History Film / ColdTurkey

--> "My drinking is directly connected to my smoking. Now, when I say 'directly', I mean there's a thing--a physical thing--that is directly connected from my liquor buds to the smoke pouch in my lungs. If you want me to quit smoking, you're gonna have to cut-- [''starts sobbing''] I mean, you're gonna have to physically ''cut'' that thing! And when you do, my head's gonna fall off! You understand, Reverman? [*''sniff''*] The booze bone's connected to the smoke bone. And the smoke bone is connected to the head bone. And that's the word of the Lord."

* TheFaceless: President UsefulNotes/RichardNixon supposedly arrives in Eagle Rock during the climax, but we never get a clear view of his face.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfRoles: For Bob and Ray.

Notable for featuring the first movie score written by Music/RandyNewman, acting as the [[PoorMansSubstitute poor man's]][[invoked]] Music/ElmerBernstein for the film's music at the time before ultimately becoming the SpiritualSuccessor to the latter following his passing in 2004. (Interestingly enough, in the opening scene where Wren is talking to Hiram C. Grayson, a banjo can be heard playing Bernstein's theme music from ''Film/{{The Magnificent Seven|1960}}'').

* HeelFaceTurn: "Heel" is a strong word, but in one scene, [[SinisterMinister Reverend Brooks]] takes in the media circus and growing greed that the town's cold turkey challenge is causing and walks through the town in a daze while frowning. Then his bishop shows up to praise the publicity brought by his efforts while listening to his concerns and then dismissing them. Brooks is back to his HolierThanThou self in the next scene.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: The Sons of the Confederacy club work for the tobacco company (whose ruthless and greedy owner flip a Confederate flag over his mansion) and help try to make people quit smoking before the deadline.

** Mayor Wappler collects an annual salary of less than $1,000 for his work as the mayor and the city's mail is forwarded to his barbershop. He is also the first person to grasp that Eagle Rock can enter the tobacco cold turkey contest and revitalize the DyingTown with the $25,000,000 prize, even though he's a heavy smoker and going cold turkey will be hard for him. He plays a decent role in rallying people to sing the pledge and enforcing the tobacco ban without being tyrannical. He does get caught up in the showmanship and media circus of the contest and has some self-interested moments (like wanting to spend some of the money on a proper city hall despite the difficulty making a good budget), but manages to seem OnlySaneByComparison next to everyone else.

* MorallyBankruptBanker: Downplayed and PlayedForLaughs when the local bank president threatens to foreclose on the hospital unless the doctor joins the anti-smoking pledge. It's a dirty trick, but it is meant to get a $25,000,000 prize that the DyingTown desperately needs.

* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: The Sons of the Confederacy club work for the tobacco company and help try to make people quit smoking before the deadline.

* MorallyBankruptBanker: Downplayed and PlayedForLaughs when the local doctor threatens to foreclose on the hospital unless the doctor joins the anti-smoking pledge. It's a dirty trick, but it is meant to get a $25,000,000 prize that the DyingTown desperately needs.

* OneLastSmoke: [[spoiler:Dr. Proctor]] has been gut shot, and begs for a last cigarette before he dies. Problem is, all the residents of the town signed a pledge not to smoke, and it doesn't expire for five minutes, and if anyone smokes before the deadline, the town will lose 25 million dollars. He points out that he won't ''last'' five minutes, but nobody will break the agreement by giving him a cigarette.

* PuttingOnTheReich: PlayedForLaughs with the Christopher Mott Society, who take it upon themselves to enforce the cigarette ban and set up checkpoints to stop smuggling.

* MorallyBankruptBanker: Downplayed and PlayedForLaughs when the local doctor threatens to foreclose on the hospital unless the door joins the anti-smoking pledge. It's a dirty trick, but it is meant to get a $25,000,000 prize that the DyingTown desperately needs.

* BittersweetEnding: The film ends with the town celebrating their victory, oblivious to the fact that Reverend Brooks, Dr. Proctor, and Merwin Wren [[BolivianArmyEnding have all just been shot and are calling for help]]. And Eagle Rock is "saved" by the arrival of a defense plant that soon enshrouds the entire town in the pollution belched from its giant, cigarette-shaped smokestacks.

* IJustShotMarvinInTheFace: Just before midnight, Merwin Wren is trying to light a cigarette for Dr. Proctor using a novelty lighter shaped like a gun when it's bumped from his hand. As he's trying to find it, Obie Turman appears with the ''real'' gun she stole from Amos. Wren grabs it from her, then goes up to Proctor... and accidentally shoots him, setting off a chain reaction that also leads to Wren and Rev. Brooks getting shot.

* SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: Brooks, whose motive goes from sincere religious calling to a desire to be seen as a hero once Eagle Rock starts attracting national attention.

* SlowlySlippingIntoEvil: Brooks, whose motive goes from religious calling to being seen as a hero once Eagle Rock starts attracting national attention.

* OneLastSmoke: [[spoiler:Dr. Proctor]] has been gut shot, and begs for a last cigarette before he dies. Problem is, all the residents of the town signed a pledge not to smoke, and it doesn't expire for five minutes, and if anyone smokes before the deadline, the town will lose 25 million dollars. He points out he won't last 5 minutes, but nobody will break the agreement by giving him a cigarette.