Smart Comedy Worth The Effort In Thank You For Smoking

     Thank You For Smoking is a rarity among motion pictures. It is a comedy that actually makes you think. Moreover, people that refuse to put sufficient effort into their moviegoing experience will be left stumped in response to nearly the entire feature. Thank You For Smoking deals out the laughs in the sincerest form of comedy – intelligent satire – but only those willing to invest their entire mindset into the flick will get the jokes.

     Having to work for the jokes is fairly refreshing amidst the recent trend of mindless comedies like The Benchwarmers and Big Momma’s House 2. The extra sweat that it takes to be constantly engaged to the screen provides an enjoyably satisfying feeling upon exiting the theatre. The movie demands your attention and rewards those who are captivated by it (which, trust me, is not so difficult with this film).

     Based on the novel of the same title by Christopher Buckley, Thank You For Smoking tells the story of Nick Naylor, Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman played by Aaron Eckhart. Nick’s job requires him to put a spin on all negative press. When Nick suddenly gets thrust into the limelight due to an appearance on a daytime talk show, his son from his failed marriage, Joey, played by Cameron Bright, shows an interest in his work.

     Nick begins taking Joey everywhere he goes as his career hits all new heights. Meanwhile, Nick jumps at the opportunity to sleep with an attractive young reporter named Heather Holloway, played by Katie Holmes (she’s the mother of Tom Cruise’s baby). This proves to be a terrible mistake of which Nick is aware from the very start. Now, Nick must recover from the lowest of lows to deflect Vermont Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre’s plans to introduce detrimental changes to the tobacco industry.

     The key element of Thank Your For Smoking is Nick’s voiceover narration. While some movies use voiceover narration as a means to advance the story, this particular flick uses it to develop Nick’s character and offer depth to the plot. Had it not been for Nick’s voiceover narration, Thank You For Smoking would have likely fell into cliché territory, since most of the outcomes in the movie are easily predictable. However, Nick’s candid comments add class to the story and mix in a certain observational humor not utilized in most comedies.

     Nick is not the only three-dimensional character, though. Writer and director Jason Reitman is skillful in quickly getting to the heart of each of the characters in Thank You For Smoking. There are countless different roles portrayed by big-name actors such as Maria Bello, Adam Brody, David Koechner, Rob Lowe and Robert Duvall and, while it is fun just to see them, watching how Reitman expands on their characters through witty exchanges is what makes the motion picture stand strong. It is simple to invest your interest into these characters despite their moral flexibility.

     As I said, it will be difficult for some moviegoers to allow Thank You For Smoking to wash over them. The humor is pleasantly dry and those used to the straightforward lamebrain gags of The Shaggy Dog and similar comedies may feel too hard-pressed to think. Than again, the payoff of Thank Your For Smoking is worth every intellectual effort.