Swing Vote (2008)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Joshua Michael Stern

Writers:

Jason Richman (written by) &
Joshua Michael Stern (written by)

Release Date:

1 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

One ordinary guy is giving the candidates a reason to run.

Plot:

In a remarkable turn-of-events, the result of the presidential election comes down to one man's vote.

Plot Keywords:

Presidential Election | Helicopter | Television Camera | BBC | Diner

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kevin Costner	...	Bud Johnson
Madeline Carroll	...	Molly Johnson
Paula Patton	...	Kate Madison
Kelsey Grammer	...	President Andrew Boone
Dennis Hopper	...	Donald Greenleaf
Nathan Lane	...	Art Crumb
Stanley Tucci	...	Martin Fox
George Lopez	...	John Sweeney
Judge Reinhold	...	Walter
Charles Esten	...	Lewis
Richard Petty	...	Himself
Willie Nelson	...	Himself
Mare Winningham	...	Larissa Johnson
Mark Moses	...	Attorney General Wyatt
Nana Visitor	...	Galena Greenleaf

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language.

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | Dolby Digital | DTS

Certification:

UK:12A | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44167) | South Korea:12 | Australia:M | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-3 | Argentina:13 | Mexico:A

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company:

Touchstone Pictures

Trivia:

Kate watches video, including the surreptitiously-recorded video of Molly, on a Chyron Duet, a broadcast graphics machine. It can use video files, but it's generally not used for viewing video.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Bud wonders why so many people are outside his trailer, he tells Molly to turn on the TV. The screen shows Fox News Channel, but the TV has rabbit ears. Satellite TV subscribers sometimes need an antenna to view local channels.

Quotes:

Molly Johnson: Maybe I should tell them the truth.
Bud Johnson: What're you talking about? Tell them what?
Molly Johnson: That *I* was going to be the one to cast the vote.

Movie Connections:

References "Larry King Live" (1985)

Soundtrack:

Pleasant Day

Inspired. So glad I went.

I expected little after the lukewarm critical response. The film is not a scathing satire of right-wing hypocrisy. But it is inspired. And rare for this genre, balanced. It's target is voter complacency and the winning-is-everything bloodsport of the presidential race. Believe it or not the film makes a good case for voting as a moral choice, a choice we should take seriously. Not the stuff of Hollywood hilarity for sure. Yet it is well-acted, charming and original. Hard to guess where the story is going. Great laughs are better for being unexpected.

Liberal-leaning viewers and critics may have been disappointed based on a trailer showing Dennis Hopper as a rapid pro-life candidate. The story here is about voters. And how far our major political parties are willing to go to court the swing vote. The genius of this film is that it takes targeted campaigning to its logical conclusion. This is the stuff professional persuaders are more and more paid to do.

Not perfectly executed, but an inspired premise with better than expected follow-though. A treat. So glad I went.

P.S. full disclosure, I am a very liberal Democrat.