Matthew Broderick stars in the movie, and he's in high school once again. He was great in the excellent movie "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," and though he IS in high school again, this time he's a teacher. Although I'm no old fart, it made me realize how fast the years go by when I noticed a few gray hairs on Broderick. Damn. Am I next? I'm a mere 26 years old, but am I close to the point where gray hairs will be sprouting? Man, how depressing. Anyway, back to the movie. Matthew Broderick was really good in the movie, and he somehow made you like his character, even though the character was a pretty pathetic guy. Reese Witherspoon plays his nemesis. It's weird to have watched Reese Witherspoon over the years. I remember watching her as a child in a Disney movie called "A Far Off Place" and in another movie called "The Man in the Moon." Since then, she's played roles where her sexuality is important to the role, whether playing the virginal girl in "Cruel Intentions," or the promiscuous little slut (okay, THAT was harsh) in "Pleasantville." I would think she was trying to go the Christina Ricci route, but in "Election," her sexuality is almost irrelevant. Well, not exactly. See the movie to understand what I mean. As for the rest of the cast, Chris Klein plays the competition to Reese Witherspoon's character. He overacts a little, but it's hard not to like his character. He can be seen in a movie that's gonna be released soon called "American Pie." That movie looks hilarious. The one person that steals the movie is Jessica Campbell. She plays the sister to Chris Klein's character. Her character is by far the most interesting, and she does very well in the role. By the way, her prayer is priceless.
"Election" was written by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor who last teamed up in a movie that I didn't see but got much critical acclaim called "Citizen Ruth." Payne directed "Citizen Ruth," and he directed "Election" as well. I don't know if he (or Jim Taylor, for that matter) are ready for mainstream Hollywood movies, but maybe it's more like mainstream Hollywood isn't ready for them. Not yet, anyway.
I liked "Election,"
but it dragged a bit. It was witty, well-acted, and it's different from
a lotta the crap out there (admittedly, I like some of the crap).