I enjoy films about dysfunctional families and their various dramas. I also enjoy quiet independent films devoid of the usual Hollywood crap (car explosions, gratuitous violence or nudity, people who are too pretty to be real, etc). But I’m starting to wonder if the world of independent film is overusing the dysfunctional family hook. The main reason I wonder this is because I can’t seem to get into the trailer for Smart People, which has all the elements of a movie I’d usually be looking forward to.

Great cast: Dennis Quaid is a self-absorbed mopey college professor. Ellen Page is his overachieving high school daughter (sort of a snarkier Rory Gilmore). Thomas Haden Church is his lovable loser (adopted) brother. And Sarah Jessica Parker is his new love interest (as long as she stays away from any Carrie Bradshaw-like moments, she’s a pretty good actress).

Good pedigree: It’s from the same production team that did Sideways (a terrific movie).

Relatable story: A family that seems to have it all together on the outside, but is a crumbling mess behind the scenes. Dad is lonely, and kind of a pretentious jerk. Daughter is neurotic and doesn’t know how to just be a kid. Brother is the black sheep of the family, whose very presence is an annoyance, yet necessary to bring the family back together.

I guess what makes me somewhat ambivalent about Smart People is that the story is too relatable and too familiar. How many times have I seen the story of a family being brought back together by an unlikely agent? You Can Count On Me comes to mind. Maybe even The Family Stone. The trailer leaves me with a bit of a Little Miss Sunshine feel, too. I don’t know, maybe I’m being too critical and cynical, and I’ll eventually eat my words when Smart People has something new to offer when I eventually RENT IT.

Smart People is rated R and opens April 11. (Official site)