THANK YOU FOR SMOKING

Year: 2005
USA: Fox Searchlight Pictures
UK: Twentieth Century Fox
Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, David Koechner, Rob Lowe, William H Macy, J K Simmons, Robert Duvall, Kim Dickens, Todd Louiso, Dennis Miller, Joan Lunden, Jeff Witzke, Richard Speight Jr, Nancy Humphries O'Dell, Earl Billings, Timothy Dowling, Spencer Garrett, Renee Graham, Eric Haberman, Melora Hardin, Karen Harrison, Roy Jenkins, Aaron Lustig, Eric Maldonado, Michael Mantell, Tonyo Melendez, Marianne Muellerleile, Catherine Reitman, Sean Patrick Murphy, Alex Diaz, Jordan Garrett, Courtney Burness, Jordan Orr, Connie Ray, David O Sacks, Marc Scizak, Mary Jo Smith, Rachel Thorp, Daniel Travis, Katie Winslow, Howard Weitzman, Bruce French, Robert L Richards, Kim Dickens, Terry James, Brian Palermo, Roy Jenkins
Director: Jason Reitman
Country: USA
USA & UK: 92 mins
USA Rated: R for language and some sexual content
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language
USA Release Date: 14 April 2006
USA Release Date: 31 March 2006 (Limited Release - wider)
USA Release Date: 24 March 2006 (Limited Release - wider)
USA Release Date: 17 March 2006 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 16 June 2006


Synopsis

Based on Christopher Buckley's acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title and adapted for the screen by Jason Reitman, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is a fiercely satirical look at today's "culture of spin." The hero of THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, who makes his living defending the rights of smokers and cigarette makers in today's neo-puritanical culture. Confronted by health zealots out to ban tobacco and an opportunistic senator (William H Macy) who wants to put poison labels on cigarette packs, Nick goes on a PR offensive, spinning away the dangers of cigarettes on TV talk shows and enlisting a Hollywood super-agent (Rob Lowe) to promote smoking in movies.

Nick Naylor's newfound notoriety attracts the attention of both tobacco's head honcho (Robert Duvall) and an investigative reporter for an influential Washington daily (Katie Holmes). Nick says he is just doing what it takes to pay the mortgage, but the increased scrutiny of his son (Cameron Bright) and a very real death threat may force him to think differently.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING marks the feature film directorial debut of Reitman, the accomplished director of such award-winning shorts as IN GOD WE TRUST and GULP, which screened in more than 100 film festivals worldwide including Toronto, Sundance and New Directors / New Films at MoMA. In the five years since Reitman began directing television commercials, he has received honors from the Cannes commercial awards, the Addys, as well as the highly coveted One Show.