Election (1999)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Alexander Payne

Writers (WGA):

Tom Perrotta (novel)
Alexander Payne (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 May 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Reading, Writing, Revenge.

Plot:

A high school teacher's personal life becomes complicated as he works with students during the school elections.

Plot Keywords:

Election | School | High School | Lesbian | Jock

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 16 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Matthew Broderick	...	Jim McAllister
Reese Witherspoon	...	Tracy Flick
Chris Klein	...	Paul Metzler
Jessica Campbell	...	Tammy Metzler
Phil Reeves	...	Walt Hendricks
Molly Hagan	...	Diane McAllister
Delaney Driscoll	...	Linda Novotny
Mark Harelik	...	Dave Novotny
Colleen Camp	...	Judith R. Flick
Frankie Ingrassia	...	Lisa Flanagan
Joel Parks	...	Jerry Slavin
Matt Malloy	...	Vice-Principal Ron Bell
Holmes Osborne	...	Dick Metzler
Jeanine Jackson	...	Jo Metzler
Loren Nelson	...	Custodian

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, sex-related dialogue and language, and a scene of drug use.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #36129) | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Adelphi University, Garden City, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Bona Fide Productions

Trivia:

'Matthew Broderick' actually urinated against the tree in the scene outside Linda's house.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Paul Metzler is falling down the mountain the outfit he is wearing changes colors from blue to red and back again.

Quotes:

Jim McAllister: Linda never came home. I know, because I waited 10 hours outside her house.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Scary Movie (2000)

Soundtrack:

Three Times a Lady

A Year Early.

A unique microcosm of politics in the U.S. is shown in "Election", one of the most interesting productions of 1999. Set in a high school, young over-achiever Reese Witherspoon feels that she should be the next student council president. Teacher Matthew Broderick feels that Witherspoon is an evil and manipulative person who just thinks about herself and her own status. Enter dumb jock Chris Klein, who does have a good heart and a fair amount of popularity. Broderick talks him into running and the madness begins. Add Klein's lesbian sister, Broderick's torrid affair and ballot tampering and you have a film that shows its intelligence and shows the lengths that people will go to further their own lives at the expense of others. Neat and smart little satire. Some parts seem to be foreshadowers to the awful presidential election of 2000 between Al Gore and George W. Bush. 4 stars out of 5.