Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Swing Vote (2008)
Swing Vote
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Swing Vote (2008) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 57 | slideshow) Videos (see all 29)
Swing Vote (2008) -- Swing Vote Trailer
Swing Vote (2008) -- Clip: Kelsey and Stanley
Swing Vote (2008) -- Behind the scenes: Madeline
Swing Vote (2008) -- Interview: Madeline Carroll "On reading the script"
Swing Vote (2008) -- This is the theatrical trailer for Swing Vote, directed by  Joshua Michael Stern.

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   5,357 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
Jason Richman (written by) &
Joshua Michael Stern (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Swing Vote on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 August 2008 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Drama more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
User Comments:
Costner's Charisma and a Couple of Sharp Jabs at Dems and Republicans more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for language.
Runtime:
120 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
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

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
An unofficial remake of El disputado voto del señor Cayo (1986). more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Bud and his daughter are first riding in their pick-up truck, the transmission is clearly in park. more
Quotes:
Bud Johnson: I'll call them back.
Molly Johnson: If we had a phone you could call them back.
more
Movie Connections:
References Everybody Loves Sunshine (1999) more
Soundtrack:
Take The Highway more

FAQ

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Who does Bud end up voting for?
Is this movie based on a book?
more
24 out of 28 people found the following comment useful:-
Costner's Charisma and a Couple of Sharp Jabs at Dems and Republicans, 3 August 2008
8/10
Author: Danusha_Goska

"Swing Vote" is a good movie. It could have been great, but it isn't, but it is still good. At its best, it invokes Frank Capra's classic films on politics, including "Meet John Doe" and "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." It never reaches their level, though, and that failure to hit the top is a bit frustrating.

An older, dumpier, and shabbier Kevin Costner is the best part of the film. Costner is a star and that shows here. Even the grunge that is his costume in almost every scene can't disguise his charisma. Costner's voice has not aged and he uses it to great effect, especially in a final speech.

The film draws laughs by parodying our two major political parties, with a Democratic presidential candidate starring in the funniest anti-abortion TV commercial ever made (no doubt its competition was slim, but it is very funny) and a Republican presidential candidate touting his party's tender concern for the environment.

These excellent scenes make you wish that the movie had gone deeper. It doesn't, though. It veers off into dead-end soap opera subplots about Costner's daughter's boyfriend from school and her attempt to live with her estranged mother (Mare Winningham, in a role that should have ended up on the editing room floor, as it contributes nothing to the film.) The casting wasn't great. The two presidential candidates and their aids end up being cardboard cut-out stereotypes of Machiavellian evil (Stanley Tucci) and compromise (Nathan Lane). Kelsey Grammar and Dennis Hopper, as the candidates, never transcend their "Frasier" and "Easy Rider" personas. Other actors, perhaps unknowns, should have been cast in these two key roles.

Paula Patton, the woman who played what would have been the Barbara Stanwyck role in the Frank Capra movie, was pretty as a little doll and a complete bore. This is part of a pattern in today's Hollywood; female leads must have the perfectly perky looks of a plastic doll; there's no need for them to be talented. Male leads, like Costner, can be beat-up, and slovenly, but must be talented. Patton's role, that of the desperate, sharp, female reporter who gains inside knowledge of a national story, is underwritten, and she does nothing with it. It's a dead-end, and that's a shame. It makes me want to rewatch "Meet John Doe" in which Stanwyck worked so well as the female reporter.

Overall, though, this movie is better than much else at the multiplex, and it at least ventures into the world of ideas.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Swing Vote (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
A Question only for Americans patrutiss-1
Greenleaf was severely miscasted PJMautner-1
I just watched his film; I was pleasantly surprised-- jmmgausa
Why this movie sucks danielkbyo
Why Did His Friends Turn On Him At The Cafe? RRPounder
Monitor above his bed lvdv
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Spin Across the Universe Vantage Point Welcome to Mooseport First Daughter
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Comedy section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.