Review: Swing Vote

Swing Vote

Opening Date: 08/01/2008

STUDIO: Touchstone

TRAILER: Trailer

ACCOMPLICES: Official Site

The Charge
One ordinary guy is giving the candidates a reason to run.

Opening Statement
To be honest, I don’t understand where all the critical hostility for this film is coming from. Having read and heard everything from “toothless political satire” and “woefully unfunny” to “one of the most idiotic movies about American politics ever made,” I wasn’t expecting much at all from Swing Vote. So imagine my surprise when what I found was a sweet, heartfelt father/daughter tale, set against the backdrop of American society’s rampant inability to think for itself.

Facts of the Case
Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner) is a drunk, divorced, worthless shell of a human being; and he’ll be the first to admit it. Like so many Americans, he’s given up. His wife left him, he’s been laid off from a dead end job, and the only thing that keeps him going is the love he has for his whip-smart daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll)… and that’s rarely enough to get him through the day. Molly is anamoly — a kid with hopes and dreams that haven’t been crushed by her personal circumstances or the one horse town she’s trapped in. Forced into the role of parent, she ends up caring for her adolescent father and taking every opportunity to get him and them back on their feet. So when Bud blows off election day, despite Molly’s pleas for this one favor, she tries to cast his ballot for him. But when things go wrong, this seemingly inconsequential turn of events takes on monumental implications, when the Presidential race comes down to one county in one state and the invalid ballot of one man… Bud.

The Evidence
Lighten up, people. Swing Vote doesn’t pretend to be anything more than it is. From opening to closing frame, there is heart and soul in this film that’s rarely felt in Hollywood these days. Yes, the setup is absurdist, but this isn’t a documentary. If you want political “realism,” turn on CNN.

Maybe people just have a difficult time seeing themselves and their ridiculous choices reflected back at them; and that’s exactly what screenwriter Jason Richman and director Joshua Michael Stern do. The message of Swing Vote isn’t so much about the political process as it is America’s persistent need to be told what to think, buy, feel, wear, and eat. There isn’t a day that goes by when we aren’t bombarded by television and radio shows, advertisements, soundbites, email updates, and blog posts shaping our thoughts and feelings. When something becomes “hot,” everyone flocks to it.

So when one man becomes the center of the political landscape, the entire system shifts focus. Well-crafted platforms are abandoned, ridiculous promises are made, and in true modern American fashion, people are willing to do whatever it takes to win… and I’m not just talking about the politicians. Sure, the power brokers have the most to lose and it’s a riot watching Kelsey Grammar (incumbent President Boone) and Dennis Hopper (challenger Donald Greenleaf) sell out everything they once believed in (however manufactured that is) to take control of the White House. But the media, whose journalistic integrity has long since been abandoned, descends upon the little town of Texico, New Mexico and swallows its inhabitants whole, in order to generate 24/7 news coverage of an event (Bud’s recast vote) that’s still 10 days away.

There’s no browbeating of political philosophy here. In fact, the two places that could have become heavy handed — the final debate between the two candidates, and the vote itself — are left open-ended, for the simple fact that this is not what this story is about. Bud represents the 65% of American registered voters (and god knows how many unregistered ones), who have grown so apathetic they don’t even exercise their most primary citizen’s right. And given the actions of Nathan Lane and Stanley Tucci as the candidate’s respective campaign managers, it’s easy to see why people have become so disenfranchised. Unfortunately, when those mental muscles atrophy, the masses become mindless cattle who are far too easily manipulated.

But there’s hope for us yet and, as is often the case, it’s found in our children, who have not been tainted or sullied by life’s many pitfalls. Madeline Carroll does a superb job as Molly, carrying that hope through even the darkest moments of doubt, reminding us that it’s never too late to start making positive choices. Some may call this “Capra-esque hokey,” but there’s a core of truth to it all. It’s certainly not going to change the world overnight, but it may begin to turn around our individual worlds… and small steps often lead to big journeys.

Rebuttal Witnesses
Granted, this isn’t a perfect film. The character of Kate, the ambitious local journalist, fails to connect. I understand where they were trying to take her, but an underdeveloped subplot and Paula Patton’s uneven performance combine for a character that only serves to weigh down the proceedings. We also could have done without the cameo of Mare Winningham as Molly’s mom. It was never clear that she abandoned them soon after Molly was born and the time devoted to this minor arc adds no value to the overall story. Besides, anyone who has ever seen any of Mare’s made-for-TV movies has seen this character far too many times before.

Closing Statement
Swing Vote is welcome counter programming to a summer of superheroes, sequels, and big budget adventure. Kevin Costner gets back to playing a character that’s right in his wheel house, with the heart, humor, and humbleness of Roy McAvoy (Tin Cup), Ray Kinsella (Field of Dreams), and Crash Davis (Bull Durham) all rolled into one. Combine that Shane Hurlburt’s beautiful cinematography, John Debney’s sweeping score, and Joshua Michael Stern’s deft direction, and you have an enjoyable evening at the movies. Who knows, you may even learn something about yourself in the process.

The Verdict

8/10

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