Thank You For Smoking

Starring Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Robert Duvall, William H. Macy, Katie Holmes, David Koechner, Rob Lowe, Adam Brody, Cameron Bright, Sam Elliot, J.K. Simmons

Rated R

            “Thank You For Smoking” is a very funny comedy/ political satire about the life of charming tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), who advocates cigarettes for a living and is forced to rationalize his job at every turn. He describes himself as a man with “flexible morals,” no worse than a criminal lawyer forced to defend a mass murderer. If serial killers deserve a fair and balanced defender, Naylor explains, why shouldn’t tobacco corporations?

            Complicating matters is Naylor’s young son, Joey (Cameron Bright), who sees his father as an unbeatable hero who is incapable of failure. That would certainly seem to describe Nick, who manages to persuade Hollywood film agent Jeff Megall (Rob Lowe), the “creator of product-placement,” to put more cigarettes in the movies; battle Vermont Senator Ortolan Finistirre (William H. Macy), an anti-smoking lunatic determined to put a large toxic label on cigarette boxes; explain his profession to beautiful journalist Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes); and continue to meet with the MOD (Merchants of Death) Squad, which includes Polly (Maria Bello) and Bobby (David Koechner) of the alcohol and firearm lobbying industries. The key question is – can Nick continue to smooth-talk his way through his career and yet still teach adequate morals to his son?

            “Thank You For Smoking” reminded me of 1998’s “Wag the Dog” – a movie so uproariously funny that the audience almost forgets that it’s social commentary is undeniably correct. 

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