Thank You For Smoking
Thank You For Smoking, based on the decade old Christopher Buckley book, invites us all into the wonderfully devilish world of public manipulation. Main character, Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), describes his fantastical prowess as a spin doctor for the tobacco giants by explaining that “Michael Jordan plays ball. Charles Manson kills people. I talk.” Coincidentally, somewhere between his two examples lies Naylor’s likeability.
Nick Naylor: cigarette peddler, father and member of the self-proclaimed trio, the Merchants of Death. This collective of buddies, the MOD Squad, meets weekly for liquor, lunch and lamenting. It seems that everyone is out to get their organizations! Comprised of Polly (Maria Bello) speaking for alcohol and Bobby (David Koechner) the firearms advocate, the group is even known to irreverently, though amusingly, compare death statistics for each of their prospective associations. (Naylor wins big time as cigarettes are responsible for far more daily deaths than either alcohol or firearms.)
Naylor is quite a tremendous father in many ways. He doesn’t focus on the traditional things that other parents perseverate on but, instead, parents in a common sensible way by revealing to his son, played by precocious Cameron Bright, the way the world really works. As Naylor explain, his “job requires certain moral flexibility.” This is as understated as saying a drug dealer requires sticky ethics, but at least he is completely honest about what he does and why. Bottom line is that Naylor is good at what he does, and he does it because he believes everyone needs a voice to fight back against sheep mentality. Sure, it may seem a little seedy when Naylor encourages preteens on Career Day to question whether smoking is genuinely bad for them. But he is merely reminding them to think for themselves because, after all, “if your parents told you that chocolate was dangerous would you take their word for it?” There is actually a good message in there, though… somewhere… sandwiched between encouraging the youngsters to talk back to their parents and consider picking up a potentially lethal habit.
Thank You For Smoking follows Naylor through his trials in parenting, ex-husbanding and cigarette spinning. Along the way we find out that, as likeable as he appears to be, people genuinely seem to have it out for him. He has a news reporter (Katie Holmes) besmirching his good name and a death threat hurled at him from over the airwaves of a talk show. Being an effective spokesperson for the tobacco giants requires an individual with Naylor’s pliable principles, but, in the end, it is his upstanding morality in good parenting that, ultimately, brings him through it all with flying colors. And that’s not just blowing smoke.
Grades
Overall: B+
Story: A-
Acting: B+
Visuals: B
Originality/Innovation: B
Enjoyability: B+
DVD/Extras: C
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