Description
WARNING: Thank You For Smoking "just might make you laugh your head off!" (MAXIM). Aaron Eckhart stars as Nick Naylor, a sexy, charismatic spin-doctor for Big Tobacco who'll fight to protect America's right to smoke -- even if it kills him -- while still remaining a role model for his 12-year old son. When he incurs the wrath of a senator (William H. Macy) bent on snuffing out cigarettes, Nick's powers of "filtering the truth" will be put to the test. As Nick says, "If you want an easy job, go work for the Red Cross."

Amazon.com
As the saying goes, Aaron Eckhart was born to play Nick Naylor, the 30-something "voice of Big Tobacco" in this brazen satire of corporate profits and what lobbyists will do to protect them. Right from the opening, Eckhart is in spin mode, turning the tables on a popular talk show when he states health officials want a young teen stricken by cancer to die more than big tobacco does, since the boy would be a martyr to them, but only a single lost customer to the industry. Audiences gasp, panelists guffaw, and the kid happily shakes Nick's hand. The Academy of Tobacco Studies has a colorful array of folks surrounding Nick, including his cantankerous boss (J.K. Simmons) and the Colonel (Robert Duvall), tobacco's undisputed leader. His closet friends are lobbyists for guns (David Koechner) and alcohol (Maria Bello) who discuss their odd businesses over regular lunches, but when a cutie-pie reporter (Katie Holmes) swings into Nick's life, things begin to unravel. Based on Christopher Buckley's even more outlandish novel, Thank You for Smoking is a bright light for the filmgoer tired of gutless films formulated by committee, and first-time filmmaker Jason Reitman has expertly cast the film, which includes deft turns by William H. Macy and Sam Elliot. Nick's son, a throwaway in the novel, becomes a major influence here in Nick's development and a key student of Naylorisms such as, "If you argue correctly, then you're never wrong," though a father and son trip to Hollywood to visit an uber agent (Rob Lowe at his most suave) demonstrates how the inclusion of the son both helps and hurts the film. Book fans will miss the wicked plot turn, but the final result is a sharp and smart comedy deserving of a long, savory drag. --Doug Thomas

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 173 reviews)

Laugh and Think

If you are a smoker watch the film and think,
If you are a non-smoker watch the film and feel as happy as you can and laugh
If your child is a teenager let her watch the film, nothing that the adults tell is enough to give this impression about smoking.
I think this may be a popular film that is watched at school hours.
The terrible results of smoking and how they have been hidden for decades is presented in a very ironic way.
I hope many people watch this film.
November 02, 2008

Bland, dull edged satire

This has been described as a "razor sharp" satire. It isn't. The main character is a tobacco company lobbyist who defends tobacco interests. The problem here is that we knew that these guys were weasels over forty years ago - this is hardly cutting edge material. Many, many obvious jabs at this type are made. This film will only be an eye opener to someone who has been in a coma for the last few decades. The ending, where the lead character feels some moral responsibility toward his son is phony. The movie spends most of its running time showing us how utterly amoral the character is. Are we really supposed to believe that he suddenly feels remorse because of his son? More likely (and I know this type), he would keep his son in the dark about the true nature of his work. Katie Holmes looks horrible here. She can't act, has bad skin, and seems badly miscast as the "hot" reporter who seduces the handsome Eckhart (you would think that the gorgeous Eckhart would have women lined up but he seems so desperate that he has to settle for the odd looking Holmes).
October 16, 2008

Like watching a shark eat a school of hapless fish

'Thank You For Smoking' is a satire/comedy of the industry of Big Tobacco. Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is the Vice President of the Academy of Tobacco Studies, and calls himself the Colonel Sanders of Nicotine. He's divorced, but stays very involved in Joey's (his twelve year old son) life. Joey (Cameron Bright - Running Scared, The Butterfly Effect) looks up to his father, often seeing him in a Godlike way.

Nick belongs to what they call the MOD Squad (Merchants Of Death). He and his two friends, Polly Bailey (Maria Bello - Secret Window) who works for the Moderation Council and is an alcoholic, and Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) who works for SAFETY (The Society for the Advancement of Firearms and Effective Training for Youth), meet for lunch one a week and discuss the deaths related to their current jobs.

The movie begins with Nick appearing on the Joan Lunden show, against anti-tobacco groups and a young boy suffering from tobacco related cancer. Nick, the best of the spin-artists, walks away smelling like a rose. On his case over his defense of Big Tobacco is Senator Ortolan Finistirre (William H. Macy), who leads a sub-committee dedicated to labeling cigarettes with the skull and crossbones poison symbol.

Nick, while waiting for the sub-committee hearing, travels to see The Captain (Robert Duvall), head of the tobacco company and founder of Nick's employer. Nick's boss stole his idea to use Hollywood to promote tobacco (by getting stars to smoke on screen) and the Captain wants Nick to fly to California to get the ball rolling. Taking Joey along, Nick meets with Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe), a Hollywood super agent who heads up EGO (Entertainment Global Offices). (Jeff and the whole Hollywood scene is so over-the-top "typical" that it's hilarious) Jeff and Nick agree on 25 Million dollars to get Brad Pitt and Catherine Zeta-Jones to smoke on screen after a futuristic $ex scene. (unbelievable!) While in California, he takes a huge money payoff to the original Marlboro Man Lorne Lutch (Sam Elliott) who's now dying of lung cancer. He also appears on the Dennis Miller show against Senator Finistirre, and receives a death threat from a caller.

Nick comments on his life as being the most hated person on Earth. It's pretty much true. He's kidnapped, stripped, covered in nicotine patches and left at the Lincoln statue. He almost dies and can never smoke again because of the overdose, but spins it into how cigarettes saved his life because a non-smoker would have died. The reporter he's dating, Heather, takes all their private pillow talks and publishes an extremely derogatory article about him. (You'll have to watch the movie to see how he pays her back) Nick has to balance his life between his moral-less job and being a father to his son. The things he teaches Joey aren't right or wrong but how to win, an approach Joey's mother disapproves of.

Whether you're a non-smoker or even a smoker, the actions of the Big Tobacco will make you red with fury. Eckhart plays a good role as Nick, totally unconcerned with his job as lobbyist for a known killer. (as expressed in the meetings of the MOD Squad) Though not based on a true story or even real statistical facts, the casual way Big Tobacco treats their "customer's" lives rings true. Adding in Polly and Bobby Ray as advocates of alcohol and firearms holds a certain irony to the film. Though the movie has a good premise (as far as satire goes) and an excellent cast who all perform well, it never quite advances itself into either comedy or drama. The pace is a little to slow, and the debates not long enough or heated enough. It's interesting enough if you want to watch a benignly evil man do his effort to spread poison, but not worthy of a purchase. Rent first. Enjoy!

October 15, 2008

Has its valid, amusing points but is ultimately a bit too callous

I think the problem many people have with this film is that - unlike most moralizing Hollywood movies - it doesn't take a stand for or against smoking. While I think smoking is disgusting and practically crazy and I've lost count of the people I've known who died from it, I actually found this approach refreshing. It's essentially a cynical, amoral, libertarian satire on the American nanny state, corporate shills, and posturing politicians. In essence it boils down to this message: "Everyone's got a selfish reason for doing what they do and all information is skewed to the interests of the person providing it. Make up your own mind based on that. If you can."

Since I'm neither amoral or libertarian I was not thrilled with the main character (His motto: "If you argue correctly, then you're never wrong.") or with the way he indoctrinated his son into believing "doing what you do best" is one's highest calling - even if it's for a damnable cause. But his blunt honesty appealed to my cynical side and was often quite amusing.
June 30, 2008

Better Than Expected

No one could ever accuse this movie of being subtle. But hey, look at the title and the premise. How could it be?

Nick Naylor is one of the most interesting protagonists to come along in quite a while, and the topic is a very blunt "smoke smoke smoke!" message. The movie is based on a novel which I haven't read but which must surely also be about him. He's an interesting guy.

What I see here is a brilliant balancing act. The humor manages to go over the top without ever sacrificing character, credibility, or even plot. I honestly didn't expect a plot, but rather a one-joke film. So it was a pleasant surprise there.

I will say that you have to be in the right mood, though. The first time I fired up the DVD, I stopped after about 30 minutes and put it aside for later. The second time, I was very impressed.

(Fired up? Oh no, I've been subliminally programmed!)

June 25, 2008

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