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 & 4 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 | campaigning | u.s. congressman | title at the end | 

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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

Budget:

$95,000,000 (estimated)

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

Note the size of Cam Brady's US Flag lapel pin. As he begins to flounder in the polls the flag grows until it is at least 4 to 5 times larger than the original.

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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: Because Filipino tilt-a-whirl operators are our nation's backbone.

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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

Spring Is Here
Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart
Performed by Cal Tjader

User Reviews

An enjoyable comedy

This film is about a race between two congressman candidates in North Carolina.

"The Campaign" is a fun and light hearted mockery of modern American politics, but it is also surprisingly real in terms of what could possibly happen in a real election campaign. The plot is funny and really gets me laughing, but I am the most impressed by the emotional ending that conveys a victory to morality. Another thing that really stands out is the Asian maid who speaks with an amazing African and also Spanish accent.

I enjoyed watching this film!