Thank You for Smoking
Background
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2005 black comedy, based on the 1994 satirical
novel by Christopher Buckley
the „Academy of Tobacco Studies”
„researching” the link between smoking and
lung cancer; funded by tobacco companies
Issues addressed: ethics and advertising; ethics
and research; the „objectivity” of science;
ideology of freedom; father-child relationship
Critical reception
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Critical reception: mostly positive; criticised for: lack of
continuity, a constellation of sitcom sketches; aims at too
many targets; overacting, overselling jokes;
Jason Reitman (director): „What I wanted people to think
about was political correctness. I wanted them to think about
ideas of personal responsibility and personal choice. I think
cigarettes are a wonderful location for that discussion because
cigarettes are something we know all the answers to. I wanted
to look into this idea of why we feel the need to tell each other
how to live and why we can’t take personal responsibility for
our own actions when we fall ill from things that we know are
dangerous”
„The freedom of choice”
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Reitman: „While it’s not anti-smoking, it’s very
important people don’t think that this is a presmoking movie. It’s about freedom of choice”. Do
you agree? Why does the director emphasise it
repeatedly that the film is about the freedom of
choice/individualism? Do you think that this is the
main issue it addresses?
No scene in the film in which any of the characters
smoke!
The tobacco industry has been reluctant to take any
sides or comment on the film
Manipulation vs. Individualism
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How does the film depict the advertising industry?
Which age groups are targeted by tobacco ads? How
do they attempt to manipulate youngsters?
Can we identify with the main character, Nick
Naylor? Why/why not? To what extent can we read
him as the embodiment of the „self-made man”?
How does the film present the ideology of freedom
and the culture of individualism? Does it advocate
these values or does it call out attention to the illusion
of free choice? Discuss!
Gender
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Compare the female stereotypes used in the
film! 1. Heather Holloway, the reporter; 2.
Kim Dickens, Nick’s ex-wife; Maria Bello, a
member of the „Merchant of Death” squad,
representing the alcohol industry.
Do you think Heather is portrayed as an
empowered, assertive female figure, or is she
also the victim of her job and the ideology of
success? Discuss!
Happy ending?
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What do you think about the ending of the
film? Is it conventional happy ending? Most
studios wanted the director to rewrite his script
to include a more anti-smoking and uplifting
ending; they wanted Naylor to have a change
of heart by the film’s end and repent for his
past. What do you think? Would this ending
have made the film more conventional, or
more articulate? Discuss!