Smoke Memorabilia & Collectibles

 

 

The screen play of the movie “Smoke” was based on novelist Paul Auster’s story Auggie Wrens’s Christmas Story which he initially wrote for the New York Times. It was released as an independent film in 1995. It was produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein and directed by Wayne Wang. When Auster wrote the screenplay for the movie, he developed it to include an additional four characters that would interact with Auggie Wren.  The cast is composed of some of Hollywood’s best actors. 

 

The story is set in a small tobacco store, the Brooklyn Cigar Co. located in 16th Street corner Prospect Park West in Brooklyn. The movie revolves around the lives of the patrons of the cigar store, whose lives become...   more

 

 

The screen play of the movie “Smoke” was based on novelist Paul Auster’s story Auggie Wrens’s Christmas Story which he initially wrote for the New York Times. It was released as an independent film in 1995. It was produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein and directed by Wayne Wang. When Auster wrote the screenplay for the movie, he developed it to include an additional four characters that would interact with Auggie Wren.  The cast is composed of some of Hollywood’s best actors. 

 

The story is set in a small tobacco store, the Brooklyn Cigar Co. located in 16th Street corner Prospect Park West in Brooklyn. The movie revolves around the lives of the patrons of the cigar store, whose lives become inevitably intertwined as come in and out of the store.

 

Auggie Wren, played by Harvey Keitel is the manager of the manager of the Brooklyn Cigar Co., where the other characters meet. He delivers a calm and placid performance even when confronted with the surprising announcement of his ex-wife that his daughter whom he never knew existed was in a mess and that she needs him to help sort it out.  William Hurt plays the part of Paul; a writer who was saved from being run over by a car by Rashid played by Harold Perrineau Jr. Rashid is a troubled young man who seems to be running away from something.  Stockard Channing plays the role of Ruby, Auggie Wren’s ex-wife while Forest Whitaker plays the role of Cyrus, one-armed, long lost father of Rashid and owner of a garage in the Peakskills. The lives of these people become more and more connected as the film progresses naturally making it seem fluid as the smoke that comes from the cigars.

 

It is very interesting to note about a persistent theme in the movie, stealing and doing something good about the stolen material. Auggie stole a camera from a blind woman and uses this camera to take pictures of his store day in and day out. Paul writes about Auggie’s deed and presents it to a newspaper as a Christmas story of his own. Rashid picks up a bag of money that robbers left off on the street but uses it to save Auggie from bankruptcy. And Auggie helps the daughter that his ex-wife said is his but in reality is not.

 

Additional actors that lend their support include Ashley Judd and Victor Argo.

 

According to reviews, the movie won several awards both locally and internationally. The awards include a Silver bear for director Wayne Wang in the 1995 Berlin International Film Festival. It also won the Award for Best American Film in the Danish Film Critics Bodil Award also in 1995. It won the Best Foreign Film in the German Film Award and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay for Paul Auster, both in 1995. Stockard Channing was nominated as Best Supporting Actress in the Screen Actors Guild.