a rare breed of incisive, razor-sharp satire with charming life lessons for the family
Thank You For Smoking (2006)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:174
Fresh:149
Rotten:25
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Delightfully unscrupulous characters and searing cynicism prick all sides of the anti-smoking issue with hilarity and intelligence.
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $24,627,629
Synopsis: Jason Reitman has learned well. The son of director-producer Ivan Reitman (STRIPES, GHOSTBUSTERS) makes a strong impact with his debut feature film, the hysterical THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. Based on... Jason Reitman has learned well. The son of director-producer Ivan Reitman (STRIPES, GHOSTBUSTERS) makes a strong impact with his debut feature film, the hysterical THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. Based on the wry novel by Christopher Buckley, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is set in the fascinating world of Washington spin, where, more often than not, money trumps politics and morals. Aaron Eckhart (IN THE COMPANY OF MEN, ERIN BROCKOVICH) is outstanding as Nick Naylor, the public spokesman for Big Tobacco. The blond pretty boy has no problem whatsoever going on television and telling people that smoking can actually be good for them. He meets regularly with the M.O.D. Squad -- fellow Merchants of Death Polly Bailey (Maria Bello), who represents the alcohol business, and Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner), who defends firearms -- where they fight over who has the more difficult job based on the number of deaths their respective industries are responsible for. The smooth-talking Naylor's next big adversary is Vermont senator Ortolan Finistirre (William H. Macy), who is calling for the government to place a skull and crossbones and the word "Poison" on all cigarette boxes. At the same time, Naylor is sent out to Hollywood to make a deal with high-powered agent Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe) to get more stars to smoke in movies, like in the good old days. All the while, Naylor is trying to establish a better relationship with his young son, Joey (Cameron Bright), without playing down his highly questionable job. The strong cast also includes Kim Dickens as Naylor's ex-wife, J.K. Simmons as his boss, Katie Holmes as a sexy reporter, Sam Elliott as the former Marlboro Man now dying of lung cancer, and Robert Duvall as the Captain, an old-time tobacco chief who takes Naylor under his wings. THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is a very funny satire that will leave audiences gasping for breath from laughing so hard. [More]
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Adam Brody
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, David Koechner, Rob Lowe, William H. Macy, J.K. Simmons, Robert Duvall
Director: Jason Reitman
Director: Jason Reitman
Screenwriter: Jason Reitman
Producer: Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Max Levchin, Mark Woolway
Composer: Rolfe Kent
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Reviews for Thank You For Smoking
A snarkily playful little comedy that gets so wrapped up in its own barbed witticisms that it fails to land even the lightest sucker-punches on the black, bleak big business institutions it aims to skewer.
Much of the fun of Thank You for Smoking comes from its letter-perfect casting.
A collection of good jokes looking for a plot, Thank You works best as a character study of a contentedly amoral man.
A smart, funny and often perceptive work that bodes well for the future career of screenwriter/director Jason Reitman.
Fierce, fast and funny, a triumph for Jason Reitman as the director and writer who adapted Christopher Buckley's novel.
Eckhart ably carries the weight of the movie, wide smile and dimpled chin set firmly in every scene.
Nick Naylor is a much cooler Spin Doctor than the ones who sang Little Miss Can't be Wrong back in 1991.
I'd be more apt to label Thank You for Smoking as an anti-lobbyist movie, but the filmmakers really only take shots at the one side of the lobby.
Whip-smart and very funny, even if its efforts to skewer everyone on both sides of the smoking debate end up coming off as a little glib.
Conveniently for Reitman, Buckley's satire has grown even more pointed in the years since its publication, as that culture has only flourished. Also conveniently for Reitman, early indications are that he's a solid director.
The comic conceit and a star-making turn by Eckhart, a star in the making since In the Company of Men in 1997, are their own reward.
Eckhart is a pliant conduit for the sentiment, or lack thereof, rampaging through the scenes with the viciousness of Michael Douglas in "Wall Street."
A pitch-perfect lampoon not only of the nicotine industry but of a culture in which putting your personal ethics up for sale is the most tempting bad habit of all.
When the smoke clears, what's most visible is the emergence of Aaron Eckhart as a major talent.
Whether you're a political junkie, smoker, entrepreneur or film fan, you'll love this movie.
Latest News for Thank You For Smoking
May 07, 2008:
Buckley's Boomsday Getting Film Treatment ![]()
Ron Bass is adapting Boomsday, a satirical novel by Thank You for Smoking author Christopher Buckley, for GreeneStreet Films and Das Films. More...
March 26, 2008:
Jason Reitman Knows How to Sell Movie Tickets
Juno director Jason Reitman may have an Oscar nomination under his belt, but establishment success hasn't spoiled his taste for subversive fun. More...
December 06, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: Golden Compass Sets Course For #1 Debut
New Line hopes to breathe some life into the North American box office with the launch of its pricey adventure film The Golden Compass which stands as the frame's only new wide... More...
May 14, 2007:
Maria Bello to Replace Rachel Weisz in "Mummy 3"
A few weeks back I expressed some skepticism that Universal would re-cast Rachel Weisz's "Mummy" role with a new actress. Looks like I was wrong. More...
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