The Campaign (2012)

In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center.

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 | slapstick | moustache | punched in the face | 

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Taglines:

May the best loser win.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for crude sexual content, language and brief nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dog Fight

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:

Everyman Pictures, Gary Sanchez Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jack McBrayer:  The religious husband who receives the disturbing phone message from Cam Brady.

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Goofs

At the end of the movie, Marty Huggins reveals a giant scar running across his torso, an injury he received as a very young child; photos showing a teenage Marty Huggins in a swim suit do not show this scar.

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Quotes

Cam Brady: You get my son to call you daddy. I *fuck* your wife!

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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 The Big Review: Episode #1.9 (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Barracuda"
Written by Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Michael DeRosier, and Roger Fisher
Performed by Heart

User Reviews

politics gone wild

Political satire is a favorite in comedy, and so "Austin Powers" director Jay Roach updates it for 2012 with "The Campaign". The movie is a look at the dirty tricks that opposing candidates Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis use against each other. Among the best scenes are those where the candidates blatantly pander to different groups. There's also some low, crude humor to keep things going.

The movie is also an indictment of corruption. Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow play a pair of industrialists obviously modeled on the Koch brothers. In the end, the movie is just a really funny look at the absurdity that is the US political process: sex scandals, kissing/punching babies, and "looking like an al-Qaeda member". Basically, the movie doesn't have to make anything up. I recommend it.