Thank You for Smoking (2005)

The Yuppie Mephistopheles

Spin doctor Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart) is a lobbyist for the tobacco industry and is up against Senator Ortolan Finistirre's (William H. Macy) campaign to put skull and crossbones images on each pack of cigarettes sold in the USA. Naylor is also encouraging youthful smoking while still trying to be a role model for his young son Joey (Cameron Bright).

Naylor's boss BR (J.K. Simmons) and the "old man" of the tobacco industry (Robert Duvall) urge Naylor on when he tries to buy off the Marlboro Man who is dying of cancer (Sam Elliott) and making inroads with a movie merchandise placement agent (Rob Lowe) to get smokes in more films. Meanwhile, journalist Heather Holloway (Katie Holmes) is using her feminine charm to gather enough information on Naylor to bring him down.

Naylor regularly lunches with two other lobbyists -- Polly Bailey (Maria Bello), who represents the alcohol contingent, and Bobby Jay Bliss (David Koechner) from the gun industry.

Directed by Jason Reitman and based on a novel by Christopher Buckley.

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

My personal rating: B

Juno (2007)

Great Expectations

Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is an unconventional sixteen-year-old. Her best guy pal, track star Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), is even more naive than Juno. But their first and only sexual contact results in pregnancy.

While she doesn't tell Paulie at first, she discusses it with her best gal pal, Leah (Olivia Thirlby). She decides against an abortion and checks the newspaper for local couples wanting to adopt a baby before informing her father (J.K. Simmons) and step-mother (Allison Janney).

Her father goes with her to meet the prospective couple, Vanessa and Mark Loring (Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman), who appear to be a loving couple eager to have Juno's baby. But will the adoption go through as planned?

This is a charming film filled with quick and quirky humor, gentleness and acceptance.

Rainn Wilson has a small role as the smart-mouthed drug store clerk.

Jason Reitman directed this first scriptwriting effort of Diablo Cody, who won an Oscar for her work.

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.

My personal rating: B