Election

Pros: Sardonic look at various kinds of longing
Cons: Sex-negativity

Alexander Payne’s film“Election” was loved by many critics (e- and other), and hated by some moviegoers (and epinionators). I saw it just before am about to visit my own whitebread hometown -- getting a ride there from a female former student council...

Pros: Acting. Script. No apologies. Hilarious.
Cons: Not really.

Now that Alexander Payne’s ‘About Schmidt’ has met with rave reviews, we are reminded of his 㤇 directorial effort ‘Election’. Though ‘Election’ had and has its popularity, it flew under the radar of many,...

Pros: Interesting subject, great direction
Cons: Too much adult subject matter that seemed unnecessary to the plot

Election is a very well-written comic satire on high school politics and deception. It is a story about people manipulating the truth and stepping on each other's toes while striving towards their own personal, selfish goals, only to find that when they...

Pros: Great script, Great direction, Great performances by all involved
Cons: not that many.

Election is a wonderful film on several different levels. Director Alexander Payne (Citizen Ruth) has crafted a fierce satire that takes aim at every level of high school life: nerds, jocks, lesbians, cheerleaders, parents, and faculty. No...

Pros: Good performances from Witherspoon and Broderick. Sharp writing.
Cons: Occasionally overly raunchy for subject matter.

The day finally came for my debut in the Stardust Lounge on board the mighty Norwegian Star cruise liner. I was there for hours, readying my Sink For Your Supper set of songs with the house band and determining how best to set such...

Pros: Witherspoon is on fire.
Cons: Perhaps too honest for some.

Election would act as a great companion piece for Rushmore. I kept noticing similarities in them, like the basic plot and overall respect for the viewer. Election is subtle, but it's also quite harsh at times. It's nice to see a movie (or two, even)...

Pros: Plenty of laughs; absolutely brilliant level of satire; excellent performances
Cons: Many viewers might find it twisted and lurid (it's really not)

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is a review I wrote at the time of the film's release in 1999. I was experimenting with different writing styles at the time so it doesn't fit my usual format. Usually I hate reviews that are arranged like this, although I think I ...

Pros: funny in a dark way, intriguing flash backs and plot tie-ins, shocking at times
Cons: none that I can think of

Last week, my Japanese friend came running up to me at school, shouting "You've got to see Erection!" I politely told him that I didn't want to see his erection. He says "No... Not erection. ERECTION!" as he pointed furiously at...

Pros: Dark edged comedy with great acting support
Cons: Might be too dark for some

Election is one of the sharpest films to come out this year, with a brutal edge and thick comedy. Whether it reminds you of your high school days or a Jerry Springer episode, the plot is wonderfully and horribly plausible.

Reese...

Pros: Um, err, gee.
Cons: Mostly flat and irritating characters, unoriginal dialogue, banal, idiotic plot.

Disclaimer

Please let it be known that I did not see this movie of my own free will, I was trapped on a bus heading from Chicago to Grinnell and I had nowhere to run, although I did make some spirited attempts at opening the emergency...

Pros: fresh twist on a tired genre
Cons: cliched characters

Back in the 1980’s, Matthew Broderick made a name for himself playing hookie from school as Ferris Beuller. Here he’s on the opposite side of the fence as the teacher. In a way this film is a remake of that one. A lot of the characters are eerily...

Pros: Great plot, characters, and satire all working in unison
Cons: none

O wretched high school, how can I curse you in an original manner now that Election has cast light on your darkest depths? Truly, I can't. In a single broad stroke, Election has smartly bonked high school (and a few other deserving targets)...

Pros: characters, script, editing, casting, direction
Cons: deeply cynical, some stereotyping

Election is a production of MTV, which made short-term stars of such dubious personalities as Paulie Shore and Kennedy. One expects the worst, such as a teen-oriented sex comedy. But as was the case with their previous theatrical release,...

Pros: Broderick and Witherspoon
Cons: Gratuitous sex

Bribes, ballot-box stuffing, sexual corruption. No, it’s not the White House, it’s just the student council election at George Washington Carver High in the scathing satire "Election."

In writer-director Alexander Payne’s sharp-eyed...

Pros: Excellent work by director Alexander Payne and actress Reese Witherspoon
Cons: Made on a budget

MTV Films--just say the words and you can hear the collective groans of film fans everywhere. Whether it's meaningless tripe like the football snooze VARSITY BLUES or the really stupid JOE'S APARTMENT, the company's short history in cinema has already...