Stepping into the spin

Thank You For Smoking (2006)
Fox Searchlight Pictures presents a Jason Reitman film, starring Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello and Cameron Bright. Written by Reitman, from a book by Christopher Buckley. 92m. Rated R for language and some sexual content.

3 stars

The day I heard Bill Clinton had deftly avoided impeachment by parsing the word “is,” I fully grasped the power of spin.

Since Clinton, several individuals have built entire careers around their penchant for spinning; some have even had the audacity to spin most voraciously while proclaiming they were above such connivery.

Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) won’t be apologizing any time soon for his career choice; he relishes his role as lead spokesperson for the Academy of Tobacco Studies, Big Tobacco’s home base for misinformation. He holds the same charm as that philosophy major that you roomed with in college: great if he’s arguing your side, insanely frustrating if he’s not. Naylor can out-argue anyone, no matter how weak his central thesis.

Naturally, that makes him the perfect lobbyist for the tobacco companies, which have facilitated our addiction to poisons while feigning concern. Naylor embraces this apparent hypocrisy, bringing an uncanny charm sorely lacking during, say, the tobacco heads’ testimony before Congress.

Since his stance is almost universally reviled, Naylor finds solace in Polly Bailey (Mario Bello), a spokeswoman for the alcohol-friendly Moderation Council, and Bobby Jay Bliss, the gun-wielding lobbyist for the Society for the Advancement of Firearms and the Effective Training of Youth. Together, their boozy encounters are cheekily referred to as meetings of the Merchants of Death, a safe haven where they can brag about suckers killed without having to cow-tow to the politically correct sect.

Although we’re not privy to scenes of Bailey and Bliss in action – although there’s much afoot about a “fetal alcohol” expose – we’re certain that both have squeezed their way out of some big pickles.

They’re certainly not prepared, however, when Naylor briefly leaves his spin-centric orbit for a torrid dalliance with Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes), a Washington Probe journalist with a burning desire to expose the lobbyist’s inner machinations. In mid-coitus, he blabs about most everything: the MOD squad, the lip service often paid by tobacco conglomerates, and most interestingly, his own selfish reasons for leading the lies.

We’ve already experienced Nick’s humanity through several telling interactions with his son, Joey (Cameron Bright), so it’s easy to be disappointed during scenes when the satire isn’t biting as much as it’s barking.

In fact, the film purposely takes no position on smoking, instead advocating something we can all agree on: the freedom to puff. Writer/director Jason Reitman also takes some friendly jabs at another major killer, heart disease, in a subplot involving a Vermont senator (William H. Macy) who thinks cigarettes are poison but advocates the copious consumption of cheddar.

Since the satire guides the action, the supporting cast is rounded out with plenty of enchanting archetypes. J.K. Simmons (“Spider-Man”) reprises his role as cantankerous chief by barking orders at the plebeians trying desperately to stimulate teenage smoking while publicly creating the campaign that discourages it.

“Cigarettes are cool. They’re available. And they’re addictive,” he barks. “The job is almost done for us.”

Rob Lowe supports as a product placement guru who has learned how to capitalize on America’s obsession with imitating our stars. Like most satirical offerings, the joke is invariably aimed at us. If we only we were independent-minded people, and not sheeple, the film muses.

I expected “Thank You For Smoking” to illuminate my understanding of the daily complications of the tobacco lobbyist. As the credits rolled, I realized I misunderstood its aim. If you want to find films that bemoan the practices of the tobacco industry, there are a couple of excellent offerings (Personally, I’d start with “The Insider.”) But if you want something that holds a comical mirror to our collective face and takes needed pot-shots at our conglomerate-controlled businesses and media, then eureka! I think I’ve found the film for you.