The Moviegoers’ Guide to Quitting Smoking
Well, it's that time of year again – time for those "not long for the world" New Year's resolutions. And if you're like most Americans, you've made at least one. If that resolution happens to be quitting smoking, well then, here's a couple of films to help you on your merry way to living a healthier, happier, smoke-free life. That, and well, keep repeating that last half of the last sentence like a mantra. Trust me. It helps.
The Insider. A film so dark, depressing, frightening and chalk full of the 'secret' facts about smoking that it actually made me quit smoking for three hours after I watched it. And I wasn't even trying that time. If for some reason you haven't ever gotten around to seeing this, let me give you two reasons right now. Russell Crowe and Al Pacino. This is the film that Crowe actually earned his Gladiator Oscar for. If you've ever wondered how the hell Crowe got it by playing an Australian Roman, you never saw this. This is based upon the true story of what happened to a whistle blower who dared to spill the industry's biggest secrets. Harassment, intimidation and death threats – this is all about the hell one man went through to let us know what it was exactly that we were smoking. Heavy, but really the best cure out there for your cigarette cravings that can’t be purchased at a drug store.
Thank You For Smoking. Last year's killer indie comedy about the world of professional spin doctors and lobbyists, this takes a wonderfully candid and even-handed look at the cigarette industry. Ruthlessly funny, painfully relevant, and one of the smartest films released all year, Thank You For Smoking actually manages to accomplish something rather strange. It makes a film entirely about smoking, without ever showing a single person lighting up. Written and directed by Jason Reitman, who seems to have robbed his father Ivan "Ghostbusters" Reitman of his genius, this proves to be one hell of a debut feature. And if that isn’t enough, check out Reitman’s NSFW short film Consent.
Cold Turkey. Sometimes, just sometimes, it’s best to go with a classic. And when it comes to quitting smoking, there's no better classic than this 1971 gem of a Dick Van Dyke comedy about a small town offered a vast sum of money if every member of town can quit at once. While this might make you long for a vast sum of cash to quit yourself, this is rife with humor about the various successful and failed methods of quitting – as well as many jokes at the expense of cravings that you will no doubt find more than a little close to home. The legendary Norman Lear penned and directed this one.
If you're quitting, best of luck – and I hope these help. If not, best of luck in keeping whatever resolution you’ve chosen for yourself.
C. Robert Cargill
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