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Silly: A depiction of the events leading to the death of Brian Jones (Leo Gregory), an interesting, conflicted guy, but this movie is literal-minded and silly.

Rated: R rating is for nudity, language, subject matter Now showing: Varsity Nick gets interviewed (and bedded) by an enterprising reporter (Katie Holmes), and is forced to pay more attention to his son (Cameron Bright), who lives with Nick's resentful ex-wife.

Not every subplot in Nick's life pays off, though the film stays so busy it doesn't matter much.

Punctuating the plot are Nick's drinking and debriefing sessions with two other lobbyists.

They work for the gun and alcohol industries, and the three spinmeisters refer to themselves as the "M.O.D.

Squad," for Merchants of Death.

Maria Bello and David Koechner spew some fine dialogue in the roles.

Eckhart, the monster chauvinist from "In the Company of Men," is an apt choice for Nick; he uses his pasted-on grin and dimples to play up Nick's easy ethics.

Also in the lively cast are Robert Duvall, as a julep-sipping tobacco titan, and J.K.

Simmons, as Eckhart's frantic boss.

For all the movie's laughs, it somehow falls short of greatness.

Director Jason Reitman, son of '80s comedy king Ivan Reitman, keeps the gags and the political incorrectness flying.

But there's an attitude of youthful pranksterism here, rather than, say, the surgical f...

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