Election [1999] [DVD]

Witherspoon and Broderick are absolutely charismatic here and I couldn't wait to see what they would do next. She's beautiful, calculating, and just the kind of little-miss-perfect you knew in high school. He's very watchable as a good teacher and a flawed man who maybe is a bit jealous of his student's long list of accomplishments. The movie is sly and always funny, thanks to an insightful script and the charm of the two stars. Relive those high school days with "Election," a spot-on, behind-the-scenes look at teenage politics and popularity.

Kona

The story is centred around student politics & adult indisgression's- parts of this film reminded me of writers like Philip Roth & Jonathan Franzen (the affair between Tracy & Dave reminded me a little of the Chip-section in The Corrections). Following the dismissal & destruction of co-teacher Dave Novotny, Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick in a career best performance) vaguely blames Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon). Tracy is one of the over-ambitious, the sole candidate for student president. In an unconscious (?) act of revenge, Mr M. talks an injured football player (American Pie's Chris Klein) into standing against her. Add to this a complication when the lesbian sister of the football player is left by a cheerleader for her brother- precipitating an anarchistic third candidate.

Election is an excellent satire, personally I rate it over recent misanthropic films like Happiness and American Beauty- alongside Lawn Dogs, it is one of the best portraits of America in recent years. Look at this film, then look at the debacle in Florida 2000's "Election" that saw George Dubya get "elected". So, is Dubya the Klein-character- rich, everything handed to him on a plate, with people prepared to send him in as a patsy to defeat the enemy, get their own perspective on board, slightly dim & part of the jock establishment? Or, is he Tracy- who will do anything, including getting "friends and associates" to count her results, trash the enemy while painting over her own misdeameanours & threatening legal action when things aren't going her way? Either way, I'm with Tammy and her "F**k everything" notion- it's notable that she garners the true popular vote here, though has been discounted from the election when falling on her own sword...

The tone of this film is quite odd, pitiful (Dave at the end of the film) & unusual (Linda, Dave's ex-wife is not that attractive, ditto Jim & Diana); Reese Witherspoon delivers a brilliant performance. The moment where she realises she loses is great, particularly the after-shot of her crying on her bed: literally destructing on-screen and reminding me of Charlotte Rampling in Stardust Memories (1980). The final moments of the film see Jim reinvent himself, pitying Tracy when he sees her for the last time- you do get the feeling her ambitions have made her the loneliest person in the world (hey, I even thought about Nixon. Or, at least, Anthony Hopkins interpretation of him in Oliver Stone's film). Love the hilarious end scene, where eternal recurrence appears in Jim's utopic new life...

Election is an excellent black comedy, proof that Americans can do irony & satire at the drop of a hat- countering the frequent British accusations that they can't do either (as we make classics like Purely Belter, Bend it like Beckham & Mean Machine!!). It's a lot more adult than most US-teen movies, which tend to hinge around sex and farting in a juvenile manner. Highly recommended and at this budget price, a bargain!