Smart People (15)

(Reuters)

Some smart lines, at any rate, and fine performances from Dennis Quaid, as a crotchety widowed professor (borrowing a gut and a rolling, flat-footed walk from brother Randy), Ellen Page as his precocious, preppy daughter, and Thomas Haden Church as his freeloading slob of a brother, who turns out to be surprisingly dependable.

But while the individual characters are nicely drawn, the relationships between them aren't convincing – in particular, the romance between Quaid and ex-student Sarah Jessica Parker remains inexplicable.