CAPSULE MOVIE REVIEW | Toto and Human Watch ELECTION (1999)

“I mean it’s not like I'm a lesbian or anything. I'm attracted to the person. It's just that all the people I've been attracted to happen to be girls”.

Written By: Alexander Payne & Jim Taylor

Directed By: Alexander Payne 

1999’s Election, a clever black comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick is hilarious, obscene, satirical and one of the most accurate cinematic depictions of modern politics in the last 30 years. The story takes place surrounding a high school student Presidential election campaign, with the ambitious and pretty-much sociopathic Tracey Flick running for President uncontested. For about a dozen reasons, beloved Civics teacher Mr McAllister is SO not on board with that plan, and quietly manipulates the ernest, daft and equally popular jock Paul Metzler to run as well. Chaos ensues, as Paul’s sister Tammy sees her female crush take up a relationship with her brother Paul, and decides to run against him too. It becomes a descent into the very worst human behaviour as the narrative effortlessly shifts between perspectives, made all the more hilarious (and delightful) by the fact that none of the characters possess the slightest inclination of self-awareness or remorse. I found myself recognising the archetypes I went to high school with, from the sleazy teacher, to the friendly yet utterly unremarkable football player, the likeable teacher that was far too invested in student affairs, to the psychotically perfect A grade over-achiever that all but curb-stomps on people to get to the top, and I saw parts of myself; in the brutally honest queer girl driven to apathy because practically everyone she’s stuck at high school with is a total fucking moron. It’s a fantastically fun film, letting you revisit high school while not making you feel nostalgic for it in any way. 

Toto was enthralled by it too, my little freaking weirdo. She rates it 4 out of 4 Toe Beans. 🐾 

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