14.10.1999

Vote apple or orange

James Robertson reviews ‘Election’ (1999), directed by Alexander Payne

This excellent film is possibly the last superlative American one of the 20th century, though perhaps I will be surprised

The basic plot involves a high school election for president somewhere in the Midwest. The young actress, Reese Witherspoon, plays Tracy Flick, described by Sight and Sound as a “foot-stamping, cupcake-baking overachiever ... a little monster”. Her character is revealed by an early statement - “It’s like my mom said: the weak are always trying to sabotage the strong.” Tracy is also the favourite to win, and is indeed the only candidate in the beginning.

Civics teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) decides this cannot be allowed to happen. Tracy had had an affair with a friend of McAllister’s, another teacher, who was sacked for having sex with a minor, though Tracy did not suffer as a result. Mindful of this past history, McAllister decides to stop Tracy running unopposed and gets the genially dumb Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to stand. On polling day, Paul will vote for Tracy because he thinks it unfair to vote for himself. McAllister persuaded him to run for the sake of the democratic process - “Do you want an apple or an orange? That’s democracy.”

A third candidate enters the lists - Paul’s lesbian sister Tammy (Jessica Campbell), who is upset because her girlfriend has taken up with Paul. She runs on a ‘who cares?’ platform of nihilist indifference, which goes down well with the atomised voters. In the end, she is expelled and sent to an all-girl catholic school - just what she wants.

The tone of the film is acidic. There are no ‘ideal’ characters. McAllister is the closest approach to one, but he is a rather seedy figure who watches pornography in the basement and cheats on his wife. A satire on the US political process, Election ends with adult ‘politics’ intruding, because by the film’s end Tracy is an assistant to a Republican congressman.

This is not a feel-good film and will probably not do too well at the box office. But if you like sharp observation of society and a dash of vinegar, you will enjoy this film very much.

James Robertson