The film tells how one ordinary high school election changed the lives of everyone’s favorite history and civics teacher Jim McAllister (Broderick) and one of its most ambitious over-achieving students, Tracy Flick (Witherspoon). Through the course of the film we are given voice-overs to help give us a unique take on the events that led up to that faithful day.
The film opens with McAllister arriving for school in the wee hours of the morning doing what looks like his daily ritual. As he walks through the hallways before any of the students have arrived, he turns the corner to find Tracy Flick at a table already to get her signatures for student body president. A voice-over from Tracy follows on how McAllister should have never interfered with destiny since that’s why it is called destiny. Soon it is McAllister turn who speaks on himself as a teacher and the whole mess that became the election. The film proceeds to go back and forth between the two of them to help give us a little background on our main characters. It is pretty obvious from the start that even though McAllister might admire Flick, she also gets on his nerves.
These are not the only characters that play a role in the film. Not only do they all have their moments to speak their mind in voice-overs but they too will enter the election. After all around popular athlete, dumb witted but overall nice guy Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) breaks his leg skiing, he is encouraged by McAllister to run against Flick in the election. But that’s not the only one that will join in the election. Paul’s sister Tammy (Jessica Campbell) enters the competition after Paul unknowingly starts dating Tammy’s ex-girlfriend Lisa.
If that’s not enough, McAllister is in the process of having an affair with a family friend, gets stung in the eye by a bee and tries to fix the election. Does everything turn out on the end? Does everyone get what they deserve? Well you’ll just have to see the movie for yourself.
Election has been available on DVD since 2001 and now that it’s been released on blu-ray, I was surprised they made no effort to add any new special features. The blu-ray like the standard DVD only comes with a commentary track by director Alexander Payne. The commentary track is a bit dry but informative and does give us his take on what he was trying to achieve with his script and the film. Otherwise, that is the only bonus feature. There’s not even a theatrical trailer included. A film that has so much to say on everything from politics, men, the relationship between authorities etc and is has no featurettes on the film and its messages are completely unacceptable.
There seems to be a trend happening with a lot of movies being rushed to blu-ray. Election isn’t a film you need to see on blu-ray per say. It’s not a flashy special effects driven movie. So it’s hard to see why someone would pick it up if they already have it on standard definition. This is why the studios need to add bonus material to their blu-ray releases. We want a reason to re-buy the film and depending on the movie, just being on blu-ray is not enough.
Election is not a teenager movie as much as it is an adult movie about teenagers. It is a dark comedy that has some great laugh out loud moments. But overall it’s a film about the human condition and no matter how it seems we all have our faults. Election has become one of those cult classics and if you some how missed it, then do yourself a favor and check it out on blu-ray.
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