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."
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:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
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.
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... more info
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,... more info
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... more info
