Hollywood loves a comeback story. Usually, those stories involve a washed-up actor or a director who finally gets a win after five straight flops. But with the 2009 film The Smell of Success, the comeback wasn't just about the people—it was about an entire style of filmmaking that almost didn't make it to the screen. If you've never heard of this movie, or if you only know it as that weird Billy Bob Thornton project about manure, you aren't alone. It’s a strange beast.
Honestly, the movie is a fever dream of mid-century Americana, manure salesmen, and peak quirky indie energy. It was originally titled The Smell of Success, then changed to The Manure Salesman, then changed back. That kind of identity crisis usually spells disaster for a production, and while the film didn't exactly set the box office on fire, it remains a fascinating case study in what happens when a director’s specific vision clashes with the reality of the film market.
Director Michael Polish and his twin brother, writer Mark Polish, have always been the kings of a very specific, polished, and somewhat surreal aesthetic. They gave us Twin Falls Idaho and Northfork. They don't do "normal." So, when they decided to tackle a story about a literal pile of dung, people should have expected something more than a standard comedy.
The Bizarre Reality of The Smell of Success
The plot centers on a group of manure salesmen in the 1960s. Think Mad Men, but instead of selling cigarettes and high-end scotch in glass offices, they’re peddling fertilizer in dusty fields. Billy Bob Thornton plays Patrick Fitzpatrick, a top-tier salesman who finds himself in a bit of a crisis when the patriarch of the company dies.
Enter Tea Leoni. She plays the estranged daughter, Rosemary Rose, who takes over the business despite knowing absolutely nothing about the industry. The dynamic between Thornton and Leoni is where the movie finds its heartbeat. It’s cynical. It’s dry. It’s incredibly brown.
Visuals matter here. The Polish brothers used a color palette that can only be described as "monochromatic sepia-dirt." Every frame looks like a vintage postcard that’s been left in a cigar box for forty years. It’s beautiful, in a grimy sort of way. You can almost smell the dust coming off the screen, which is ironic given the title.
Why the Production Became a Legend of Indie Struggles
Making an indie movie is hard. Making a stylized period piece about manure is basically a death wish. The Smell of Success hit major roadblocks during its journey to the public. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009 under the title The Smell of Success, but the reception was... mixed. Critics didn't know what to do with it. Was it a satire? A drama? A surrealist experiment?
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The distribution was a nightmare.
The film sat on a shelf for a long time. When a movie sits for two years, the industry starts to smell blood in the water. Rumors fly. People assume the edit is a mess or the performances are wooden. But when you actually watch it, you see a movie that is incredibly deliberate. It wasn't "bad"—it was just profoundly "different" at a time when distributors were becoming increasingly risk-averse.
The name change to The Manure Salesman for certain markets was a desperate attempt to make it sound like a broad, slapstick comedy. It isn't. If you go into this expecting Caddyshack with fertilizer, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s much closer to a Coen Brothers film that’s had all the caffeine removed. It’s slow. It’s methodical.
A Cast That Deserved Better
Look at this lineup: Billy Bob Thornton, Tea Leoni, Kyle MacLachlan, and Ed Helms. This is a heavy-hitter roster.
Thornton is doing his best "weary professional" act. He’s great at playing men who are good at a job they know is ridiculous. Tea Leoni, who is often underrated in her comedic timing, plays the "straight man" to the absurdity around her with a sharp, brittle energy.
Then there’s Kyle MacLachlan. He plays a rival salesman, and he leans into the 1950s/60s "everything is fine" persona that he perfected in Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet. He’s the perfect foil for Thornton’s more grounded, sweaty realism. Watching these two face off over the quality of animal waste is a masterclass in committed acting. They aren't winking at the camera. They are playing it as straight as a Shakespearean tragedy.
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The Aesthetic Choice: Why It Looks Like That
Michael Polish is a cinematographer's director. He cares about the frame. In The Smell of Success, he used specific lighting techniques to wash out the colors, leaving only shades of tan, cream, and deep chocolate brown.
- Lenses: They used vintage glass to get that soft, hazy look on the edges.
- Production Design: The offices are filled with heavy oak, rotary phones, and thick clouds of cigarette smoke.
- Costumes: Slim ties and fedoras, but everything is slightly ill-fitting or dusty.
This wasn't just for style. It was a commentary on the "Golden Age" of American industry. By stripping away the vibrant blues and reds we usually associate with 1960s nostalgia, Polish exposes the literal dirt underneath the American Dream. It’s a movie about the art of the sell. It’s about convincing people that something worthless is actually "black gold."
What Most People Get Wrong About the Film
The biggest misconception is that this is a "gross-out" comedy. Because the word "manure" is so central, people expect poop jokes. There are almost none.
Honestly, the movie is quite sophisticated. It’s about corporate takeover, legacy, and the fear of being replaced by something synthetic. The salesmen are terrified of chemical fertilizers. They see themselves as purists. It’s a weirdly noble stance for men who spend their lives covered in cow dung.
Another mistake? Thinking the film is a failure because it didn't win an Oscar or break the bank. In the world of cult cinema, The Smell of Success is a success simply because it exists exactly as the creators intended. It didn't cave to studio notes to add a car chase or a broad romantic subplot. It stayed weird.
The Legacy of the Polish Brothers
To understand this movie, you have to understand the Polish brothers' filmography. They have always operated on the fringes. Their work is characterized by a "magical realism" that feels deeply American.
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They don't make movies for everyone. They make movies for people who like to look at a single shot for thirty seconds and notice the way the light hits a dusty windowpane. The Smell of Success was their attempt to take that high-art sensibility and apply it to a slightly more accessible "workplace" story.
It didn't quite bridge the gap, but it created something unique. There isn't another movie that looks like this. There isn't another movie that treats the fertilizer industry with this much reverence and irony simultaneously.
How to Watch It Today
Finding The Smell of Success can be a bit of a hunt depending on your region. It often pops up on ad-supported streaming services or deep in the "Indie" section of digital rental stores.
If you decide to watch it, do yourself a favor: don't check your phone. It’s a movie that requires you to sink into its rhythm. If you try to multi-task, you’ll miss the subtle humor in the dialogue and the intricate details of the production design.
Is it a masterpiece? Maybe not. But it’s an authentic piece of filmmaking. In an era where every movie feels like it was designed by a committee and a marketing algorithm, there’s something genuinely refreshing about a movie that is so stubbornly itself.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
If you're interested in the "lost" era of 2000s indie cinema or the work of the Polish brothers, here is how to dive deeper:
- Watch Northfork First: To truly appreciate the visual language of The Smell of Success, watch the Polish brothers' earlier work, Northfork. It will give you the context you need for their specific style.
- Look for the "Manure Salesman" Cut: If you can find the version titled The Manure Salesman, compare the marketing materials. It’s a lesson in how Hollywood tries (and fails) to rebrand "difficult" art.
- Study the Color Grading: For aspiring filmmakers, this movie is a gold mine for learning how to use a restricted color palette to tell a story. Try to identify when the "browns" shift from warm to cold.
- Read Billy Bob Thornton’s Interviews: He has spoken about his preference for these types of character-driven, oddball scripts over big-budget blockbusters. It explains a lot about his career trajectory post-2000.
- Check the Soundtrack: The music is as curated as the visuals. It perfectly captures that "fading Americana" vibe that the whole film rests on.
The movie might be about fertilizer, but the craft behind it is anything but trash. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most interesting stories are the ones that take a while to be understood. Don't let the title or the subject matter scare you off. It’s a trip worth taking.