Swing Vote
Release Date:
August 1, 2008
On the Big Board |
| Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
| 79/196 |
Max Braden |
Most of this is average stuff, but I found the climactic speech pretty moving. The camera loves Paula Patton |
It wouldn't be an election year without a political film, right? Touchstone Pictures brings us Swing Vote.
Kevin Costner is Bud Johnson, an apathetic, unemployed, single dad to Molly (12-year-old Madeline Carroll, getting an "introducing" tag in the trailer) who'd rather be fishing. Sneakily registered to vote by his excessively precocious daughter, Bud does his patriotic duty. However, the latest voting technology (TM Diebold) malfunctions and his vote doesn't count, so he is allowed to recast it. It turns out that his vote is pretty important, because it will end up determining the winner; incumbent President Boone (Kelsey Grammer), or challenger Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper). Bud becomes a nation-wide phenomenon as the pressure to choose begins to get to him. Also starring are Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci and George Lopez. We also expect numerous cameos from numerous political talking heads (Chris Matthews is shown in the trailer) as themselves.
Ignoring electoral math and all that stuff, it's a clever concept and extremely timely. The film was co-written by Jason Richtman and Joshua Michael Stern (the first notable credit for either) and directed by Stern.
The signs are there for a solid performance from Swing Vote, as long as audiences aren't annoyed at being reminded that there's an actual Presidential campaign going on. (Tim Briody/BOP)
Vital statistics for Swing Vote |
| Main Cast |
Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane |
| Supporting Cast |
Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Madeline Carroll, Paula Patton, Judge Reinhold, Willie Nelson, Mare Winningham, Richard Petty |
| Director |
Joshua Michael Stern |
| Screenwriter |
Joshua Michael Stern, Jason Richman |
| Distributor |
Touchstone Pictures |
| Trailer |
Click Here for Trailer
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| Official Site |
http://www.swingvote-themovie.com/ |
| Rating |
PG-13 |
| Screen Count |
2,213 |
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Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture |
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