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)

I watched this trailer three times, trying to figure out what exactly was happening in it. A wealthy, happy, and well-liked French man has either a stroke or a heart attack in his fancy car, then appears to enter some sort of fantasy world while he lays paralyzed in the hospital. Or at least that’s what I got out of the trailer. Confusing, sure, but I was still intrigued enough to watch it three times.

Upon further research, I learned that the man is the editor of the French edition of Elle Magazine, and the movie is based on the true story of his life. He suffered a stroke in 1995 that paralyzed his entire body, except for his left eye. With that eye, he managed to blink his memoir and describe the worlds that he was seeing inside his mind. This sounds like fascinating material for a fictional movie, but the fact that it’s based on true story makes it even more compelling, so I’m definitely intrigued enough to RENT IT.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is rated PG-13 and opens in limited release November 30. (Official site It’s in French, you’ve been warned)

I was fortunate enough to attend an advanced screening of Becoming Jane last night, and as I predicted in my trailer review, this one is a RENT IT. The film plays very fast and loose with the “facts” of Jane Austen’s life, and should by no means be taken as a biopic. But luckily, that doesn’t take away from the bittersweet story it’s telling.

Anne Hathaway, although not British, plays Jane beautifully. She manages to portray Jane as a strong-willed, independent woman, while still allowing her vulnerable side to show through. And James McAvoy is absolutely charming as the philandering Irishman who catches Jane’s hard-to-catch eye. The story tends to lag in places, as most period pieces are known to do, but it manages to pick itself up and engross you again.

So while not a staggering work of genius, Becoming Jane is exactly what it sets out to be; a sweet and sad love story that anyone who has liked the films based on Austen’s novels will enjoy. It’s perfect for viewing on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Looking for the Cloverfield / 1-18-08 trailer? It’s here.

Did you look really closely at the end credits of the trailer for Gone, Baby, Gone? Blink and you’ll miss it, but the end screen says “directed by Ben Affleck.” Though Affleck is making his directorial debut, I’m pleasantly surprised by how good Gone, Baby, Gone looks.

Gone, Baby, Gone certainly has a great pedigree. It’s based on a novel by Dennis Lehane, who also wrote Mystic River. Morgan Freeman and Ed Harris consistently do good work, though it is strange to see Harris with hair. Casey Affleck may be benefiting from being the director’s brother, but it looks like he can carry this film.

I’m rooting for Ben Affleck to surprise everybody with rave reviews. I certainly can’t wait to SEE IT.

Gone, Baby, Gone is rated R and opens on October 19 in limited release. (IMDb page)