Cheap Election (DVD) (Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon) (Alexander Payne) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Election

PAINFUL COMEDY
This is one of those well acted and well made movies which is worth five stars ... but its reality inflicts so much uneasiness in the viewer that, honestly, I HAD to downgrade it by one star to four. This was a tough call. Ironically, it is so well done that just as you're about to laugh at some outrageous antic by the main character, Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) you realize, this unprincipled politically ambitious animal really exists. Her type REALLY gets away with the damage she does to people who trust her. That's the part which makes you wince at the funny stuff. However, I enjoyed the fun the writer and dirctor had with stereotypes (ingenuous, good hearted jock; indifferent teenage lesbian ... and so on).

It was perhaps most refreshing to see Matthew Broderick in a GOOD movie for a change! He is excellent as idealistic civics teacher Jim McAllister who realizes what the unscrupulous Tracy Flick is up to in rigging her high school's election for becoming student president. As a tribute to the optimism of the idealistic human spirit this movie works, and it drives towards a bitter sweet ending. And yes, there are some truly funny (belly laugh grade) of comedy in it. Yet just as you laugh at the absurdity of a scene .... it slowly dawns on you: hey, this isn't funny .... it happens this way in real life, making real life absurd. So there is often a little pinch in the comedy. The pinch was intended by the writer and director ... but as someone seeking "pure" entertainment, I'm not always fond of it. So THERE.

The music is absolutely terrific! It is an inexorable background ... kind of like the music in Hitchcock's Psycho .... but not as serious and creepy. It was great and makes the movie move. I wish I could become more exhuberant and give this movie five stars .... but four stars is the best I can do. I DID enjoy seeing this movie. I can recommend it to anyone. Would I see it a second time? Hmmmmmm.

---

Twisted, Disturbing, Hilarious
In a film whose most disturbing moments make "Clerks" look like a morality tale, director Alexander Payne makes all the right moves to please those who appreciate what has been absent in so many of today's teen comedy misfires: HUMOR.

Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon shine as the veteran civics teacher and classic overachiever, respectively. Chris Klein does about all he can as the sickeningly sweet, leadenly dumb Paul Metzler (you Betzler!), which for this movie serves quite well. Also in good form is the actress who plays Paul's sexually confused sister Tammy, whose name eludes me at the moment.

If there's one drawback to the film, it's that the heavy dose of sexual deviance takes a while to get used to. Once you've gotten into it though, you can't help but laugh. The sharp writing and excellent music score (particularly the song played whenever Tracy sees Paul's poster) make this a cinematic yahtzee.

By the way, the DVD sucks, so just get this one on VHS.

P.S.: To Sharon, whoever that esteemed individual may be: you are quite possibly the dumbest person alive. This movie's plot is incredibly easy to understand. I pity you deeply.

---

Immoral Garbage
You're thinking, 'Matthew Broderick & Reese Witherspoon this ought to be a good movie.' WRONG. That's what I was thinking. The fact that MTV Films produced this movie should have been enough of a warning. Election is not funny, nor clever, nor interesting. All the major characters are immoral bad people doing immoral bad stuff. I am not a prude and if this movie was entertaining in anyway I could have set aside my judgement of the characters knowing that they are fictional. However, it is not entertaining, nor do any of the characters show remorse or grow in anyway. There is nothing redeming about this movie.
Please don't waste your time.