Reitman Savors 'Smoking' Debut

Having recently completed his feature-film debut, “Thank You For Smoking,” Jason Reitman is on top of the world. The Hollywood buzz surrounding his comical, yet poignant, satire is only appropriate for the son of legendary director/producer Ivan Reitman (“Ghostbusters”).

Starring Aaron Eckhart as “Big Tabacco” mogul Nick Naylor, with a supporting cast of Adam Brody, William H. Macy, Robert Duvall and Katie Holmes, “Thank You for Smoking” satirically examines the world of spin culture in the cigarette industry.

Reitman doesn’t seem fazed at all by the acclaim and attention his film—which opens in Boston on March 24—garnered at the Sundance Film Festival and the Toronto Film Festival. In a sweater, loose jeans, and worn tennis shoes, his unpretentiously blunt words complement his laid-back personality.

Reitman, having written countless overlooked screenplays, was almost ready to settle into a career of directing commercials and short films—until he had a breakthrough with the screenplay for “Thank You For Smoking.”

Surprisingly enough, Reitman is relieved to be through with the production of the film.

“Making the movie sucks,” he says, “I liked writing the movie more.” He explains that to write a good script, all you need is a never-ending imagination and a knack for finding the right words to express situations and emotions.

Reitman insists that he gained the majority of his inspiration from Christopher Buckley’s acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title.

When asked if he’d ever tried cigarettes, Reitman humorously replies, “I tried smoking when I was 15. I was a big pussy.”

One of the most memorable aspects of making the movie for Reitman was meeting popular, award-winning actors. He recalls the first time he met Duvall.

“I was like, ‘Hi, it’s really nice to meet you…can I have your autograph?”

Additionally, the star-struck Reitman says that because of the cast’s prominence, he was willing to give them more control over their lines and actions in the film. Brody, the quirky yet strangely attractive teenager from “The O.C.,” was infamous for ad-libbing. One of his funniest lines from the movie, “Keep on rakin’... the sand’s not gonna rake itself,” was his own invention.

With Reitman’s obvious enthusiasm for A-lister stars, he may stick around Hollywood for a long time.

—Staff writer Erin A. May can be reached at emay@fas.harvard.edu.