If You Love Someone Who Smokes,Get Them To Watch This Video

Description

"If You Love Someone Who Smokes" is a video program made to get a person to quit smoking. Everyday, thousands of people try to quit. Some succeed. Most do not. Statistics show that scary medical videos just don't work. Neither do "you're a bad person" videos.

This film shows neither of those things. Instead, it tells the simple and profound story of two friends - NYC media guru Tony Schwartz, and NYC cop Ken McFeeley.

As McFeeley was dying of lung cancer at 46 years old, he decided to work with Schwartz to make this film to help others quit smoking. To date, thousands have quit after hearing McFeeley's story, and Schwartz became known as "media central" for the anti-smoking cause.

"If You Love Someone Who Smokes" contains no medical details, no special "techniques" and it supports no specific drug solution. But for thousands of smokers, this video gives them the heart and the courage to quit-- for the last time. The film does not scare or intimidate you. But once having seen it, you can never forget it.

Customer Reviews:

good but outdated a bit.......2007-06-11

A good thought provoking movie and great for discussion starter. It still boils down that the person first has to want to quit smoking.

IT'S AMAZING.......2006-01-14

This is a movie everyone,even nonsmokers must watch.It's touching,educative and life-changing.

Average customer rating:

Vanity Project Or Meaningful Self Exploration? The Unusual Chinese Biography "Quitting" Is An Intriguing Oddity
One clarification
Jia Hongsheng full of himself?
Da Bidus
It's not John Lennon's Fault

Quitting
Starring: Shun Xing , Hongshen Jia , Fengsen Jia , Xiuling Chai , and Tong Wang (II)
Director: Yang Zhang (II)
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0000844M9
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Amazon.com

This award-winning Chinese film is unlike any other you've seen: a true-life story that's enacted by the real-life participants but is not a documentary in any traditional sense. Not only did the young actor Jia Hongsheng (who rose to stardom in China, succumbed to heroin addiction, and alienated his family with erratic, schizoid behavior) agree to re-create this harrowing period in his life, but so did his family, as well as everyone else who appears in Quitting. His recovery is as compelling as his collapse; the efforts of his family to support his return to health are deeply moving. Director Zhang Yang (Shower) shifts styles without losing the forward momentum of this remarkable chronicle. Quitting was a sensation in China, where the struggle between traditional conformity and individual freedom grows increasingly tense, making this movie a striking social document as well as a gripping personal story. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Vanity Project Or Meaningful Self Exploration? The Unusual Chinese Biography "Quitting" Is An Intriguing Oddity.......2007-02-08

"Quitting" is an audacious and unusual biopic from Chinese filmmaker Zhang Yang. Documenting the real life turmoil, including heroine addiction and institutionalization, of a well known young actor named Jia Hongshen--"Quitting" casts Hongshen as himself. Also cast as themselves are his parents, various friends, doctors and even mental patients. Asked to recreate disturbing scenes from their difficult past, the actors portray different stages during which Hongshen initially succumbs to his troubles and then strives to rise above them. It can be a somewhat awkward device to cast people as themselves (unfortunately what comes to mind are the TV biopics of Joan Rivers and American Idol's Fantasia Barrino), but in this case the intimacy works well. It probably doesn't hurt, however, that the principals had prior acting experience. This film is a noble and creative attempt, and its unorthodox approach offers much to be admired from a technical standpoint.

Ultimately, though, I feel that the film always kept me at arm's length. It deals with emotional and confrontational issues and yet never fully engaged me in the drama. There was plenty of potential to be moved and drawn into the compelling family dynamic, but just as you get to those moments--the film backs away as if it doesn't want the viewer to get too close. I think part of this stems from the artificial nature of its construction. There are frequent and sporadic interviews that halt the story and offer biographical insight. These are purposefully theatrical, they keep reminding us that what we're seeing is just a dramatization. In another filmic technique, several times the camera pulls away from what is happening to reveal that all is being performed on a stage before an empty auditorium. The film never lets you forget that the world presented, whatever truth it might be based on, is a fictional construct.

Don't get me wrong, I found this approach fascinating and different--but I did long to be more fully involved with the story. There isn't a lot of specific information provided that let me know about Hongshen as a real person--as an actor, as an addict, as a friend, as a man in mental turmoil. The film shows you precisely what it wants to, and nothing more. And, in truth, this provides a surface view only. One would think this "all access pass" approach to filmmaking would provide you with a greater understanding of the individuals involved--heck, they're playing themselves--but, no. But still, I admired much of the film's technique and its defiance of conventional standards. From a film appreciation standpoint, then, I'd award "Quitting" about 3 1/2 stars. While I may have wanted more, a great deal was still delivered. KGHarris, 02/07.

One clarification.......2006-09-09

After reading earlier reviews, just want to clarify one thing. While most of the roles in the movie were played by the actual people, Hongsheng's sister is an exception.

Hongsheng's sister is actually performed by Tong Wang (Biandan, guniang), a professional actress. Hongsheng's real-life sister was the one who first found out Hongsheng's drug problem. She didn't inform their parents at first in a hope that Hongsheng would quit by himself soon. It was the pain that had hurt her so much that she did not want to recall any of those days. She didn't agree to act in the film. As a matter of fact, she still refuses to watch the movie.

Other movies starring Hongsheng Jia and available on DVD at Amazon include Suzhou River and Frozen.

Jia Hongsheng full of himself?.......2005-02-24

Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but I wonder how much of a hand Jia Hongsheng had in developing the film. I mean, when a story is told casting the main character as himself, I would think he would be a heavy hand in writing, documenting, etc. and that would make it a little biased in his favor.

But, his family and friends also may have had a hand in getting the actual details about Hongsheng's life. I think the best view would have been told from Hongsheng's family and friends' perspectives. They saw his transformation and weren't so messed up on drugs that they remember everything.

As for Hongsheng being full of himself, the consistencies of the Jesus Christ pose make him appear as a martyr who sacrificed his life (metaphorically, of course, he's obviously still alive as he was cast as himself) for his family's happiness. Huh? Exactly.

The viewer sees him at his lowest points while still maintaining a superiority complex. He lies on the grass coming down from (during?) a high by himself and with his father, he contemplates life and has visions of dragons at his window, he celebrates his freedom on a bicycle all while outstretching his arms, his head cocked to one side.

It's fabulous that he's off of drugs now, but he's no hero. He went from a high point in his career in acting to his most vulnerable point while on drugs to come back somewhere in the middle.

This same device is used in Ted Demme's "Blow" where the audience empathizes with the main character who is shown as a flawed hero.

However, "Quitting" ("Zuotian") is a film that is recommended, mostly for its haunting soundtrack, superb acting, and landscapes. But, the best part is the feeling that one gets when what we presume to be the house of Jia Hongsheng is actually a stage setting for a play. It makes the viewer feel as if Hongsheng's life was merely a play told in many straining and difficult parts.

Da Bidus.......2004-01-09

I must say that there were two reasons why I was interested in purchasing this film. The first is that I have a fascination with heroin addiction, I know this sounds horrible, but I enjoy reading the early books by William S. Burroughs, Ryu Murakami's _Almost Transparent Blue_ and Luke Davies's _Candy_ for this reason. Second I was interested in the fact that all of the parts were played by the actual people. Some of the scenes in this movie must have been ver hard for not only for Jia Hongsheng's family, but also for his, sometimes former, friends and acquantences. The movie itself is pretty simple. Hongsheng an actor slowly falls into the grasp of heroin, and in order to aid his recovery his mother and father move in. He already lives with his sister who is quite the beauty. Anyway, at first his mother and father do all they can do to pacify their recovering son, buying him music casettes, beer, and basicaly taking care of his needs. However, Hongsheng soon begins using drugs again and is ultimately taken to a mental hospital. Unlike what the reviewer before me stated, I do not believe that the director is trying to blame Western society for Hongsheng's drug problems. He is just a fan of John Lennon and the Beatles, nothing more.

It's not John Lennon's Fault.......2003-10-07

This is a good movie (not a great movie). My main complaint is that it feels like typical Chinese propaganda that all their problems (like drug addition) is the fault of Western influences. I felt the movie repeatedly implicated the western rock and roll influence with causing the drug addition of the main character. On the other hand, another Chinese offer him drugs the first time. So my accusation is debatable -- but I definitely felt it. There was probably something lost in the translation, too. For example, the chorsu line from "Let it be" by the Beatles was translated to "Be natural." This slightly off translation made following the subtitles a little more difficult than subtitles in French or Spanish movies....

I don't see how the Beatles ("peace, love, and understanding") can be blamed. Do you?

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