This remarkably sour comedy from Alexander Payne (The Holdovers; Sideways; The Descendents) may be set in high school, but its satiric take on moral corruption, political chicanery, adultery and seduction is anything but juvenile — and hits twice as hard today. In a smart role reversal, Ferris Bueller (aka Matthew Broderick) plays Mr McAllister, a responsible, concerned teacher worn thin by long years at George Washington Carver High, by his sexless marriage, and by the plight of his best friend, sacked for sleeping with the redoubtable but under age Tracy Flick (Witherspoon).
Come elections for student council president, Tracy is far and away the front runner, but Mr. McAllister, terrified by the prospect of working so closely with this closet Lolita, and charged with overseeing the proceedings, discreetly sponsors a rival candidate, gormless jock Paul (Chris Klein). Things heat up when Paul’s younger sister joins the race. With her clipped diction, prim demeanour and blinkered ability to see only her side of every issue, Tracy makes a frighteningly credible proto despot… at least as seen through the misogynistic eyes of McAllister. As a microcosm of the malaise creeping through Western democracies, the apathy, vote rigging, and character assassination manifest at Carver High serves all too well.
This millennial classic is part of our monthly Premium Pick series, in which VIFF Premium members nominate a favourite film to share with our audience. This month, Election was suggested by Colby Payne, who comments “Election is a funny and deeply cynical satire with a stellar early career performance from Reese Witherspoon.”
Astute and keenly observerd… This biting black comedy is a microcosm of the questions that still plague institutions of power and those subjected to its inequities.
Wenlei Ma, The Guardian
Media Partner
Alexander Payne
Matthew Broderick, Reece Witherspoon, Chris Klein, Colleen Camp
USA
1999
English
Indigenous & Community Access
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Credits
Screenwriter
Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Cinematography
James Glennon
Editor
Kevin Tent
Original Music
Rolfe Kent
90s, Baby!
Ten years. 11 weeks. 90 films from the 1990s. This summer, 90’s Baby! takes a deep dive into a defining decade of cinema.
Lessons of Darkness
Werner Herzog's unforgettable documentary reveals the unfolding disaster of the Kuwaitian oil fields in flames in 1991 as a sweeping inferno of mesmerizing power.
Beau Travail
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Three Kings
George Clooney headlines David O Russell's bold, brazen attempt to get to grips with the immediate aftermath of Operation Desert Storm, as 4 US soldiers try to liberate a missing shipment of gold amidst the chaos and carnage.
But I'm a Cheerleader
Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is the perfect All-American Girl, or so she thinks. That is until she’s shipped off to conversion therapy. This pitch black comedy is wrapped in a saccharine bow, featuring the icon herself, RuPaul, as a conversion counsellor.
Magnolia
This deeply personal 1999 California opus is ripe for rediscovery. Mapping the emotional traumas of half-a-dozen major characters as they crisscross the San Fernando Valley in search of either recognition or reconciliation, it's PTA's riskiest gamble.
Election
Tracy Flick (Reece Witherspoon) is running for Student President, but Mr. McAllister (Matthew Broderick) has other ideas... This remarkably sour millennial comedy from Alexander Payne (The Holdovers; Sideways; The Descendents) hits twice as hard today.
Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai
Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) is an assassin, but he's also an existential loner who adheres to his personal code. Despite the thriller trappings, this is really a lampoon of that genre, and a melancholy reverie for the cultural melting pot we call home.
The Straight Story
David Lynch goes a different direction in this linear Midwestern about a septuagenarian (Richard Farnsworth) who drives nearly 400km on a lawnmower to visit his ailing brother (Harry Dean Stanton).
90s Surprise Film
The 90s movie we have all been missing... Join us for a celebratory wake for this year's 90s, Baby series! What you will be seeing is top secret (no, not Top Secret!, that was 1984) but it will be at least 26 years old and it will be new to this series.
The Wind Will Carry Us
Kiarostami's dry comic masterpiece follows a Tehrani film team's thwarted attempts to document a traditional Kurdish funeral... Trouble being, there's no one to bury, and, worse, virtually no cell service...
Fight Club
1999 was a very good year for movies, but nothing captured millennial angst quite so vividly as David Fincher's bruising black comedy about what it means to be a man today. This modern classic does everything short of rattling your seat to get a reaction.