#904: PAYNE, Alexander: Election (1999)

PAYNE, Alexander (United States)
Election [1999]
Spine #904
Blu-ray

Perky, overachieving high schooler Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) gets on the nerves of social-studies teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) to begin with, but after she launches her campaign for student-body president and his personal life starts to fall apart, things spiral out of control. In Alexander Payne's satire Election, the teacher becomes unhealthily obsessed with cutting his student down to size, covertly backing a spoiler candidate to stop her from steamrolling to victory, and putting in motion a series of dirty tricks and reckless promises with uncanny real-world political parallels. Adapting a then-unpublished novel by Tom Perrotta, Payne grounds the absurdity of his central dynamic in the recognizable — the setting is his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, and the accomplished cast is rounded out with non-professionals — and distills his closely observed take on deeply flawed humanity to its bitter but steathily sympathetic essence.

103 minutes

Color
5.1 Surround
2:35:1 aspect ratio

Criterion Release 2017

Director/Writers

Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta.

Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor.

Payne was 38 when he directed Election.

The Film

A

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Ten-page wraparound featuring an essay by critic Dana Stevens.

Commentary

From 1999 featuring Payne.

Interview

With actor Witherspoon.

The Passion of Martin

Payne’s 1990 UCLA thesis film, with an introduction by the director.

Trulnside: “Election”

A 2016 documentary featuring on-set footage and interviews with cast and crew.

Omaha

Local-news report on the film’s production.

Trailer

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

99

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