Ballot tampering. Destruction of campaign signs. Cupcakes. These are just a few of the Machiavellian political maneuvers seen in director Alexander Payne’s gleefully subversive comedy Election, rumored to be former President Barack Obama’s favorite film about politics.
Election was released in 1999, arguably the greatest year ever for high school movies, one that also gave us American Pie, Cruel Intentions, 10 Things I Hate About You, But I’m a Cheerleader, and more. Even in this impressive and diverse class of films, Election manages to stand out.
Adapted from the novel by Tom Perrotta (The Leftovers, Little Children), Election, like much of the author’s work, is a satire that deftly balances humor and tragedy, equal parts comedy and morality play. Its characters inhabit the bland landscapes of American suburbia, but their stories are anything but boring. In Omaha, Nebraska (Payne’s real-life hometown), irritatingly overachieving student Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) is set to run unopposed for student body president—until civics teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) persuades an endearingly dimwitted jock (Chris Klein) to run against her. As the story unfolds, the public and private lives of all of those involved become messily intertwined, and what ensues is a hilarious and insightful takedown of both American politics and the social hierarchy of high school.
