'Smart People' hits the shelves this week
By Bruce R. Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, August 10, 2008
Talk about your TV week.
More than half of the DVD releases this week are television shows. That says something about the burgeoning DVD market. Today, series producers shoot extras, interviews and special features while they're making their series. If a title sells particularly well, it could spell renewal for a program on the bubble.
"Family Guy," for example, did so well in the cable and DVD market it was brought back AFTER it was canceled.
Shows like "The Office" -- which aren't necessarily ratings blockbusters -- stay on the air because they do well in "other" markets -- namely DVD sales and the Internet.
To pump a show before it returns for a new season, producers often release the previous season's shows just before the new ones premiere. Thus, you'll be seeing a lot of "catch up with last season's action" ads in the next two months.
For some shows, the DVD market is simply a way to say, "We were here." This week, several old series turn up. Look for "Dave's World," "Caroline in the City" and "Tru Calling."
Then, to complete your collections, check out "The Love Boat," season one, volume two (sneaky, huh?) and "South Park," the 11th season.
Also: 'Smart People'
For everyone longing for a "Juno" sequel, there's "Smart People."
In it, Ellen Page plays a similarly sassy teenager exasperated with the adults in her life. She's an oh-so-smart high school senior who runs her father's life with a firm hand but can't quite get a grip on her own. She knows more than her older brother; she's not afraid to weigh in on her uncle's laid-back lifestyle. And yet, there's a fear factor that hovers over everything she does.
When dad (Dennis Quaid) suffers a seizure, he's taken to the hospital where a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) checks in as his physician. She puts the brakes on his driving, prompting his brother (Thomas Haden Church) to take over. The guy, though, is a real deadbeat -- the antithesis of everyone else in the house. When he's left alone with Page, she's oddly attracted to his free-wheeling ways. He gets her to loosen up. She goes too far.
Quaid, meanwhile, begins a relationship with Parker. He's a gruff old coot who doesn't remember the first thing about romance. But Parker cuts him slack. When she sees the end of the road, their shared life comes to a screeching halt.
Director Noam Murro plays his hand well. Although Page and Church are aces over Quaid and Parker, they're not trump cards, pulled from the bottom of the deck. Church, in fact, doesn't lapse into joker mode, even when he should. As in "Sideways," he steals just enough scenes to make his time memorable, not overbearing.
Quaid and Parker, though, could have been traded for any number of actors. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney come to mind. Kevin Costner and Rachel Weisz could have worked, too.
Bland, dour and, often, unattractive, Quaid is a stretch as the object of Parker's affection. He needs some quality -- something from the past perhaps -- that would suggest the crush a student once had on a teacher. Parker's no prize, either, but at least she doesn't look like someone you'd want to avoid.
Luckily, Page is there to pull out a bit of his vulnerability. She helps us understand why he needs protecting and why he likes being sheltered. She's a wonderful young actress who has the potential to play more than a girl with very high SAT scores. The smartest of the "Smart People," she's someone who can elevate an adequate independent film into a very good one.
Also this week:
TV: "Berenstain Bears: Family and Friendship"; "Caroline in the City," season one; "Dave's World," season one; "The Love Boat," season one; "Prison Break," season three; "South Park," season 11; "Three Stooges"; "Tom and Jerry," volume 5; "Tru Calling," complete series; "The Wire," season five.
Film: "Aftermath: Population Zero"; "The Art of War II"; "CJ7"; "Felon"; "The Killing Gene"; "The Secret"; "Warlords"
More than half of the DVD releases this week are television shows. That says something about the burgeoning DVD market. Today, series producers shoot extras, interviews and special features while they're making their series. If a title sells particularly well, it could spell renewal for a program on the bubble.
"Family Guy," for example, did so well in the cable and DVD market it was brought back AFTER it was canceled.
Shows like "The Office" -- which aren't necessarily ratings blockbusters -- stay on the air because they do well in "other" markets -- namely DVD sales and the Internet.
To pump a show before it returns for a new season, producers often release the previous season's shows just before the new ones premiere. Thus, you'll be seeing a lot of "catch up with last season's action" ads in the next two months.
For some shows, the DVD market is simply a way to say, "We were here." This week, several old series turn up. Look for "Dave's World," "Caroline in the City" and "Tru Calling."
Then, to complete your collections, check out "The Love Boat," season one, volume two (sneaky, huh?) and "South Park," the 11th season.
Also: 'Smart People'
For everyone longing for a "Juno" sequel, there's "Smart People."
In it, Ellen Page plays a similarly sassy teenager exasperated with the adults in her life. She's an oh-so-smart high school senior who runs her father's life with a firm hand but can't quite get a grip on her own. She knows more than her older brother; she's not afraid to weigh in on her uncle's laid-back lifestyle. And yet, there's a fear factor that hovers over everything she does.
When dad (Dennis Quaid) suffers a seizure, he's taken to the hospital where a former student (Sarah Jessica Parker) checks in as his physician. She puts the brakes on his driving, prompting his brother (Thomas Haden Church) to take over. The guy, though, is a real deadbeat -- the antithesis of everyone else in the house. When he's left alone with Page, she's oddly attracted to his free-wheeling ways. He gets her to loosen up. She goes too far.
Quaid, meanwhile, begins a relationship with Parker. He's a gruff old coot who doesn't remember the first thing about romance. But Parker cuts him slack. When she sees the end of the road, their shared life comes to a screeching halt.
Director Noam Murro plays his hand well. Although Page and Church are aces over Quaid and Parker, they're not trump cards, pulled from the bottom of the deck. Church, in fact, doesn't lapse into joker mode, even when he should. As in "Sideways," he steals just enough scenes to make his time memorable, not overbearing.
Quaid and Parker, though, could have been traded for any number of actors. Jeff Daniels and Laura Linney come to mind. Kevin Costner and Rachel Weisz could have worked, too.
Bland, dour and, often, unattractive, Quaid is a stretch as the object of Parker's affection. He needs some quality -- something from the past perhaps -- that would suggest the crush a student once had on a teacher. Parker's no prize, either, but at least she doesn't look like someone you'd want to avoid.
Luckily, Page is there to pull out a bit of his vulnerability. She helps us understand why he needs protecting and why he likes being sheltered. She's a wonderful young actress who has the potential to play more than a girl with very high SAT scores. The smartest of the "Smart People," she's someone who can elevate an adequate independent film into a very good one.
Also this week:
TV: "Berenstain Bears: Family and Friendship"; "Caroline in the City," season one; "Dave's World," season one; "The Love Boat," season one; "Prison Break," season three; "South Park," season 11; "Three Stooges"; "Tom and Jerry," volume 5; "Tru Calling," complete series; "The Wire," season five.
Film: "Aftermath: Population Zero"; "The Art of War II"; "CJ7"; "Felon"; "The Killing Gene"; "The Secret"; "Warlords"
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