Review #38 | "Election" (1999)

Adapted from Tom Perrotta's novel of the same title, "Election" explores human nature in the setting of a high school SGA election. Tracy Flick and Mr. McCallister are the most dominant personalities in this film. Played by Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, Tracy and Mr. M passive-aggressively face off, fueled by personal motives and vendettas.

The film is smart and witty, employing simple ideas in a fun way. Many freeze frames set the tone for many characters' bias towards each other, and the audience further widens the gap between characters. Tracy's theme music employs strong emphasis on the kind of person she is and her inability to be pushed over. Many other characters seem flat and unmoved by the events which have unfolded, but you still care for them nonetheless. The novel offers more insight into the transformation of each character, and different circumstances, in some cases, offer credibility to the behaviors of the students.

Reese Witherspoon shines as the ambitious Tracy Flick. In fact, Witherspoon earned he first SAG nomination for her portrayal and effectively launched her long career. No doubt the go-getter attitude of Tracy influenced the ambition of Elle Woods in "Legally Blonde."

The same themes still apply from page to screen, and with the creative filmmaking of Alexander Payne, Perrotta's novel has been successfully preserved onscreen.

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Rated "R" Runs 1 hour 46 minutes.

Directed by Alexander Payne. Starring Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, and Chris Klien.