A marketing executive at 20th Century Fox, which is distributing "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," conceded that the tabloid notoriety had increased public awareness of the movie. "[But] our challenge is to make sure the people ... are focused on 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' and not just Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie," said Pamela Levine, co-president of theatrical marketing.
That job became more difficult when paparazzi photos of Pitt and Jolie on what their publicists termed a "humanitarian mission" in Africa surfaced in April. Purchased by Us Weekly for a reported $500,000, the pictures depict the stars as a de-facto family unit as Pitt is seen playing with Jolie's 3-year-old adopted son, Maddox. Public displays of affection, however, are notably absent.
