Smoke
“The most precious things are lighter than air.”
Synopsis
Writer Paul Benjamin is nearly hit by a bus when he leaves Auggie Wren's smoke shop. Stranger Rashid Cole saves his life, and soon middle-aged Paul tells homeless Rashid that he wouldn't mind a short-term housemate. Still grieving over his wife's murder, Paul is moved by both Rashid's quest to reconnect with his father and Auggie's discovery that a woman who might be his daughter is about to give birth.
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Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
Official TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2016-07-21
Top Cast
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Harvey Keitel
Augustus 'Auggie' Wren
William Hurt
Paul Benjamin
Stockard Channing
Ruby McNutt
Harold Perrineau
Thomas 'Rashid' Cole
Forest Whitaker
Cyrus Cole
Giancarlo Esposito
1st OTB Man / Tommy
José Zúñiga
2nd OTB Man / Jerry
Stephen Gevedon
OTB Man #3 / Dennis
Jared Harris
Jimmy Rose
Ashley Judd
Felicity
Victor Argo
Vinnie
Michelle Hurst
Aunt Em
Erica Gimpel
Doreen Cole
Deirdre O'Connell
Sue the Waitress
Malik Yoba
The Creeper
Murray Moston
Waiter
Mary B. Ward
April Lee the Bookstore Clerk
Daniel Auster
Book Thief
Release History & Theatrical Window
June 9, 1995
Wide Cinema Exhibition
January 1, 2000
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$7M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$8.3M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
1.19x
+$1.3M net gain
Theatrical Status
Budget Return
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Wayne Wang
- Screenplay & Story
- Paul Auster
- Original Score
- Rachel Portman
- Original Title
- Smoke
- Country of Origin
- Germany, Japan, United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English
- Runtime
- 1h 52m
- Production Budget
- $7M
- Worldwide Gross
- $8.3M
- Production Studios
- Miramax, NDF International, Eurospace
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Wayne Wang
Paul Auster
Rachel Portman
Adam Holender
Christopher Tellefsen, Maysie Hoy
Hisami Kuroiwa, Peter Newman, Kenzo Horikoshi, Greg Johnson, Satoru Iseki
Department Leadership Roster
Christopher Tellefsen
Editor
Maysie Hoy
Editor
Adam Holender
Director of Photography
Hisami Kuroiwa
Producer
Rachel Portman
Original Music Composer
Peter Newman
Producer
Kenzo Horikoshi
Producer
Wayne Wang
Director
Greg Johnson
Producer
Paul Auster
Writer
Claudia Brown
Costume Design
Chuck Keehne
Costume Design
Blaise Corrigan
Stunt Coordinator
Kalina Ivanov
Production Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
R: Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Smoke.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Smoke.
North American Cinema
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1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (All editions 2003-2024). A cumulative list including films subsequently removed in later editions. Totaling 1,260 films as of Nov 2024. 《1001部死前必看的电影》（2003-2024 全版本累积版）： 包含自2003年首版至2024年11月德语版修订的所有影片。即使在后期版本中被剔除的电影也予以保留。 *注：榜单源数据中包含部分剧集/迷你剧，由于本片单只收录纯电影，故不再收录以下非电影条目：* • [#019] Lovers Rock (2020) • [#418] Dekalog (1989) *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-18 07:40:36 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Smoke
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Smoke about?
Writer Paul Benjamin is nearly hit by a bus when he leaves Auggie Wren's smoke shop. Stranger Rashid Cole saves his life, and soon middle-aged Paul tells homeless Rashid that he wouldn't mind a short-term housemate. Still grieving over his wife's murder, Paul is moved by both Rashid's quest to reconnect with his father and Auggie's discovery that a woman who might be his daughter is about to give birth.
Who directed Smoke?
Smoke was directed by Wayne Wang.
Who stars in Smoke?
The principal cast of Smoke includes Harvey Keitel, William Hurt, Stockard Channing, Harold Perrineau, Forest Whitaker.
When was Smoke released and how long is it?
Smoke was released in 1995 with a total runtime of 1h 52m.
What was the box office and production budget of Smoke?
Smoke had a reported production budget of $7M and grossed $8.3M at the worldwide box office (1.19 return on budget, classified as a budget recovered).
Who composed the musical score for Smoke?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Smoke was composed by Rachel Portman.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Smoke?
Smoke holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); US: R (Restricted — Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.).