Widowed professors unite in pair of flicks
Smart People starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker and
Ellen Page
There are two kinds of people in the world
– those who let things happen and those who make things happen.
Those who let things happen tend to be pretty miserable most of the
time. At least that is the case with Lawrence Wetherhold and Walter
Vale. Both are past middle-age professors and both have given up
hope that life has anything posit
ive to offer.
Widowed professors unite in pair of flicks
Smart People starring Dennis Quaid, Sarah Jessica Parker and Ellen Page
There are two kinds of people in the world – those who let things happen and those who make things happen. Those who let things happen tend to be pretty miserable most of the time. At least that is the case with Lawrence Wetherhold and Walter Vale. Both are past middle-age professors and both have given up hope that life has anything positive to offer.
The pair are the stars of two movies with similar plots, if very different tones.
Smart People
“Smart People” is a movie about people who are so intelligent they are geniuses, but who are still unable to engage in the simple acts in life such as sharing a laugh with friends or going out on a date. Lawrence (Dennis Quaid) is an English lit professor who has an open contempt for his students and his fellow faculty members. He lives alone with his teenage daughter Vanessa (Ellen Page) who has already developed her father’s sense of cynicism even though she hasn’t even graduated high school. What viewers soon learn about Lawrence is that he is a widower who still has all his wife’s clothes hanging in the closet, and who is unable to sit in the front passenger seat of a car since his wife died in a car accident.
Lawrence and Vanessa’s lives are shaken up when two events happen that snap them out of their monotony. Lawrence’s adopted brother Chuck (Thomas Haden Church) is once again unemployed and needs a place to crash for a while. And Lawrence gives himself a head injury while trying to climb a fence to get his car out of an impound lot. He lands in a hospital where he meets Dr. Janet Hartigan (Sarah Jessica Parker).
Lawrence appears to be okay, but Janet suggests that he not drive for several weeks just to make sure there is no chance of him having a seizure behind the wheel. Lawrence is forced to rely on his brother and his college-age son to drive him around. But neither is always available or reliable.
Chuck is best at sitting around the house, doing nothing. Though Vanessa seems to think she is of superior intelligence and moral fiber, she forms a bond with her slacker uncle. She has no friends, so he tries to show her how to have a good time though she misinterprets his actions. Chuck is much more perceptive than anyone gives him credit for in the family. But still, he isn’t the most reliable guy and he often forgets to pick Lawrence up from work, doctor’s appointments or other meetings.
The lack of transportation leads to another encounter with Janet, where Lawrence finally gets the hint that she is interested in dating him. He blows the first date with his pompous, self-absorption, but eventually he gets it right and figured out what he has to do to be not just a smart person, but a good one.
The Visitor
Much like Lawrence, Walter Vale (Richard Jenkins) is mostly going through the motions in life. He is a global studies professor at a college in Connecticut who has long forgotten his connection to the world. It’s been ages since he wrote new curriculum for his classes or had a paper published. Nevertheless, he is chosen to attend a conference when a younger colleague can’t make it to present a paper. Vale returns to New York City, where and his wife shared an apartment before she died.
Jenkins received a best actor Oscar nod for his role, but lost out to Sean Penn’s performance as Harvey Milk.
When he arrives home, he finds a young immigrant couple living in his apartment. Tarek (Haaz Sleiman) is Syrian and his girlfriend is from Senegal (Danai Gurira). The couple rented the apartment from the friend of a friend and had no idea it belonged to Walter. They pack up their things and head done the street, looking for a place to stay but Walter offers to allow them to stay with him temporarily.
Walter and Tarek quickly bond over Tarek quickly bond over music, though Tarek’s girlfriend reminds standoffish. Walter’s wife played the piano and he is intrigued by Tarek’s drums. Walter puts off returning to Connecticut to spend more time with the couple. But things are shaken up when Tarek is picked up by immigration authorities. Just when Walter Vale is finally awake enough to care about something, it is taken away.
