A high school teacher becomes obsessed with thwarting a teenage student’s campaign for school president after learning she uses unorthodox methods to excel, and will stop at nothing to try to sabotage her.
High school is awful. It’s even more awful when there’s politics involved. And there’s no more political high school film than Election. Utilizing the small-scale setting of high school to satirize the big picture, while also dashing in some deeply comedic moments that hit you right in the funny bone, Election is a hilarious black comedy that takes jabs at how screwed up our political system is as a whole. It’s humorous, bold, and a tad too sexualized, but it has a ton to say and never holds back from saying it. It also touches on the inherent sexism and misogyny of the political landscape, as well as the underhanded and unorthodox means politicians will use for their own gains, and how the system protects them from seeing punishments.
Alexander Payne directs a script adapted by himself and Jim Taylor from the source novel by Tom Perrotta, and he does a fantastic job with it. His way of framing scenes and shots is hilarious and powerful, with a unique lens that skirts the line perfectly. Even the simplest of scenes, from ripping down campaign posters to a bee sting on an eyelid, will have you laughing heartily, while the more serious scenes that work as a satire of political society are shot in a way that allows you to see the parallels easily. The film works by not trying too hard to be funny, which inadvertently makes it even more hilarious.
And while I’m not the biggest fan of his work in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I feel that Matthew Broderick’s performance here as Jim McAllister is absolutely perfect. He plays up the jerk routine, using his power to be discriminatory and biased in ways that happen all the time in real life, and the film becomes even funnier if you imagine that this is where Ferris Bueller wound up after his privileged upbringing. Even better than Broderick, though, is Reese Witherspoon, who captures the overeager go getting personality of Tracy Flick so well that it’s as if she became her for the film. She’s right in the middle of being liked and hated, as is the case with most politicians, and you’ll find that you’re both rooting for her and hoping for her downfall, even as McAllister ruins his life in every attempt to expedite the process. Chris Klein is adorable as Paul, who winds up becoming a pawn in Flick and McAllister’s game, and the late Jessica Campbell is fantastically representative as a lesbian teen working her own magic on the story.
Cinematography and effects add to the hilarity, from an awkward sex scene played out from McAllister’s point of view, to the after effects of the aforementioned bee sting, and there’s never a dull moment to be found. The score adds an extra layer of fun, too.
Comedic and satirical from beginning to end, Election is a great commentary on politics, high school, and the power play between sexes and ages. But remember, it’s just a bee sting!