Thank You for Smoking (2005) - Jason Reitman :: Movie Review

From the Genius Types archive. Originally published January 7, 2007.

I love great movies, but I love them even more when they are successful underdogs. Thank You for Smoking is a great example of how passion, perseverance, and an entrepreneurial spirit can help an independent film project overcome any obstacle.

The Movie

This film is a satire about spin, political correctness, and independent thinking. Nick Naylor (played by Aaron Eckhart) is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry who is “paid to talk,” spinning the truth about his product to the masses. The movie centers around the questionable nature of his work and his relationship to his son. The movie is unapologetic for swapping the good guys and bad guys while encouraging viewers to think for themselves.

This is one movie on which I agree with the critics. It passes my film litmus test (entertaining me from beginning to end) and gets the double bonus for being intellectually stimulating. I like it because it challenges conventional wisdom without being condescending. No matter what your view of the tobacco industry, you can watch this movie without being offended.

Film Entrepreneurs

As a student of the film industry, I am always fascinated by the paths taken by successful filmmakers. Hollywood is an entrepreneurial wild west with no guarantees and a high turnover for success. Filmmakers like Jason Reitman set a great example for aspiring film entrepreneurs by paving the way into the industry with hard work and great ideas.

Although Jason chose to learn about filmmaking in film school (at the University of Southern California), he established his credibility and talent by due diligence. He wrote and directed several short films to display and refine his talent before attempting a feature film. One of those shorts, In God we Trust, went on to win several awards at film festivals.

The story of Thank You for Smoking started twelve years before the movie was made in the mind of author Christopher Buckley. He wrote a book that became a best seller and ended up in the hands of future Hollywood director Jason Reitman.

Jason was so impassioned by the book, he adapted it for the screen and set to work trying to find a producer who could get him the money to make it. He was turned down by several studios including Mel Gibson’s company, Icon.

Where the Money Came From

His luck changed when he crossed paths with David O. Sacks, who had recently sold an internet company he created. You might be familiar with it, the name is PayPal and he sold it to eBay for 1.5 billion dollars. David was interested in becoming a producer and loved Jason’s script.

The two biggest ingredients for making a film are a great idea and a great amount of money. An aspiring filmmaker needs to have one of these things to make it. While we can’t all sell our websites for 1.5 billion dollars, we do have the possibility of finding someone who has if we can create great content.

As an independently produced film, it is amazing that they were able to attract the cast that they did, since it was produced for 7.5 million dollars in an age when most studio movies are made for around 40. Aaron Eckhart, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall, Rob Lowe, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, Maria Bello, David Koechner, Joan Lunden and Adam Brody are just a few examples.

It has been reported that Jason wrote letters to each of these actors and, because of his passion and the quality of the script, got his first choice for most of the parts.

My Take

Thank You for Smoking is a great example of intellectual movie that challenges societal norms with respect and great humor. I would recommend it to anyone.