Nick Naylor, chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, makes his living defending the rights of smokers and cigarette makers in today’s neo-puritanical culture.
BIg Tobacco is a lobby, whose stated purpose is to research the links between smoking cigarettes and health. The group, funded by cigarette companies, never finds any links. Nick's job requires him to "inform" the public of these results. Each week, Nick meets with Polly Bailey (Maria Bello) and Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner), lobbyists for the alcohol and gun industries, for lunch and mutual support. The three jokingly refer to themselves as "the M.O.D. Squad" (alluding to both the phrase "Merchants Of Death" and the television show The Mod Squad). Faced with a bill to add a skull and crossbones to all cigarette packaging, Nick proposes an idea to his boss, BR, to get actors in films to start smoking on screen again as in the '20s and '30s, and thus "put the sex back in cigarettes". BR sends him to Hollywood to meet with producer Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe) and arrange product placement. Nick elects to bring his son, Joey (Cameron Bright), on the sudden conviction that they do not spend enough time together since Joey's mother gained custody. As Joey asks about the details of Nick's job during the trip, they bond as Nick teaches him the art of spin.
Golden Globe nominated, the film is a burlesque directed by Jason Reitman and produced by David O. Sacks. It is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley. The title is based on the popular saying "Thank You for Not Smoking".
According to the film's director, this film is neither pro- nor anti-smoking. In fact, the act of smoking is not shown at all in the movie (except only once in the deleted scenes portion of the movie: after Naylor has been assaulted by anti-smoking activists, recovers, and is told he can never smoke again. He tries one, and passes out). The closest the movie ever comes to depicting a character smoking is when Nick reaches into his shirt pocket for a cigarette. The pack, however, is empty. It is more so intended to attack political correctness, despite some scenes showing pro-smoking messages. During the film you hear several times that "there is no scientific proof against cigarettes". On The Charlie Rose Show, Reitman described it as a film with a libertarian message.This message is crystallized in the movie when the Senator asks Nick whether he would let Joey smoke when he reaches the age of consent, to which Nick replies "if he really wants a cigarette, I'll buy him his first pack." This captures the libertarian idea of freedom to endanger one's own body, as long as the person is fully informed/educated of all the dangers, but can also be interpreted as a controversial pro-smoking message, just like an advertisement.
A funny film and, at the same time, a serious reflection on a hot matter: the danger caused by smoking cigarettes.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Comedy - Director: Gareth Carrivick - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Kathryn Drysdale, Sheridan Smith, Natalie Casey, Will Mellor, Ralf Little
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Re-rated based on Ciao's insistence that such reviews are no longer considered "Off Topic"
Tempus_Fugit 03.11.2007 21:51
too much copied from http://www.answers.com/topic/thank-you-for-smoking
Soho_Black 23.05.2007 13:42
I see you've posted this as a DVD review, but you've not mentioned the DVD. Are there any extras? If so, what are they and are they any good? If you add to this, or if you change it to be posted as a "Film Only" review, which can be done by accessing "edit review" above the review and changing the drop down menu under the "Which format are you reviewing?" question at the bottom, please let me know and I'll re-rate.
As one of the funniest films released in 2006,Thank You for Smokingworks precisely because ... more
it shouldnt. Its protagonist is Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a smooth-talking spokesman for the American tobacco industry, and therefore one of the 21st Centurys...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Tabacco lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is the man charged with defending the public ... more
image of the much maligned cigarette industry. Blessed with the gift of the gab and an unstoppable ego the master of 'spin' won't let anything get in the way of a...
As one of the funniest films released in 2006,Thank You for Smokingworks precisely because ... more
it shouldnt. Its protagonist is Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a smooth-talking spokesman for the American tobacco industry, and therefore one of the 21st Centurys...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 1 to 4 weeks...
America is living in spin. Based on Christopher Buckley's acclaimed 1994 novel of the ... more
same title and adapted for the screen by Jason Reitman Thank You For Smoking is a fiercely satirical look at today's "culture of spin." The hero of Thank You For Sm...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Remains refreshing after multiple views; a nice alternative to the slurry of poor recent comedy films Disadvantages: Perhaps not to everyone's taste
Advantages: Remains refreshing after multiple views; a nice alternative to the slurry of poor recent comedy films Disadvantages: Perhaps not to everyone's taste
![Thank You For Smoking [DVD] [2005]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78191446.jpg "Thank You For Smoking [DVD] [2005]")
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