Thank You For Smoking

Thank You For Smoking Review

Thank You for Smoking is a 2006 Golden Globe Award-nominated film satire directed by Jason Reitman and produced by David O. Sacks. It is based on the novel of the same name by Christopher Buckley. The title is based on the popular saying "Thank You for Not Smoking," and the cover of the DVD case is modeled on the Lucky Strike cigarette box.

This film is neither pro- nor anti-smoking. In fact, the act of smoking is not shown at all in the movie (except only once in the deleted scenes portion of the movie: after Naylor has been assaulted by anti-smoking activists, recovers, and is told he can never smoke again. He tries one, and passes out.) The closest the movie ever comes to depicting a character smoking is when Nick reaches into his shirt pocket for a cigarette. The pack, however, is empty. The film is more inclined to attack political correctness, despite some scenes showing pro-smoking messages. Overall it slightly parodies both struggles in promoting and preventing smoking, with the Tobacco companies resorting to giving obvious lies to people and the anti-smoking movements going too far (such as the senator editing movies that have cigarettes in them). During the film, it is repeated that "there is no scientific proof against cigarettes". On The Charlie Rose Show and in his director's commentary on the DVD, Reitman described it as a film with a libertarian message.

This message is crystallized in the movie when the Senator asks Nick whether he would let Joey smoke when he reaches the age of consent, to which Nick replies "if he really wants a cigarette, I'll buy him his first pack." When asked by a Senator if he believes cigarettes can lead to lung cancer and other conditions, Nick responds, to everyone's surprise, that he does. He goes on to state that he doesn't think there is a single person in the room that doesn't believe this, demonstrating that the point is that it is the individual's choice no matter what others believe he should do.

Reitman has given interviews clarifying his position. "I don’t want to change the tobacco industry," he declares on Ignoremagazine.com "I think the tobacco industry should just keep on doing what they’re doing. I want to make people laugh... This is about the freedom to smoke. This is about chilling out a little and relaxing. Let people make decisions for themselves as long as they’re willing to take personal responsibility for their actions."

Reitman went on to describe the response of tobacco lobbyists to his oeuvre. "I’m going to be [in DC] tonight actually for a screening that Donald Rumsfeld apparently might attend... we had a great screening with lots of local politicos, and lobbyists, plenty of lobbyists. An alcohol lobbyist pulled me aside and went on and on about how much she loved the film and how everyone she knows in guns and liquor and cigarettes can’t wait to see it. And I thought that was awesome."