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Rarely has political
incorrectness been as clever, as funny, and as thought provoking
as it is in "Thank You For Smoking." There's really no
need to point out that it's a political satire; the title alone
makes that perfectly clear, and for that, we can thank Christopher
Buckley for writing the original novel. This is a movie that couldn't
have been released in any other period of film history; only recently
has American society planted such an obsessive focus on health within
the mainstream consciousness, and only now is it falling on deaf
ears. (Don't believe me? Just look at the stats on obesity to see
what I mean.) What better time is there to examine the various stances
on health, especially when it comes to smoking? Granted, it's a
humorous examination, but if you stop and think about it, the way
that opposing groups go about defending themselves--which in this
case involve the tobacco industry and anti-smoking parties--is shamefully
comedic. Maybe a movie like this will help people understand just
what goes into arguing for a particular side and gaining the upper
hand through persuasion.
And when it comes to persuasiveness, no one is better at it than Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a smooth talking tobacco lobbyist who knows just how to get a point across. He works for a company headed by Budd "BR" Rohrabacher (J.K. Simmons); a hardheaded boss-type who only cares about financial success. Naylor doesn't seem to mind that he's one of the most hated men in America (at one point during Dennis Miller's call in talk show, an anonymous caller claims that Naylor is going to suffer). He also doesn't care that he's promoting a product that kills thousands of people a day. According to him, it's all about "paying the mortgage," making a living only because it's necessary for survival. Talking is just something he happens to be good at, and what better way to use that skill than in defense of a powerful (and some would say evil) corporate entity? In today's day and age, they certainly need all the help they can get. Naylor is but one lobbyist seen in this film. He regularly dines
with spokespeople from two other controversial industries: Polly
Bailey (Maria Bello), who represents alcohol; and Bobby Jay Bliss
(David Koechner), who represents guns. The three call themselves
the MOD Squad (meaning Merchants of Death), and they always seem
to be conversing on how to work with the system in order to get
their unpopular messages out to the public. One piece of advice
Bliss has is to be careful around female reporters with nice looking
breasts; while it may appear pleasing on camera, it can result
in a potentially damaging scenario. Naylor finds this out the
hard way when he gets physically involved with Heather Halloway
(Katie Holmes), a reporter with an agenda. |
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Things get complicated
when Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre (William H. Macy) launches a
new campaign aimed at putting a permanent dent in the tobacco industry's
goals. The idea is to print a gruesome skull-and-crossbones logo
on every pack of cigarettes; maybe then people will understand that
inhaling a puff of smoke is akin to inhaling poison. In order to
fight against this, Naylor suggests using movies as a tool to make
cigarettes appealing again. It would be like it was in the old days
of Hollywood, when stars like Humphrey Bogart and Bette Davis made
smoking seem sexy. What follows is one of the wittiest representations
of movie industry-banter I've ever seen. Naylor flies to Los Angeles
to meet with Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe), the head of a talent agency
called Entertainment Global Operations (or EGO, if you get the joke).
The two decide to make a science fiction film and have a brand of
cigarettes tie in with its release. Supposedly, the product would
be featured during an interstellar sex scene between Brad Pitt and
Catherine Zeta Jones.
But there's more to "Thank You For Smoking" than feuding industries. This is also a very human story, and it shows through the interaction between Naylor and his twelve-year-old son, Joey (Cameron Bright). He's a smart, articulate young man who seems genuinely interested in what his father does for a living, not so much in what he endorses but in how he endorses it. A couple of very important scenes show them engaged in fascinating conversations; basically, Joey wants to understand the methodology behind arguing and winning an argument (which is a skill he's rapidly developing). He also just wants to spend more time with his father, which is why he goes with him on his business trips. This is something that Naylor's ex-wife, Jill (Kim Dickens), has never been thrilled with. However, she does recognize the good relationship they share. There's also an intriguing subplot involving Lorne Lutch (Sam Elliot), the former Marlboro man (who supposedly only smoked Kools). The fact that he's dying of cancer has understandably made him bitter and resentful towards Big Tobacco, and because of this, Naylor is sent with a suitcase full of cash. Hopefully, this will get Lutch to keep quiet for the remainder of his life. Obviously I can't say whether or not the money is accepted, but I will say that the thought process behind the decision is quite original. Naylor's people skills are used to their full extent during this scene, especially in the way he weighs Lutch's options. I think what makes "Thank You For Smoking" so entertaining is its refreshing honesty and its uncompromising commentaries on American business. And despite what some may think, it's not a film that attempts to label any political stance as right or wrong; neither side is entirely correct just as neither side is entirely incorrect. It's enough to make one think about the decisions we make. Are we influenced to try something dangerous, or are we able to make up our own minds? There are no easy answers to those questions, and that's exactly the point this film is trying to make. Its ability to look beyond previously conceived notions made this a worthwhile experience. I urge anyone of moral conviction to see it; it may just make you look at your ideals in an entirely different light. - Chris Pandolfi |