Thank You For Smoking

In the words of writer and director Jason Reitman, Thank You for Smoking is an independent film under the guise of a big budget picture. He's not lying either. Like any good movie, the story is about people (although they represent larger entities, like big tobacco companies and the government, which are run by people nevertheless). The lead actor, Aaron Eckhart and the supporting cast all understand Reitman's vision and convince the audience of the characters' earnestness. This is not as easy feat for a satire of the largest companies in America, but Reitman chooses to expand on the father-son relationship missing from the original book (written by Christopher Buckley), making the protagonists' rise and fall more clear.

Each character is well defined so that the audience understands their motivations. Nick Naylor (Eckhart) is a tobacco company lobbyist – a man that is paid to talk, and he does plenty of it without confusing or boring the audience (either in or outside the film). He actually is very convincing, which is a funny thing when you know you are listening to a scumbag trying to sell cigarettes and you believe him. At that moment, you can say, this man has found his calling. Naylor puts it best with, "That's the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you're never wrong." From this line, you realize not only does Naylor understand his job, he actually loves doing it. Because Naylor isn't directly committing genocide like the murderers he is compared to, the audience is able to make a connection with him.

This empathy is solidified by Naylor's relationship to his son, Joey (Cameron Bright), who idolizes his father. Naylor is divorced from Joey's mother, but Reitman doesn't push the sentimentality between the split. Instead the viewer witnesses the bond between Joey and Nick develop, which is spurred by Joey's interest in his father's job. Reitman largely avoids voice over (although he does use it sparingly to provide Naylor's thoughts on other characters) to explain character motivations and has Naylor describe his job to the uninformed Joey. Point in favor to Reitman.

Naylor's problems aren't the staggering statistics of deaths caused by cigarettes; he actually puts those in his favor. No, problems rise when Senator Ortolan Finistirre (William H. Macy) decides that cigarette boxes should display a skull and crossbones so that their effect is clearly portrayed. Although his intentions may be just, his character is anything but. Macy plays him as a bitter and ruthless government official. For this satire to work, Reitman needs to reverse all the expectations, which he does perfectly.

The cigarette companies turn to Hollywood, represented by top agent Jeff Megal (Rob Lowe), and his assistant, Jack (Adam Brody). Like every director's dream, Reitman gets to

take a satirical stab at Hollywood and does so nicely, especially through Jack. According to the director's commentary, Jack is not an exaggeration of the typical Hollywood agent's assistant, and for that, I hope to never meet one as my mind may explode. Lucky for Naylor, he can handle the Hollywood scene and with Megal's help, finds a script with "Indiana Jones meets Jerry Maguire"¦on two packs a day."

Naylor also encounters Heather Holloway (well played by Katie Holmes), a seductive reporter, representing media as the shameless whore that it is. Apparently there was some controversy when the film first came out with regards to the sex scene between Heather and Nick, but the original scene in the DVD leaves much to the imagination. The media making an issue over nothing? Unheard of.

The star cast continues with (Robert Duvall) as Doak 'The Captain' Boykin, head of the tobacco companies. His character is set up as the mentor figure of the hero's journey, but he adds little to Naylor's crusade except agreeing to plans Naylor already made. Although Duvall plays a decrepit legend well, I was not impressed by the character and found his presence to be a largely unnecessary addition to the story.

Hands down, the best scenes are those between the M.O.D. Squad, the Merchants of Death, represented by lobbyists Naylor, Polly Bailey (Mario Bello) for alcohol, and Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) for firearms. They compete for who is the cause of the most deaths, which seems horrific, but is extremely funny. (Make sure to check the deleted scenes for the original, longer version of one such meeting).

Characters aside, the film takes shots at many of the players involved in the controversy of a cigarette company as a legitimate business. The typical 'good guys,' senators and reporters looking to bust the conglomerates, are shown as anything but moral, and the viewer likes the cigarette representative because he's depicted as a free-thinker. Speaking to elementary students on cigarettes, Naylor states like a true libertarian, "Challenge authority"¦You have to think for yourself." But he goes further, "So perhaps instead of acting like sheep when it comes to cigarettes, you should find out for yourself." Okay, maybe not the best thing to tell 9 year olds, but he's a man that loves his job and he holds nothing back.

Reitman succeeds with his adaptation of Buckley's work through the humorous dialogue (some of which is taken verbatim), the strong cast, and also the cinematography. The warm colors of the scenes involving the tobacco lobbyists are in strong contrast to the bright whites of the Hollywood scenes which help sell the characters as they operate within their own worlds. Although Naylor did not persuade me to start smoking, nor would he convince a smoker to stop,

he raises good points on issues of argument and human movitation.

Special Features

Despite only having a couple of entries, the special features of Thank You for Smoking do not skimp on quality. There are about a dozen deleted scenes with optional director commentary. Some of the scenes are the original, lengthier versions, including the opening. They are still funny, but as noted by Reitman, are too slow. For several of the scenes, Reitman explains that these segments lacked the proper rhythm and tonality with the rest of the film. No matter how much you enjoy a scene, as a filmmaker, you have to trim the fat so that the film as a whole flows. It's logical; as an audience member, I rather catch up with the film than vice versa.

There are two versions of commentary over the film, one with Reitman, and another with Reitman and actors Aaron Eckhart and David Koechner. I ended up watching the entire film again with the commentary of the trio since it was that enjoyable. Eckhart must have done enough talking within the film since he says only a few words, and it's Koechner who steals the show. My only complaint is that they all spend too much time complimenting each other on a job well done.

The compliments continue in the final feature, an episode of the Charlie Rose Show, with a round table discussion among Rose, Eckhart, Buckley, Reitman, and producer (David Saks). Little information is given away due to a 'modesty battle' among the players, but it is interesting to see them all interact.

Movie Grade: A-
DVD Features Grade: B+
Overall Grade: A-