Movie Info

Thank You for Smoking

Nick Naylor doesn't hide the truth...he filters it.

Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley, Thank You for Smoking is about Nick Naylor, the Tobacco Industry's chief spokesperson. Nick is the chief lobbyist responsible for spinning cigarettes in a positive light. Some would consider this an almost impossible task, but Nick Naylor does it with uncanny ease.

A comedy directed by Jason Reitman (Ivan Reitman's son), this film is a great satirical comedy about America's death industries. We get introduced to the MOD (Merchants of Death) squad consisting of Tobacco, Alcohol and Guns and their conversations alone make the film enjoyable. Reitman does a great job with the screenplay and the dialog is engaging and often times hilarious.

The cast for this movie was fantastic. Aaron Eckhart delivers a performance that is both convincing and surreal. Does such a man exist? Nick Naylor seems to be a decent man but his job is to convince the world that cigarettes are not harmful. He's a natural debater and he's great a deflecting the issue. The scenes were Naylor teaches his son, Joey, how to argue are priceless. Eckhart was able to give Naylor depth and character which really added to the overall satirical nature of the movie.

The supporting cast was great as well. From Maria Bello and Katie Holmes to Robert Duvall, it was great to see some well known actors play some small roles in the movie. Duvall was convincing as the Tobacco Baron named "The Captain'; Rob Lowe and J.K. Simmons were hilarious as the media mogul and the head spinster; and Maria Bello and David Koechner were great as the other members of the MOD squad. Excellent job by the casting director.

Although the movie was about cigarettes, the adverse health effects never really take center stage in the movie. In fact, Nick Naylor makes some really valid points regarding smoking. First, it's a choice to smoke cigarettes, second, everybody knows how harmful they are and lastly, if kids do not know the dangers of smoking, the parents and teachers should be educating them. Sure the tobacco companies are profiting from the addictions of its customers, but honestly, the public has been informed about the ill-effects of smoking and yet many people still smoke. Putting poison signs on cigarette packs aren't a deterrent, just a waste of money.

Smoking is like anything else. You educate your children and hope that they make the correct decision by themselves when they are older. We all know forbidding teens will only encourage them to disobey their parents.

Thank You for Smoking is a fun, intelligent movie with lots of humorous moments. It is a definite improvement to the slapstick comedies that have been released by Hollywood. Well-written and directed, with an incredible cast, I see no reason not to go see this movie. Smokers and non-smokers alike can enjoy it.

Dragoncrypt Sunday, December 17, 2006