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.

Director:

Jason Reitman

Writers:

Jason Reitman (screenplay), Christopher Buckley (novel)

Stars:

Aaron Eckhart, Cameron Bright, Maria Bello

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 12 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joan Lunden	...	Joan Lunden
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

Storyline

The chief spokesperson and lobbyist Nick Naylor is the Vice President of the Academy of Tobacco Studies. He is talented in speaking and spins arguments to defend the cigarette industry in the most difficult situations. His best friends are Polly Bailey that works in the Moderation Council in alcohol business, and Bobby Jay Bliss of the gun business own advisory group SAFETY. They frequently meet each other in a bar and they self-title the M.O.D. Squad, a.k.a. Merchants of Death, disputing which industry has killed more people. Nick's greatest enemy is Vermont's Senator Ortolan Finistirre, who defends in the Senate the use of a skull and crossbones on cigarette packs. Nick's son Joey Naylor lives with his mother, and has the chance to know his father in a business trip. When the ambitious reporter Heather Holloway betrays Nick disclosing confidences he had in bed with her, his life turns upside-down. But Nick is good in what he does for the mortgage.

---

Plot Keywords:

lobbyist | tobacco industry | black comedy | tobacco lobby | cigarette smoking | 

---

Taglines:

Where there's smoke, there's Nick Naylor

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 April 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Gracias por fumar

Filming Locations:

The Prince - 3198 W 7th St, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$262,923, 19 March 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$24,792,061, 10 September 2006

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$39,323,027, 31 December 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Room 9 Entertainment, TYFS Productions LLC, ContentFilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39:1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sam Elliott wanted his character to refuse to take the money. Jason Reitman spent three hours persuading him to do the part as scripted.

---

Goofs

In the scene where Nick is riding in the Rolls-Royce with Robert Duvall, there are at least three different Rolls-Royces used. In the first shot of the exterior of the car, we see a standard Rolls Royce Silver Cloud in profile. In the interior scene(s), it is clear that there is an opera window in the "C" pillar behind Duvall. In the last exterior view of the car, it's clear that the same "C" pillar had no opera window in it and there is no rear door quarter window as there is in the first shot of the RR's exterior and the roof profile is entirely different in the first and last exterior shots.

---

Quotes

Lorne Lutch: [in his home] Weren't you on that show?
Nick Naylor: Yeah it was me
Lorne Lutch: You're lucky you made it out of there alive
Nick Naylor: Tobacco used to be all over the television, now TV's leading the witch hunt.
Lorne Lutch: Strange business, last year when after I was diagnosed I attended the annual stock holder's convention I stood up and told them I think they should cut back on their advertising you know what your boss said to me? He said "we're certainly sorry to hear about your medical problem until we know more about your medical ...
[...]

---

Crazy Credits

The opening credits are styled to appear as cigarette boxes.

---

Connections

Featured in The 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2007)

---

Soundtracks

Melodic Tank
Written by Kevin O'Connor
Performed by Talkdemonic
Courtesy of Bridgetown Breaks Co.

User Reviews

Funny movie: looks at ALL sides of the debate

I saw this at Sundance last night (actually it was a Salt Lake screening, and thus the filmmakers didn't bother to drive 30 miles to talk to us...not that I am bitter...) At first I was a bit worried that this was going to be the old hat anti smoking movie that makes all smokers victims of the eeeeevil tobacco companies, but then I saw that it was based on a Christopher Buckley novel and I relaxed a bit! This pokes fun at all sides of the issue, from the tobacco lobbyist's insistence that there has been "no conclusive proof" that tobacco is harmful, to the legislator's thinking that putting a warning label on cigarettes will actually make someone pick up a cigarette package, read the label, and decide not to smoke...as if ANYONE with half a brain doesn't know that inhaling smoke into your lungs will harm you.

Aaron Eckhart did a fine job in his role, as did Sam Elliot, Rob Lowe, Katie Holmes...I could go on and on. It's fascinating to watch Eckhart's character spin and spin so that he brings people around to his way of thinking. He has to be representing one of the most hated industries in the United States, yet he is able to convince people as to the opposite! I highly recommend this film!