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List Price: $9.98 | | Label: Paramount
Salesrank: 72735
Released: September 25, 2001 |
| Our Price: $8.00 |
| Used Price: $1.96 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Matthew Broderick makes up for years of wet-noodle performances with his low-key but unsparing characterization of Jim McAllister, a high school teacher at George Washington Carver High School in Omaha, Nebraska. Driven by a strange mixture of loathing and lust for pathologically overachieving student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), McAllister encourages a dim but popular athlete, Paul (Chris Klein from American Pie), to run against her in the election for student-council president. Director-cowriter Alexander Payne (Citizen Ruth) turns this deceptively simple premise into a complex and scathing comedy of ambition, corruption, and desire, all at its most naked and petty. Every scene contains some painfully funny nuance that will make you wince in a mixture of astonishment and empathy. Witherspoon flips effortlessly back and forth from adolescent vulnerability to steely-eyed strength; she's becoming a contemporary Carole Lombard. The movie itself feels like a magnificent throwback to the richly layered comedies of the '30s, which drew their humor from sharply drawn characters and twisting plots instead of explosions of bodily fluids. With a wealth of smart, cutting details, Election rewards multiple viewing. --Bret Fetzer
Election Reviews:
This captures the pettiness of high school 
2009-11-08 - More than most movies I've seen, Election really captures the stupidity and pettiness of high school life. While it isn't the funniest film, it has a lot of relevant irony, from the over-ambitious resume-builder to the outcast dropout. The movie focuses on the election for student council president, and each of the three candidates represents a stereotype of each of the main types of high students: the dork, the jock, and the druggie.
The movie had funny moments (mostly with Reese Witherspoon and Chris Klein), but overall wasn't hilarious. Some of the plot elements, like Broderick's affair, seem forced. Frankly, the movie is funnier because of the parody of high school than any explicit jokes.
Also, a note for parents: this movie isn't a family movie. It's not like Legally Blonde. Several scenes include depictions of sex and vulgar language.
my kid beat up your honor student.... 
2009-08-22 - this one works overwhelmingly due to the two leads...matthew broderick, as mr. mcallister, a teacher who had devoted his life to his job and is sickened by tracy flick, played by reese witherspoon...tracy flick is the kind of student teachers are reluctant to call on, because they always seem to have the answers...tracy is the kind of person you hate, because she is an overachiving goody-goody, who think things should go her way, just because she thinks so...so when tracy runs for student body president, mr. mcallister gets the football hero, paul betzler to run against her to stop her....
i loved this because alexander payne shows off omaha, just like he did in " about schmidt" payne shows the viewer that even normal life can hold some surprises...its ordinariness is what makes this film special...you want so much for tracy flick to lose, just so it would be one less accomplishment she would place on her resume.... while paul is as dumb as a bag of rocks...he is a good guy and far more likeable than tracy....anyone who has ever ran for a student council office or has ever been to high school can relate to this film...as for the ending...all i have to say is...life isn't fair or unfair, life is just life....
More dark than funny 
2009-07-23 - This one more than flirts with the teacher/student sex equation, teen lesbianism and adultery, and the result is way better than you'd expect, maybe because little is left to innuendo through the clever use of fantasy sequences. Quite a bit dirtier than you'd think, given the cast and premise, the sophistication level is pretty high for a Matthew Broderick vehicle. This one is a keeper.
"The weak are always trying to sabatoge the strong."
2009-07-12 - The Film (*****)
When Amazon classifies Alexander Payne's 1999 satire, "Election," as an "essential video," note these guys (or gals) are on to something. Not only is this film essential in its importance to film and the genre of comedy, but it's simply a piece filmmaking at its best.
Reese Witherspoon is hands down fantastic as the irritatingly over-achiever, Tracy Flick, who will stop at nothing in earning her rightful place as class president. Matthew Broderick is brilliant as the content educator but malicious rival to Tracy who will stop at nothing to bring her down. It's a teriffic film about politics against a high school setting. What could easily have been another silly cliched teen comedy is something more with Alexander Payne's witty script and observant direction: a mature, sophisticated, satirical, black comedy that should have caused more of a stir back in 1999. The film was well received by critics and even earned some award nominations including an Oscar for the adaption of Tom Perrotta's novel (of the same name). It definitely among my favorites.
Blu-ray features (**): Sadly,. this film is slighly under par as to what the blu-ray format is capable of. It definitely surpasses the DVD release, but the film show some evident flaws. Scratches and splotches are abundant-not neccessarily grain. You know those annoying black spots that "Fight Club" dubbed as "cigarette burns?" Yeah. They're present too, maybe not as big but it's visible. Then we have the special features. Wait. There are no special feature besides an insightful commentary by Alexander Payne. That's it. For the dollar your spending, "Election" is absolutely worth it. I just wish Paramount would have taken better care of the transfer and possibly even add a few more goodies. Is that too much to ask for?
Reese in HD
2009-06-08 - This is one of the few movies I already own on DVD but upgraded to blu-ray. The PQ and SQ are first rate. The bonus features are standard but fun. A worthy film to add to any collection.
