dramedy tone, prickly adult protagonists, family tensions, and gradual emotional reconnection.
The Baxter
Shared witty relationship comedy, academic or professional self-importance, and difficult emotional intimacy.
Movie Details
- Director
- Noam Murro
- Release Date
- 2008-04-11
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (296)
Cast
- Dennis Quaid
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Thomas Haden Church
- Elliot Page
- Ashton Holmes
- Christine Lahti
- Camille Mana
- David Denman
- Don Wadsworth
- Robert Haley
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Smart People about?
- A misanthropic professor, his lonely children, and his unruly brother confront the emotional cost of being too clever to live comfortably.
- What is Smart People like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Smart People as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Smart People violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Smart People as mild.
- What did critics think of Smart People?
- Critics generally found the sharp cast and occasional laughs appealing but considered the plot too thin to fully resonate.
- Which films are like Smart People?
- Films with a similar feel include The Squid and the Whale, The Savages, and The Baxter.
- How long is Smart People?
- Smart People runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Smart People?
- In United States, Smart People streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
