The Smell of Success

Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tea Leoni, Mark Polish, Ed Helms, Kyle MacLachlan
Release Date: 19 August 2011
Director: Larry Smith
Genre: Comedy
Summary: A decidedly irreverent satire about the wages of greed and an enchanting comic adventure that riffs on an iconic theme – the American salesman – with a twist. For this tale of door-to-door marketers takes place in a world heretofore never seen on screen: that of 1960s manure salesmen, AKA “the Men of Manure.” Having brought to life an original assortment of American misfits and dreamers, with “The Smell of Success” now turns an unabashedly comic eye to the wonders of the American wasteland… literally.

It all begins when a tragic fan accident ends the life of Mr. Roses, the scientific genius behind Roses Manure Company, forcing his cosmetics salesgirl daughter Rosemary (Tea Leoni) to take control of the company. Rosemary isn’t sure if she has a nose for the family business, but when she discovers the company is about to go under, she is determined to find a way to turn the foul into financial profits. To do so, she’s going to need the help of her father’s best salesmen — led by the steely-eyed; silver tongued Patrick Fitzpatrick (Billy Bob Thornton) for whom “bull” is not just a product but an art form – even if they don’t exactly trust a lady in charge.

But the times, they are a changing and so is the business. When the suspiciously clean-cut Jimmy St. James (Kyle MacLachlan) and his band of slick salesmen drop into town ready to take over with their newfangled “fertilizer” and fancy marketing techniques, it becomes clear that Rosemary’s quest is no longer simply about selling as much crap as she can. It’s all-out war.

 

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