Election - Blu-ray Review

By Jeff Swindoll Feb 10, 2009, 15:53 GMT

Reese Witherspoon (Legally Blonde) is Tracy Flick, a straight "A" go-getter who\'s determined to be president of Carver High\'s student body. But when popular teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick, The Producers) observes the zealous political locomotive that is Tracy, he decides to derail her obsessive overachieving by recruiting an opposition candidate (Chris Klein, American Pie) - with disastrous results! Here\'s a smart, witty and hilarious jab at high school politics ...more

When Matthew Broderick decides to rig the school’s election he finds that his hanging chads are caught in the ringer as his life slowly begins to crumble.

Mr. McAllister (Matthew Broderick) is a well-liked teacher in Omaha, Nebraska.  He’s also the teacher in charge of running the school government election.  When Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) decides to run for school president Mr. M is beside himself. 

His best friend was a teacher at the school and he had an affair with Tracy that got him thrown out of school and divorced from his wife, Linda (Delaney Driscoll), who happened to be Diane’s (Molly Hagan), Mr. M’s wife, best friend.  He doesn’t want the overambitious Tracy to have this victory, since she’s running unopposed, so he convinces Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to run for president. 

Paul is a dumb, but popular jock who broke his leg in a skiing accident.  Since he can’t play sports he doesn’t have anything else to do so he takes up the gauntlet of running for school president.  Paul’s sister Tammy (Jessica Campbell) is in a relationship with Lisa (Frankie Ingrassia). 

When Lisa calls of their relationship saying that she was “experimenting,” Tammy is devastated.  She’s even more devastated when Lisa starts dating Paul and is running his campaign.  Tammy then decides to throw her hat into the ring for school president to spite them both, even though Paul is too knuckleheaded to notice it. 

Meanwhile, Mr. M and his wife are trying to have a baby, but Mr. M is getting awfully close to Linda and wants to have an affair with her.  A bee sting on the eye, Linda saying that he’ll meet him at the local hotel but then telling his wife, and his dislike of Tracy causes Mr. M to think he can rig the election.  It’s too bad that he spilled that Chinese food on the floor.  

America has been through one recount ridden election and that was just a short time after this biting satire. Ferris Bueller has gotten a real job and gone soft as Broderick portrays Mr. M with some of that manic intensity that he brought to that high school role.  This time he’s on the end of the school administration instead of being the hip, cool kid.  That role is filled by Chris Klein as the naïve, but popular, Paul. 

He’s so trusting that he doesn’t even feel right about voting for himself and doesn’t realize that his sister is a lesbian.  I don’t have a lesbian sister (well, my brothers does like women – perhaps a man in a lesbian’s body?), but one time I myself was running in a close election and thought I’d give the other party one vote since I thought they would not get any.

Well, they got my vote and the other person voting (she voted for me) and she won.  It wasn’t a big deal but it was something I wanted and I ended up giving it away, thanks to my own stupidity.  Live and learn.  I didn’t have a deranged teacher counting the votes up though.  I might’ve won then, but his movie reminded me of the situation.  It also reminded me of the petty jealousies and madness of high school.  I’m surprised I just didn’t curl up in the fetal position and cry. 

Mr. M might’ve been better served by doing so instead of thinking too much about improving his life by bringing down Tracy.  Not that she didn’t deserve some taking down, but a school election seems like small potatoes compared to the real world.  The film is a delicious black comedy and has some smashing performances.  

Election is presented in a 1080p high definition transfer (2.35:1).  At least the menu doesn’t try and politic up by and actually features truth in advertising as the menu has a link for “extra,” not the lack of “s.”  The only extra is an insightful commentary by director Alexander Payne.  

A biting satire only made all too real by the following year’s election.  It’s all in good, black fun though and positive word of mouth made this a hit.  Paramount has provided a nice package on Blu-ray, but you still wish there were more extras, but what extra is there is very nice indeed.  

Election [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon. Visit the DVD database for more information.