'Swing Vote' a relevant comedy

By Joshua Snyder
West Times Staff

With presidential elections only months away, it only seems natural that movie theaters would see the release of at least one film covering the topic of election politics. This year, Swing Vote is that movie.

It tells the story of Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a bumbling, uneducated drunk who doesn’t care about anything with the exception of this daughter, Molly (Madeline Carroll). After an accident at the polling place in his small town of Texico, New Mexico, the powers that be determine that the two presidential candidates are in a dead heat, with only one vote separating the winner from the loser. When the media discovers that it is apathetic Bud who holds the key vote to deciding the election, mass chaos ensues as every news source in America and abroad descends on the man’s crude trailer, followed shortly by the candidates themselves.

Perhaps most pleasing thing about Swing Vote is that it is a political film that takes no clear side. How often does a movie like that come around?

Even the candidates, who go to ridiculous, often dishonorable, lengths to convince Bud to vote for them, are clearly not villains. Instead, both politicians are honorable, admirable people whose senses of idealism have been dulled during their years under the political machinations of their campaign managers. Both of these political coaches eerily resemble Mephistopheles, the devil in his human form, as they tempt the candidates with promises of power beyond their wildest dreams if they agree to sell their souls and play the game of dirty politics.

The acting in the film is decent. Kevin Costner’s portrayal of the alcoholic Bud Johnson is an unusual turn for him, but Costner rises to the challenge, making Bud a character you can cheer for in the face of his obvious flaws. Madeline Carroll was a brilliant casting choice for the role of Molly, Bud’s young daughter. Carroll’s skilled acting brings an intelligence and sense of cautious optimism that raises the film to another level, despite her age. Also worthy of note are Kelsey Grammar and Dennis Hopper as the presidential candidates. The only slip was in Paula Patton’s performance as reporter Kate Madison, which seems almost despairingly two-dimensional but acceptable regardless.

The movie has several definite flaws, though. The soundtrack of Swing Vote is less effective than it could be. The film’s music plays almost continuously throughout the film, relying on it far too much to strengthen the emotion being portrayed onscreen. Furthermore, it jumps genres with disturbing nonchalance, changing from country to rock and back again in minutes. It just doesn’t work. In the end, Swing Vote’s soundtrack is far more distracting than successful.

Also, the film doesn’t always balance effectively between humor and sobering reality. Bud isn’t a good father, and Molly is often forced to play the role of mother and ensure that her father, the house, and their life as a whole, don’t fall apart. This is, of course, not an easy thing to cope with, and the audience is forced to confront the situation repeatedly throughout the movie. The transition from comedy to drama isn’t always handled well, and sometimes appears thrown in at the last minute, dampening its effectiveness.

Overall, however, Swing Vote is a movie worth the cost of a ticket if you’re interested in the upcoming election. If you can overlook it’s minor shortcomings, the film brings a refreshingly genuine enthusiasm to its subject matter, which will continue to become increasingly relevant as November draws closer.