IMDb > Thank You for Smoking (2005)
Thank You for Smoking
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Thank You for Smoking (2005) More at IMDbPro »

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Thank You for Smoking (2005) -- Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son.
Thank You for Smoking (2005) -- Clip: You're not gonna like this
Thank You for Smoking (2005) -- Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son.
Thank You for Smoking (2005) -- Movieplayer.it - Italian Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   57,190 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 81% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jason Reitman
Writers (WGA):
Jason Reitman (screenplay)
Christopher Buckley (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Thank You for Smoking on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 April 2006 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
Tagline:
America is living in spin more
Plot:
Satirical comedy follows the machinations of Big Tobacco's chief spokesman, Nick Naylor, who spins on behalf of cigarettes while trying to remain a role model for his twelve-year-old son. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 9 wins & 16 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(115 articles)
Movie Review: Up In The Air Soars
 (From Huffington Post. 30 November 2009, 9:06 AM, PST)
Exclusive Interview with Up in the Air Writer/Director Jason Reitman
 (From movies.about.com. 30 November 2009, 1:00 AM, PST)
User Comments:
A Nicotine Kick in satire and sarcasm more (279 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Joan Lunden ... Herself
Eric Haberman ... Robin Williger

Aaron Eckhart ... Nick Naylor
Mary Jo Smith ... Sue Maclean

Todd Louiso ... Ron Goode

Jeff Witzke ... Kidnapper

J.K. Simmons ... BR

Marianne Muellerleile ... Teacher

Cameron Bright ... Joey Naylor
Alex Diaz ... Kid #1

Jordan Garrett ... Kid #2

Courtney Taylor Burness ... Kid #3 (as Courtney Burness)

Jordan Del Spina ... Kid #4 (as Jordan Orr)

Maria Bello ... Polly Bailey

David Koechner ... Bobby Jay Bliss
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated R for language and some sexual content.
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
USA:92 min | Argentina:92 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Certification:
Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | Canada:14A (British Columbia) | UK:15 | Canada:14A | USA:R (certificate #42076) | Finland:K-11 | Norway:7 | Brazil:12 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Sweden:7 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Iceland:7 | Argentina:13 | Philippines:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:(Banned) (theatrical) | Malaysia:U (DVD) | New Zealand:M
Filming Locations:
Los Angeles, California, USA more
Company:
Room 9 Entertainment more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The black and white film that Naylor watches is the end of Sands of Iwo Jima (1949). more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Nick is testifying before the Senate committee, there is a man in the front row behind him. In the next shot, a woman is sitting in that seat. Then, one shot later, the man reappears. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Joan Lunden: Robin Williger. He is a 15 year old freshman from Racine, Wisconsin. He enjoys studying history; he's on the debate team. Robin's future looked very, very bright. But recently he was diagnosed with cancer, a very tough kind of cancer. Robin tells me he has quit smoking, though, and he no longer thinks that cigarettes are "cool."
more
Movie Connections:
References Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) more
Soundtrack:
The Joan Lunden Show Theme more

FAQ

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
58 out of 74 people found the following comment useful.
A Nicotine Kick in satire and sarcasm, 19 September 2006
8/10
Author: Flagrant-Baronessa from the kingdom of far, far away (Sweden)

EDITED to omit reported 'spoilers'. And by spoilers I don't mean the "Bruce Willis is dead" type, but "Bruce Willis is bald" types. *sigh*

Some jobs are harder than others but Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), tobacco industry spokesman, handles his with effortless skill. Along with two other spokespeople for the alcohol- and firearms industry respectively, he is part of the self-appointed M.O.D. squad ("Merchants of Death") whose main objective is to talk. To BS. To spin. To confuse and convince their opponent, and charm their audience. A job of such nature naturally requires a certain moral flexibility, and with smooth-talk and sex appeal, it is apparent that Nick is incredibly gifted in this area.

He goes on TV-shows, verbally battles U.S. senators, deems the Cancer Research Foundation "arseholes" – all the while trying to set an example for his 10-year-old son. This is naturally very difficult, doing what he does. So as Big Tobacco (for whom he is a lobbyist) launches a campaign to reinstate the "cool smoking" image into mainstream Hollywood, and sends Nick to work a producer for the proper product-placement, Nick decides to bring his son along for the ride, to see "how daddy works" in hopes to bond with him.

Good satires are hard to come by, but Reitman's "Thank You For Smoking" is so wet with sarcasm and dripping with humour that it is impossible not to enjoy. It navigates the fast-paced industry, the art of talking and spoofs the anti-smoking camp with their chiché "cancer-sick boy in a wheelchair" front (as seen in the opening scene of the film), and it explores the moral flexibility of Americans, without preaching too much in doing so. Only once does it fall prey to predictable moral messages, as when Nick starts reevaluating his work and has moral qualms following his kidnapping by an anti-smoking group, only to swoop down into tongue-and-cheek mode again and return twice as biting – and twice as funny.

Although the film is evenly peppered with fun one-liners and perfect delivery from its cast, the best scene is when the M.O.D. squad are at their usual restaurant hang-out at the end of the day and brag to each other and argue over whose business kills the most people per year. Nick: "How many alcohol-related deaths per day? 100,000? That's what... 270 a day? Wow. 270 people, tragedy. Excuse me if I don't exactly see terrorists getting excited about kidnapping anyone from the alcohol-industry." Maria Bello who plays the detached, funny Moderate Spokeswoman for alcohol has great in-your-face aptitude and attitude, "That's stupid arguing." Aaron Eckhart is also hilarious throughout in a shady businessman way (I now have a major crush on him). Out of all the cast, only Nick's little kid Joe chokes on the well-written lines.

In fact, even the cinematography is well-crafted in the film... just the way a scene cuts to another deserves credit, opening with a rapid-fire ironic note. Speaking of which, "Thank You"'s opening montage of cigarette packages as credits is a stroke of genius on Reitman's part. So are the various casting choices – the amount of respected actors that have been crammed into supporting roles in impressive (Robert Duvall, Sam Elliot, William H. Macy) and give rise to an almost familiar and "feel-good" tone in the film.

That said, I wouldn't call this "laugh-out-loud worthy" exactly and I didn't care for the ending but it is clear that a lot of thought has been put into Thank You For Smoking – every line is a well-articulated kick up the arse to something and delivered by the bucket-load. A very enjoyable little satire.

8 out of 10

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Smoking Pot nogoodalias
Are ciggarettes really addictive??? Orgando
Did any nerds notice... Internetjazz
Message to Considerate Smokers pauluswiggus
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