Cigarettes, Cigars, and Cancer Sticks: The Persuading Influence of a Film

For most of my life, I’ve been told I had the “gift of gab,” a “silver tongue,” and “the ability to talk my way out of anything.” For some, this is a gift that comes naturally instead of learned. In the film Thank You For Smoking, Aaron Eckhart plays Nick Naylor and exceptionally carries this skill. Naylor is a lobbyist for a major tobacco company — the Academy of Tobacco Studies — whose sole job is to speak on behalf of Big Tobacco. Now, some will argue that the film represents a message that’s harmful to the general public based on the notion that cigarettes are generally unhealthy, but that isn’t the argument. TYFS portrays the power of being able to use your words to persuade others and make an impact on people based on the fact that if you are never wrong, you are always right. Thank You For Smoking delivers a message that the power of persuasion, some persistence in standing by what you believe in, and the ability to overcome conflict no matter how much others might disagree with you, can change your life, and the lives of the people that care about and support you. The controversy surrounding the subject of tobacco has been argued between people for decades, and this film shows the viewer that perception is everything when it comes to how we view people and the situations that surround us.

Nick Naylor expertly displays the ability to talk to others and more specifically, hones the art of persuasion in Thank You For Smoking. To persuade means — “to cause (someone) to do something through reasoning or argument.” It also means “to cause (someone) to believe something, especially after a sustained effort” (Google Dictionary). As the lobbyist for Big Tobacco in America, Naylor exploits this talent towards the country in the opening scene on The Joan Lunden Show. TYFS displays brilliant direction, and wonderfully chosen actors, giving off a vibe and energy of confidence and objectivity to the viewer. That being said, I argue to the fullest that Thank You For Smoking is worthy of watching, and as asked, binge-watching. One scene where Naylor’s son, Joey — played by a young Cameron Bright — asks Naylor about what he does for a living and how he’s successful begins a discussion that perhapas could be one of the most foretelling and impressive scenes throughout the movie. In an article written by Sean Axmaker for The Seattle PI, Axmaker agrees, “With brazen righteousness, Naylor zealously defends the right of “defenseless” corporate giants to market products that, when used as directed, likely will kill their clientele… It’s hard not to admire the sheer gall of his medicine-show patter and con-man guile. Under his chummy but compassionless smile, Eckhart radiates charm and Naylor’s true joys: manipulating arguments, steering debate, cooking words. As he explains to his enamored son (Cameron Bright), being a lobbyist “requires a moral flexibility that is beyond most people” (par. 3–4). Naylor goes on to tell Joey that “if it’s your job to be right, then you’re never wrong” (TYFS — Ice Cream Politics Scene). Like mentioned before, I love this scene and it directly explains how and why Naylor is so good at what he does, which is persuade people to see things the way he sees them, and therefore, believe what he wants them to believe, even if that belief wasn’t there in the first place. The art of persuasion can be a powerful tool in the world today, which Naylor displays exceptionally.

Many people have a hard time standing up for what they believe in when trials and tribulations come their way, testing their faith and their beliefs, while others actually live for these moments and tend to thrive when these circumstances arise. Naylor portrays the latter of these descriptions in TYFS. He could portray the image in the definition of what it means to stand up for what you believe in, show power through faith, and never back down, regardless of how many times you face differences of opinion. His persistence in believing in his job and how he teaches his own son this particular value in life shows the viewer a compassionate and understanding side of Naylor’s demeanor, creating a love for this character in a light that could easily be seen as dark and immoral. Naylor makes sure he shows the world, and more importantly, his son, the value and belief in perception can change everything about life. In an article written by Robert Benjamin on Mediate.com he mentions this same scenario with Naylor and Joey, “Almost touchingly — some suggest, scarily — Naylor takes sufficient pride in his craft to discuss and involve his ten-year-old son in his work, just as another father might teach his son to fish or play baseball. He counsels him on how to negotiate with his mother, Naylor’s former wife, not out of vindictiveness, but out of genuine concern. On one level, the idea that children might be taught early-on the all-important skills of negotiation is laudable” (par. 9). The description Benjamin gives here is not only one of Naylor and his relationship with his son, Joey, but implies this sentiment to anyone in their own lives. As a parent myself, I will go through the struggles of teaching my daughter morality and the differences between right and wrong, and how and when to make the choices that will be best for her. Also, as a single parent, Naylor teaches his son how to negotiate with his mother, Naylor’s ex-wife, and as a divorced dad myself, will go through these same situations with my daughter when she’s old enough to understand and comprehend what I will teach her. Benjamin claims some suggest it as a scary and touchy subject, but I see it as crucial and necessary — not scary at all. Standing up for what I believe in will be something I pass on and teach to my children, as Naylor does in TYFS.

The ability to overcome adversity and conflict requires a strong and willful mindset. Conflict resolution creates quite an interesting plot line when developing and producing a film, and in my opinion, what institutes a good film. Naylor comes across several conflicts in TYFS, in which some aspects he handles gracefully, and others not so well. We first realize a sense of conflict when Naylor goes to visit Lorne Lutch, played by Sam Elliott, also known as The Marlboro Man. Naylors bosses’ boss, Captain, played by Robert Duvall, sends Naylor to Lutch’s house to give him money in order to not denounce and bad-mouth Big Tobacco. Based on the fact that he’s now suffering from lung cancer and could potentially hurt their publicity and sales objectives, we are already experiencing a sense of conflict and turmoil in the plot and gives the movie a juicy little twist at the end of act one. Another sense of conflict that turns the direction of the film is when Naylor meets Heather Holloway, played by Katie Holmes. Holloway is a reporter for The Washington Probe and uses her finesse as a woman and manipulative ways to coerce Naylor into telling her all his secrets. “Other players include dishy reporter Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes), who is willing to use whatever means necessary to get the inside scoop, and a band of terrorists who would like to see Nick dead. But since no one represents anything other than a narrow set of interests — this is Washington, after all — it is easy to get behind Nick” states Darrell Hartman for The Lancet (par. 4). Upon first watching the film, Holloway’s character infuriated me, the way she connived and conned Naylor into telling her things that were supposed to be “off the record” and she goes and writes an incriminating article about Naylor, completely slandering his name and the company he represents. But, like I’ve heard say before, never tell a reporter anything you might not want someone else to know about.

Naylor’s argument to Holloway was that he really didn’t think the things he told her while “he was inside her” counted as subject to grounds for being published. Holloway’s character is ruthless nevertheless, and ends up getting Naylor fired and in conclusion, herself fired as well. The ethical proponents in question here revolve around Holloway and her thirst for corruption of the industries such as Big Tobacco — and as stated by Ashley Howes in a review written for Media Ethics in the Morning, “Another ethical issue in Thank You For Smoking involves journalist Heather Holloway (played by Katie Holmes), who is pursuing a story about Nick Naylor. She goes to incredible lengths to find out more about Nick (by sleeping with him on multiple occasions), and loses her credibility in the process. She publishes an article in “The Washington Probe” revealing all of Nick’s secrets, including his meetings with the “MOD Squad” (Merchants of Death — firearm lobbyist Bobby Jay Bliss and alcohol lobbyist Polly Bailey), and the hush money he delivered to a former cigarette representative who contracted lung cancer as a result. This issue is not only prominent in the movie but in the real world as well, where the publishing of “off record” and unsubstantiated information is prevalent.” This portion of conflict that Naylor goes through puts him down in the dumps, the loss of his job, the embarrassment of the article, the disappointment he creates for others about him, all are things that summed up the end of act two in the film, leaving Naylor holed up in his apartment, depressed and full of anguish and regret. The one thing that helps pull Naylor out of this state happens when his ex-wife Jill, played by Kim Dickens, shows up at his apartment with their son, Joey, only to tell Naylor he needs to get himself together, that there’s still one person that greatly looks up to him and thinks of him as a “god.” So starts act three and begins the redemption and surmise of Naylor from the depths of which he crawled into after the article that got him fired was published. The film goes on to show Naylor at a subcommittee hearing on cigarettes and why or why not there should be a skull and crossbones symbol put on the packaging of all tobacco substances. Here we see Naylor fully overcome the obstacles that has been thrown his way during the movie and becomes quite the hero of the story. Naylor goes up against his arch nemesis, Senator Ortolan Finistirre, played by William H. Macy, and proves that persistence, motivation, and a little bit of courage inevitably turns out to be all he needs in order to come back from the tragic and detrimental events that occurred in his life throughout the film — inspiring his family, friends, colleagues, and enemies. Leave it up to Naylor to tell you, and hard work, dedication to what you believe in, and flexible morals will have you on the winning side of life.

Perception can change the way people see the world and circumstances in their life. The way we perceive things tells us about where we are spiritually, mentally, physically, and our maturity. The main idea that in a world that views someone as bad or evil, or someone that only sets out to harm others for their own benefit, is prominently the result of some detrimental thing or event that has taken place in their life or to the people close to them, such as a loved one or close friend, provides a substantial meaning and plotline of TYFS. Jason Reitman uses the controversial issue of tobacco usage in America, along with Nick Naylor, to spin the mindset of millions of people into believing that the world needs Big Tobacco, making someone like Naylor who would typically be viewed as the antagonist, become and portrayed as the hero, or protagonist. The way Naylor uses his skills to teach and advise his son Joey on how to use words to get the results you want in life, brilliantly illustrates another controversial subject on the terms of parenting styles and what makes a “good parent,” but Reitman shows us in this film, with the exceptional cast, series of suspenseful events, and some sexiness along with betrayal — that when you put your mind to something you truly believe in, follow it with your heart and all the effort you can, you have the ability to overcome obstacles and resolve any type of conflict — showing that nothing in this world is impossible. The famous Muhammed Ali once said — “Impossible is just a word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in a world they’ve been given than to explore the power to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”