The Pack

The Pack achieves what all social issues films should -- the issue (in this case, tobacco use, and in particular second-hand smoke) -- is contained in the DNA of each and every frame, and yet the story transcends the issue and carries us away in its own right.

In part a court-room drama, and in part a family tragedy, The Pack is directed (by Alyssa Rallo Bennett) with great restraint and a steady hand. In fact, the ensemble cast is excellent, with Lucy Arnaz negotiating the murky territory in her roles as mother, housewife, and murder suspect.

As someone who has been closely affected by the devastating effects of lung cancer, I appreciate this film for standing strong on one of the burning issues of modern times.

The Pack is a truly unique film.

It tackles tough subjects making the viewer question politics, big business and family dynamics.

The complex concept/controversy over smoking is brought beautifully to life with very compelling direction and performances.

I find it remarkable how the film is able to thoroughly engage us emotionally and intellectually. It makes us question our roles in society and our personal ethics.

It's a film that you will always remember.

You will find yourself taking about The Pack for years to come.

When UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School-Department of Pediatrics invited Director Alyssa Rallo Bennett to attend as a Guest Speaker for our Grand Rounds, all the attendees (physicians, staff, fellows, residents, and students) were amazed during the presentation about how this movie was extremely educational with a very specific message. It displayed the dangers of second hand smoke. The intensity of the movie was piercing when the biggest challenge was to prove whether the smoker could be held legally liable and directly responsible for the harm caused as a result of smoking. I strongly feel that this movie is a must see for children, parents, teachers, physicians, and lawmakers. An extremely credible film

This is a movie that brings home the "burning" relationships between parents and children through the difficult issue of smoking. Who is to be blamed? How can a family survive the confrontation? It feels like a thriller but the message is all too clear! See it with your kids. Must see movie for the entire family. In these times, it can even be shown at middle and high schools when usually teens begin to experiment with smoking. And then, for the adults, it's always good to remember what happens when a "pack" of cigarettes can really "burn" not just the lungs but the very fabric of the family. Alyssa and Gary Bennett did a great job with the script and the actors are naturals. A wonderful and touching movie overall.

AS

I'm drawn to films that ask the big questions and am always disappointed when they end with the answers in shiny, prepackaged bundles, pocket sized so we can take them with us. Those tiny, feel good endings usually end up disintegrating in the laundry and are soon forgotten. What is, or rather, where is the point? Where is the edge that keeps us alert, provoking us to dig deeper into ourselves for answers? In my view, that's the point of art.

Smoking/Non-Smoking is a provocative, uncompromising film. If you allow yourself to experience, as I did, the seat-squirming discomfort of seeing up close an unflattering side of yourself in the very human, believable characters in the film. Who among us does not pass judgment on another's weakness, vanity, self-centeredness or self-righteousness? And here the lure to judge a self-centered wife and mother opens up a Pandora's's box of cultural vipers -- even with our best efforts to remain neutral and objective.

The film can be described as a tense, courtroom drama and morality tale about individual responsibility, the context of which is the accusation that the death of a husband was caused by the second hand smoke of the wife (the human inferno played with volatility and conviction by Lucie Arnaz). The twist, it's the 24 year son who is the accuser.

But all this is only to set the stage to ask profoundly deep questions about relationships within our families, our communities and in the courtrooms and deliberating halls of justice which are to act when we fail to do the "right" thing.This film dares to ask the question: How far can I carry my individual desires, pleasures and addictions? Through courtroom cross examinations and expert witness testimonies, intense arguments by a diversity of jurors with varying perspectives, life experiences and temperments, and private conversations between son and mother, lawyers and clients, we arrive at the limits of what our logical minds can hold and are wrenched by the emotions that surface when we are charged with no less than a deliberation on "love," especially a mother's love. Our relationships are a muddle --- not only for the family in the film, but glimpses into the lives of the jurors show that they, too, have their vulnerabilities and challenges.

The integrity of the film is marked by keeping our toes to the fire. The scenes are almost all shot in interior rooms with windows that don't open, close-ups, bathrooms in which we are looking at the characters' reflections in the mirrors, and bedroom scenes --- all suggestive of the intimacy of human relationships and the pain, joy and suffering we can cause one another. The opening scene is a tender one of a mother (one of the jurors) and her daughter and is repeated again at the end. This is an ever so light brush stroke which demonstrates the potential and possibility for all of us to care for one another. There are a number of surprises along the way I won't give away. Go see it and be challenged. It's worth it!