The main character of “Thank You for Smoking” is Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), the voice of Big Tobacco. He makes his living spinning the wiz out of the deadliest legal product in the American market – cigarettes.
Nick Naylor: “Michael Jordan plays ball. Charlie Manson kills people. I talk.”
Senator Finistirre (William H. Macy) wants to put huge poison labels on cigarette packs. The fight is on. Instead of cowering to public ddemand, Nick puts on a PR offensive on TV talk shows and the media and heads out to Hollywood to get Agent Major Domo, Rob Lowe, to promote smoking in movies.
Nick Naylor: “Now what we need is a smoking role model. A real winner. ”
Jeff Megall: “Indiana Jones meets Jerry Maguire.”
Nick Naylor: “Right, on two packs a day.”
Nick’s antics and fame grabs the attention of tobacco’s head honcho (Robert Duvall)…
BR: “We don’t sell Tic Tacs, we sell cigarettes. And they’re cool, available, and *addictive*. The job is almost done for us.”
…and investigative reporter Katie Holmes. Nick says he’s only doing what ‘s necessary to pay the mortgage. But begins to wonder and worry how his work is affecting his son, Cameron Bright.
Carrying a load of big names in the film industry, “Smoking…” is an intelligent and hilarious look at spin-doctoring, at the fabricated façade of big tobacco, and at plain good film making. Some of the exchanges could almost have happened. The film is being released commercially March 17. Look for it. It’s worth the price of admission.
WFC