Thank you for smoking

This is not one of my usual movie reviews. I'm writing this review from the perspective of my job at a public library (although this is not an official library document, nor does it necesarily reflect the values of the library). The head of the AV deparment asked me to preview it, to see if it might be appropriate for our collection in spite of it's R rating (for language and some sexual content).

Thank you for smoking is a very sarcastic film. Being, as I am, not always great at understanding sarcasm, I'm not entirely sure what the point of the film is. But I think it is a commentary on the ridiculous lengths to which tobacco companies go to keep people smoking, even though everyone knows that smoking is bad for you.

A movie with this goal is admirable, but I'm not sure that it would find much audience at this library. It seems to be aimed at overly-educated, politically liberal people; the same people who drive hybrid cars and eat vegetarian food. I haven't done any studies, but I think that a large percentage of our patrons are Amish (who quit school at age 16), or otherwise reasonably conservative Christian people, and I have never seen a Prius in the parking lot. If they watch films at all, they are likely to choose Little House of the Prairie, or VeggieTales. Some patrons do check out popular documentaries like Supersize Me and Bowling for Columbine, but, come to think of it, I requested both of those for the library.

One thing I was supposed to pay close attention to was the language in the film. Is it really so bad? Yes and no. On one hand, there aren't people cursing up a violent storm. Instead, there are a number of characters who casually pepper their everyday speech with the f-word. Not as shocking, but perhaps a surer sign of a lost soul, and definitely not a great role-model for good Christian children (or adults).

Returning to the theme of sarcasm, if the movie is intended as a tongue-in-cheek story, then it is appropriate that the characters show their moral degradation through foul language. The question is, will our patrons see it that way, or will they just be offended? Considering the care we generally take to avoid offending our patrons, I think this is one film our collection can do without.