I remember way back in the day, some two decades ago, I once watched a movie called Election. Matthew Broderick was already an established actor, and Reese Witherspoon was a rising star who was about to break out. Together these two show us a different side of their acting abilities by starring in a messed up comedy about an election for high school student body president.
I recently forced my wife to sit down and watch this movie with me to review it on election day. I tried to explain that you will never see Witherspoon so intense in any role. She’s annoying beyond any measurable scale. If you love her in Legally Blonde or say Little Big Lies, you won’t be able to comprehend her performance as Tracy Flick.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, Broderick has played various roles in his career, and his performance as Mr. McAllister is on par with everything you know him from. This particular role would not stand out on his career reel, yet some people may remember the movie as a whole instead of the characters.
I could have easily reviewed Election without watching it again. However, I felt compelled to watch it one more time. I am not even sad to say this will probably be the last. There was nothing overly rememberable about this movie, except some off the chart performances. It was weird to watch Broderick fantasize about his wife’s best friend and Tracy Flick, a high school senior. That is just one of the many adult situations in this movie centred around high school situations.
Election will leave a bad taste in your mouth. I understand that someone was creative enough to intertwine adult and teenage situation into a comedy, yet there’s not a whole lot to laugh about. There could have been a thousand other ways this movie could have played out. Instead, the final product is what we were left with. 2/10
Ten Stars or Less 