You won’t see much violence in the Coen brothers’ new movie, “A Serious Man,” which opens Friday. But you will see something else objectionable: smoking.
The film takes place in 1967, before tobacco became vilified as a major health hazard. The film’s star, Michael Stuhlbarg, never indulges on-screen, but those around him do: His next-door neighbor trails ash, his lawyer pulls on a pipe, and even his doctor thoughtfully offers up a pack.
“A Serious Man” may be aiming for historical authenticity, but it’s not the year’s only film to feature prevalent puffing.
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Hugh Jackman (right) chomped a cigar (unlit).
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Ellen Page catches her button-down mother, played by Marcia Gay Harden, sneaking ciggies.
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The thriller starring Gerard Butler (right) included a news anchor blithely smoking away — an image that wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows in the early days of TV.
Speaking of TV …
– AMC’s “Mad Men” (left), set in the 1960s, unfolds in a virtual cloud.
– In Showtime’s “Californication,” the rakish David Duchovny frequently enjoys a butt (so to speak).