The Campaign (2012)

An incumbent congressman embroiled in personal scandal faces a no-holds-barred challenge from a naive newcomer funded by two unscrupulous billionaire lobbyist brothers.

Director:

Jay Roach

Writers:

Chris Henchy (screenplay), Shawn Harwell (screenplay),

Stars:

Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis

2 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Will Ferrell	...	Cam Brady
Zach Galifianakis	...	Marty Huggins
Jason Sudeikis	...	Mitch
Dylan McDermott	...	Tim Wattley
Katherine LaNasa	...	Rose Brady
Sarah Baker	...	Mitzi Huggins
John Lithgow	...	Glenn Motch
Dan Aykroyd	...	Wade Motch
Brian Cox	...	Raymond Huggins
Karen Maruyama	...	Mrs. Yao
Grant Goodman	...	Clay Huggins
Kya Haywood	...	Dylan Huggins
Randall D. Cunningham	...	Cam Jr. (as Randall Cunningham)
Madison Wolfe	...	Jessica Brady
Thomas Middleditch	...	Travis

Storyline

When Cam Brady (D-NC), a four-term Congressman, becomes a liability, the Motch brothers (think Koch brothers) recruit Marty Huggins, the son of a Republican heavy hitter, to run against him and be their vehicle to establish factories in the district that will import cheap Chinese labor. Trouble is, Marty is a lightweight, so his makeover falls to consultant Tim Wattley. The race tightens as Cam constantly shoots himself in the foot, while the prospect of winning also changes Marty and his family's dynamics. Meanwhile, Cam plays dirty, and Marty cottons on to the Moches' grand plan. What options do the rich have to get their way?

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Plot Keywords:

congressman | north carolina | title at the end | bitten by snake | crude humor | 

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Taglines:

May the best loser win.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

14A

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2012 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Locos por los votos

Filming Locations:

Courthouse Square, Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$26,588,460 (USA) (10 August 2012)

Gross:

$86,897,182 (USA) (16 November 2012)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Gary Sanchez Productions, Everyman Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Although the poster depicts the two lead characters facing off in from Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., almost the whole film is set in and around North Carolina where the two characters live and are campaigning. There is a single post-credit sequence set in Congress.

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Goofs

In the first debate scene, when Marty and Cam first walk out onto the stage, the two podiums are the same height. However, after they shake hands and go to their respective podiums, Marty's is considerably higher than Cam's.

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Quotes

Chris Matthews: Remember the politician that punched a baby? Well, he's at it again. He just punched Uggie, the dog from the Academy Award-winning film "The Artist".

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Crazy Credits

During the credits there is an additional scene depicting the trial with Motch brothers. The scene also partly explains the origins of Tim Wattley.

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Connections

Featured in Chelsea Lately: Episode #6.117 (2012)

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Soundtracks

Azz ans Tittiez
Written by Delmar Lawrence, Jordan Huston, and Paul Beauregard
Performed by Hypnotize Camp Posse

User Reviews

Script not worthy of the two stars

The comedy in this movie, such as it is, is weak and a little flat, which is something I didn't think I'd ever say about a film starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. I chuckled a couple of times, but otherwise I felt no urge to laugh. There is a distinct bitter streak to the humor, with little heart to redeem it until one specific moment of unbelievable mood whiplash. The actors did fine, but they've had much better material in other vehicles (Ferrell in Anchorman and Galifianakis in The Hangover being just two notable examples).

It's a shame because I'd heard some good things about The Campaign, and with those two comedy stars it should have been something greater than the sum of its parts. Even something equal would have been good. This just didn't seem like the right movie to bring the two together.

The supporting cast was fine, though nobody really stood out from the pack. It was fun seeing Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow as the corrupt millionaire brothers, even if their plot seems to have been taken wholesale from Trading Places. Jason Sudeikis wisely plays his role with subtlety, in contrast to Ferrell and Galifianakis.

I guess The Campaign isn't the worst way to spend 85 minutes. But by the same token, I'm glad I didn't put down the money to see it in the theatre.

And the less said about the punching of the baby, the better.