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closeThere are so many absurdities in “Swing Vote” that it’s pointless to try and dissect them all.
Never mind the ridiculous plot, that a single vote will decide who’s elected president, this is a movie that appears to want to offer a scathing commentary on our entire electoral system. But it offers nothing new and brings only tired stereotypes to the conversation: Politicians are spineless and will pander to get elected; voters are at best uninformed and at worst plain stupid; and the media dumbs it all down, commercializes the process and makes the United States look foolish to the rest of the world.
After the fiasco that was the 2000 presidential election in Florida, it seems doubtful that voting Americans could ever again be surprised by any outcome of the modern-day democratic process. Even so, the events in “Swing Vote” are pushing it.
Here’s the deal: A mishap at a polling location prevents a single vote from being counted. By New Mexico state law, that vote, belonging to a borderline alcoholic deadbeat single father named Bud (Kevin Costner), must be cast again. For reasons that are never really made clear, this vote will decide the entire election. Naturally, Bud becomes a media sensation who’s courted heavily by the campaigns of the Republican incumbent (Kelsey Grammer) and the Democratic challenger (Dennis Hopper), both of which work overtime for his vote. Meanwhile, Bud’s wise-beyond-her-years pre-teen daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll) does her best to keep her dad from being exposed as the ignoramus he is.
As the story unfolds, things only get more preposterous, despite the “this could really happen” hook the filmmakers apparently want us to buy. Example: The candidates do public 180s on hot-button issues like immigration and abortion based solely on Bud’s apparent feelings, with little thought as to what their base supporters will think.
Another example: Hundreds of journalists stay behind barriers in front of Bud’s mobile home struggling for any sound bite, yet one reporter seems to have unlimited and exclusive access to Bud and his daughter.
As from Carroll’s performance as Bud’s daughter, the rest of the cast gives rather ho-hum performances. Costner’s Bud is a textbook country hick, both candidates are cookie-cutter examples of their respective parties and their campaign folks are the standard rule-bending opportunists who are only after a win. No one seems to have been particularly inspired.
I understand that “Swing Vote” is supposed to poke fun at what the American political system has become. But it just takes itself too seriously, even while being an obvious attempt at comedy. There’s nothing smart or funny here, just obvious slams at both major parties, voter apathy and all other things electoral.
Director Joshua Michael Stern (also a co-writer) was able to land a number of famous faces who pop up as themselves throughout the film, including everyone from cable news talking heads to country music great Willie Nelson and NASCAR legend Richard Petty. This was presumably done to add authenticity, but it only adds to the spectacle.
There’s nothing undecided here. This is just decidedly bad.
Grade: D
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