(l-r) Maria Bello, David Koechner and Aaron Eckhart star in Fox Searchlight’s Thank You For Smoking, © 2006.

I love to see the cigarette ads in magazines, I don’t smoke, but I find their ads very entertaining. They always have someone either accomplishing something, doing something crazy, or some combination of both, paired with an extremely attractive young woman. Obviously they are attempting to target the people who want these things most, young people or those who already do smoke.

The funny thing with tobacco companies is that they can’t hide that their products are bad for people, so they attempt to make bogus theories in which tobacco benefits one somehow. All they have left in attempt to get new users are these ads and theories. Unfortunately, their target is listening, and unfortunately for them they get people such as the American Lung Association on their back.

I know cigarettes are bad, not through experience (I have personally never smoked and don’t plan to), but I have seen what tobacco can do to people and what kind of things is does to your body. I respect people who smoke, though at the same time, hint on what a bad habit it is. The film, as well as the main character, Nick Naylor, learns about the dangers of smoking and what kind of influence parents have on their kids, this especially including parents’ teaching about drugs to their kids.

Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is the vice president of the Academy of Tobacco Study (or something like that), his job is to speak on behalf of tobacco (primarily cigarettes). Basically, he represents tobacco and every time someone lights up, it’s his face that’s on their mind. Nick’s job is to lie for the industry that tobacco does things for people, not kill them. He explains to the audience that because he represents cigarettes and they are a major factor in the annual death count, every word he deals during a speech is his ammunition to the dangerous gun he represents. His best friends are Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) and Polly Bailey (Maria Bello), the representatives of the departments of firearms and alcohol, respectively. They call themselves M.O.D. otherwise known as the Merchants of Death.

Nick has recently come out of a divorce (from his wife, Jill (Kim Dickens), and his time with his young son, Joey (Cameron Bright) is limited. The challenge is, he attempts to be a good role model and stay god-like in the eyes of his son while still doing his job as a cigarette representative. A huge conflict is that the state of Vermont’s representative, Senator Ortolan K. Finistirre (William H. Macy) is hoping to place a poison labeled image on all cigarette products and Nick’s newest assignment is to not let that happen. The catch is, his son is with him during this predicament. And I’m sure the first question you are asking yourself is what does he teach his son? Does he tell them cigarettes are bad or good?

Don’t ask me, see the movie. First time director Jason Reitman does a fine job in establishing a humorous satire especially because comedy is such a hard genre to be a crowd pleaser and Thank You For Smoking does just that. Different types of comedy appeals to different types of people. Crude sexual humor appeals to the younger audiences and the more complicated humor as well as political kicks appeal to those at an older age.

The way I see it, cigarettes appeal to people at different ages as does comedy. The young consider the sex appeal and those older, perhaps either the sophistication or feel. To clarify the difference though is that unlike cigarettes, a laugh is considered one of the healthiest things for the body.

Reitman also wrote the screenplay that sticks to its story and also throws in a lot of humor. His establishment of characters is important, especially that of Nick Naylor. You know his job is not liked by a lot of people and that he’s the bad guy with a nice personality. His character generates a lot of charisma and you forget that he represents the dark tobacco industry, but that he is just a father trying to pay the mortage.

The performances are good, especially by Aaron Eckhart, as well his hard-headed supervisor, B.R. (J.K. Simmons). Aaron acts as the good hearted tobacco speaker who attempts to fashion as a role model for his son. His character appears at one point ashamed of his job, especially when his son goes with him on his assignment. His character’s divorce seems especially stressing; his wife is seeing a doctor that wishes Joey to have a smoke free environment. Eckhart’s character treats this as a slap in the face and throws a little fit.

Before I stepped into the theater I had an idea that this film would either favor smoking or be anti-smoking and I was very surprised at its message. It eventually throws out that yes, tobacco is bad for you and does nothing for you whatsoever. But it keeps balance and it’s parents’ jobs to declare the message about drugs as well as the education of schools.

The clear point of this film is to filter the facts and myths about the business, though at times it does seem unrealistic. Comedy writing is a risk itself, you either win the audience or lose them Reitman has certainly won me over. Smoking is a risk too, unfortunately it is only the tobacco companies that win, you call that a fair game?

Rated R for language and some sexual content. Running time 92 minutes.