Election (1999)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Alexander Payne

Writers (WGA):

Tom Perrotta (novel)
Alexander Payne (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 May 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Reading, Writing, Revenge.

Plot:

A high school teacher's personal life becomes complicated as he works with students during the school elections.

Plot Keywords:

Election | School | High School | Lesbian | Jock

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 16 wins & 18 nominations

Cast

Matthew Broderick	...	Jim McAllister
Reese Witherspoon	...	Tracy Flick
Chris Klein	...	Paul Metzler
Jessica Campbell	...	Tammy Metzler
Phil Reeves	...	Walt Hendricks
Molly Hagan	...	Diane McAllister
Delaney Driscoll	...	Linda Novotny
Mark Harelik	...	Dave Novotny
Colleen Camp	...	Judith R. Flick
Frankie Ingrassia	...	Lisa Flanagan
Joel Parks	...	Jerry Slavin
Matt Malloy	...	Vice-Principal Ron Bell
Holmes Osborne	...	Dick Metzler
Jeanine Jackson	...	Jo Metzler
Loren Nelson	...	Custodian

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, sex-related dialogue and language, and a scene of drug use.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #36129) | Finland:K-12 | Iceland:12 (video rating) | Iceland:14 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Norway:15 (TV rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Chile:14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Ireland:18 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:R16 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Adelphi University, Garden City, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Bona Fide Productions

Trivia:

The apples on the tree in the back yard of Mrs. Novotony were tied onto the branches.

Goofs:

Continuity: The poster that Tracy accidentally rips down has a different colour pattern than the one that she is seen painting earlier. The ripped poster has alternating green and blue letters. However the one they were painting had a punctuation mark the same colour as the preceding letter.

Quotes:

Jim McAllister: Paul, what is your favorite fruit?
Paul Metzler: Pears.
Jim McAllister: Okay, now...
Paul Metzler: No wait! Apples.
Jim McAllister: Great, now say that everyday you had an apple. An apple, an apple and more apples. You probably thought that apples were pretty good, even if you got a rotten one every once in awhile. Then one day there was an orange. Now you can choose, do you want an apple or do you want an orange? That's democracy.
Paul Metzler: I also like bananas.
Jim McAllister: Exactly!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 80th Annual Academy Awards (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

One of the best dark comedies ever

Election is easily my favorite comedy and one of my top ten favorite movies of all time. It brings out the best in most of it's cast and the stylistic quality of the film is both outrageous and subtle at the same time. However, the most amazing part of Election is that it makes an incredible movie and bases it around a subject so simple as a high school election.

But do not be fooled by it's simplicity in basic plot because hiding behind it's summary is a film that truly was underappreciated and very underrated. MTV has never and will never again get a movie as stunning as this.

Reese Witherspoon gives the performance of her career by playing Tracy Flick, a neurotic, self-obsessed go getter with a somewhat dark past that puts her on edge with Jim McCalister, a teacher who truly will stop at nothing to bring her down.

I will not say any more about Election except that those who have not seen this movie are truly missing out on an amazing film