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Thank You For Smoking
Directed by: Jason Reitman
Starring: Aaron Eckhart
Genre:
Comedy
Run Time: 92
min.
Release Date: April 2006
On The Web:
Official
Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Byron Merritt |
There's something to be
said for a film that makes no apologies for being completely politically
incorrect, and THANK YOU FOR SMOKING certainly has something to say.
That audiences may find themselves cheering on "the bad guy" will make
this movie all the more entertaining. Aaron Eckhart (THE
DARK KNIGHT) stars
as Nick Naylor, a lobbyist for the tobacco companies, and he's very good
at what he does. One of his sayings is "If you argue well enough, you're
never wrong." The moral flexibility Nick has is akin to an ethical
gymnast. But his son Joey (Cameron Blight,
JUNO) is growing up
fast and is learning the ways of the father. We see Nick navigating
these parental waters with a touch of dignity and a splash of chagrin.
Can he be a good father while towing the line for the tobacco companies
and telling everyone that cigarettes are a personal choice rather than a
death sentence? William H. Macy (EDMOND) stars as Senator Finistirre,
"the good guy" who is trying to get a skull and crossbones image stamped
on every carton of cigarettes. But he's also a politician, trying to
further his own career. He represents a state that produces tons of
fatty cheeses, thus adding to Americans weight and cholesterol problems.
And he most certainly isn't above taking campaign contributions from
businesses, is he? That the film is filled with contradictions and
hilarious moral dilemmas is a tribute to the author of the book,
Christopher Buckley. That he can turn the tables on alcohol, tobacco and
firearms (all of which are addressed in the name of "business") is a
testament to some damn fine writing.
What makes the movie work so well is Aaron Eckhart's affable portrayal
of Nick. He's so darn likable yet utterly incomprehensible (in the moral
sense) that the audience will be grudgingly cheering him on. That he can
out-maneuver his opponent (Macy) makes the movie-watcher dislike whom
they really should be cheering for! What a turnabout! The ensemble cast
is incredible, too. In addition to Eckhart, Macy and Blight, there's
Mario Bello (A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE), Sam Elliot (THE
GOLDEN COMPASS), Katie
Holmes (FIRST
DAUGHTER), Rob Lowe, Robert
Duvall, and quite a few other notables.
This film must certainly be on people's top-ten list of movies to watch
...if they haven't caught it already.
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Image from Thank You For
Smoking
DVD cost: $13.86
Purchase:
Tower.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite?
Yes.
Stew Poo-Poo? No.
Newsworthy:
No one is shown smoking a
cigarette throughout the entire movie. In fact, except in the black and
white film that Naylor watches, no-one is seen even holding a cigarette.
Naylor holds an empty packet and 'Robert Duvall holds an (unlit)
cigar.
Movie Quote: "People,
what is going on out there? I look down this table, all I see are white
flags. Our numbers are down all across the board. Teen smoking, our
bread and butter, is falling like a shit from heaven! We don't sell Tic
Tacs for Christ's sake. We sell cigarettes. And they're cool and
available and *addictive*. The job is almost done for us!"
Other Actors/Actresses
from Thank You For Smoking
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