Election

viewed December 17, 1999 on video

For full information about this film, click here

Far and away the best among the growing pack of teen films, and perhaps the least likely to be appreciated by a teen audience.  Solid movie pitting two intensely interesting lead characters against each other.  also a comment on the starr-clinton investigation. 

Mr.

Broderick is paying for his earlier sins as the underachieving, cynical student as the antithesis, the hopelessly lost, self-centered teacher, against another anti-Ferris, an overachieving, straight-arrow student. 

Reese Witherspoon is unsettling in a varied performance. 

lots of minor parts, Chris Klein and Jennifer Campbell as brother and sister. 

Scenes are true to life, like Klein's speech at the rally, others are satirically sharp, like Tracy's demographically-conscious campaign speech. 

Tracy's tantrum is completely believable and disturbing.

a brilliant scene with Mr. M and his wife, visualizing the two other women in his life. 

achieves a unique tone that is sensitive to both sides even when satirizing their dreams and desperate plots. 

unfortunately it doesn't sustain the multi-faceted tonalities of the satire and often settles for less than witty broadshots to get laughs...

some elements like Tracy's affair with her old teacher are perhaps too outrageous for their own good, cheap shot with the Campbell character looking forward to Catholic school which apparently is a breeding ground for lesbians. 

Chris Klein is very lovable in his part. seems kind of mean at the end when he is actually the most sincere person, and you kind of question the filmmaker's morals and ethics. 

it does upset the hegemony of the teacher as role model unlike any other film i've seen,

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