Swing Vote (2008 film)
Encyclopedia
Swing Vote is a 2008 comedy-drama
film about an entire U.S. presidential election determined by the vote of one man. It was directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starred Kevin Costner
, Paula Patton
, Kelsey Grammer
, Dennis Hopper
, Nathan Lane
, Stanley Tucci
, George Lopez
and Madeline Carroll
. The film was released on August 1, 2008.
, who is coasting through life and hasn't a single political thought in his head, is thrust into an improbable dilemma. In response, he is coaxed by his 12-year-old daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll) to take more of a serious approach to life. Molly runs the household and sees an opportunity on election day to energize her father. Molly, frustrated with her father's apathy toward voting, sneaks into her local polling place and tries to vote on behalf of Bud. However, due to the voting machines being unplugged, the ballot is registered, but there is no decision on which candidate gets the vote. The entire election comes down to this one county and, namely, Bud's vote. The popular vote was the same for each candidate in New Mexico, leaving Bud to decide the next President of the United States
. Bud gets wooed by candidates from both sides: the incumbent Republican
, Andrew Carington Boone (Kelsey Grammer), and his campaign manager, Martin Fox (Stanley Tucci); and the opposing Democrat
, Vermont Senator Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper). Neither of the candidates' Vice Presidential selections are seen in the movie, though a campaign poster for the Republicans bears the surname "Meyers? under that of President Boone. The President's home state is also not mentioned.
Bud's actual opinions (or lack thereof) are misinterpreted by the media, causing the candidates to flip-flop on several positions (The Democrats take a pro-life
and anti-illegal immigration
stand while the Republicans take a pro-environmental
and pro gay marriage stand). As the film progresses, however, the two candidates are shown to move away from the cynical tactics forced on them by their advisers, and both gain Bud's respect. In the end, he chooses to hold a final debate the day before he is set to recast his ballot. In a written speech, he confesses that he knows little to nothing about politics or, for that matter, life, and decides to ask questions people have sent to him in the mail. The movie ends with Bud casting his vote, though it is never revealed for whom he voted.
and Belen, New Mexico
. Although not intended as a political statement on the upcoming presidential elections, when Kevin Costner found he couldn’t get the financing he wanted for Swing Vote to get it into theaters in time for the 2008 presidential election, he bankrolled it himself."
Joshua Michael Stern, who directed and co-wrote the script with Jason Richman, had earlier precedents to follow. The premise of the film is similar to an Isaac Asimov
story "Franchise", in which elections have evolved until the entire decision is based on one man chosen by Multivac
. The premise of Garson Kanin
’s 1939 movie The Great Man Votes
is also very similar to Swing Vote.
Aaron Brown
, Campbell Brown
, Mary Hart, Arianna Huffington
, James Carville
, Larry King
, Bill Maher
, Chris Matthews
, Willie Nelson
, Lawrence O'Donnell and Richard Petty
appear as themselves (mainly in cameos).
noted that in building the premise, "the movie makes a plucky stab at explaining how it comes to happen - and it almost sounds plausible." He gave it three stars. saying that a "mix of comedy and drama is winning; Costner couldn't be better, and the little girl is a find." Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle also gave it favorable reviews. On the other hand, Richard Roeper was quoted as saying, "Not a bad movie, probably OK to rent on DVD, but I'm saying don't rush to the theaters."
The reception of the film has been mixed. Rotten Tomatoes
reported that 37% of critics gave it positive reviews based on 139 reviews, and it holds a 47% mixed to average approval rating on Metacritic
. The Times of the UK ranked Swing Vote No. 14 on its list of The 100 Worst Films of 2008.
The film grossed $16,289,867 domestically and $509,512 overseas totaling $16,799,379 worldwide. On its opening weekend, the film grossed $6,230,669 placing it #6.
After release, a controversy arose when one of the main stars complained about his role being cut; Dennis Hopper in a series of interviews, claimed, "I got cut out of that movie".
, filed a lawsuit on August 7, 2008, stating that he gave Kelsey Grammer a copyrighted screenplay titled Go November in 2006. The lawsuit, filed at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
in Long Island, New York, is against Grammer, Kevin Costner (co-financier), The Walt Disney Company
(owner of the film rights), Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group Inc. (production company) and Touchstone Pictures
(distributor), and claims that the plot and marketing elements of Swing Vote were stolen from him.
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
film about an entire U.S. presidential election determined by the vote of one man. It was directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starred Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
, Paula Patton
Paula Patton
Paula Maxine Patton is an American actress. She is mostly known for her appearances in the films Idlewild , Déjà Vu , Mirrors , Swing Vote , Precious , Just Wright , and Jumping the Broom .-Early life and career:Patton was born in Los Angeles, to Joyce , a European-American...
, Kelsey Grammer
Kelsey Grammer
Allen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
, Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane
Nathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
, Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci
Stanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
, George Lopez
George Lopez
George Lopez is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture...
and Madeline Carroll
Madeline Carroll
Madeline Carroll is an American actress who was first noticed for her role as Molly Johnson in 2008's Swing Vote. Carroll had many supporting roles in various films Comedy and Drama...
. The film was released on August 1, 2008.
Plot
In a presidential election set somewhere in the near future, Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner), a lovable loser from Texico, New MexicoTexico, New Mexico
Texico is a city in Curry County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,065 at the 2000 census.-Name:The name is a portmanteau of "Texas" and "New Mexico". Texico is located on the Texas-New Mexico border...
, who is coasting through life and hasn't a single political thought in his head, is thrust into an improbable dilemma. In response, he is coaxed by his 12-year-old daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll) to take more of a serious approach to life. Molly runs the household and sees an opportunity on election day to energize her father. Molly, frustrated with her father's apathy toward voting, sneaks into her local polling place and tries to vote on behalf of Bud. However, due to the voting machines being unplugged, the ballot is registered, but there is no decision on which candidate gets the vote. The entire election comes down to this one county and, namely, Bud's vote. The popular vote was the same for each candidate in New Mexico, leaving Bud to decide the next President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. Bud gets wooed by candidates from both sides: the incumbent Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, Andrew Carington Boone (Kelsey Grammer), and his campaign manager, Martin Fox (Stanley Tucci); and the opposing Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Vermont Senator Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper). Neither of the candidates' Vice Presidential selections are seen in the movie, though a campaign poster for the Republicans bears the surname "Meyers? under that of President Boone. The President's home state is also not mentioned.
Bud's actual opinions (or lack thereof) are misinterpreted by the media, causing the candidates to flip-flop on several positions (The Democrats take a pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
and anti-illegal immigration
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
stand while the Republicans take a pro-environmental
Environment (biophysical)
The biophysical environment is the combined modeling of the physical environment and the biological life forms within the environment, and includes all variables, parameters as well as conditions and modes inside the Earth's biosphere. The biophysical environment can be divided into two categories:...
and pro gay marriage stand). As the film progresses, however, the two candidates are shown to move away from the cynical tactics forced on them by their advisers, and both gain Bud's respect. In the end, he chooses to hold a final debate the day before he is set to recast his ballot. In a written speech, he confesses that he knows little to nothing about politics or, for that matter, life, and decides to ask questions people have sent to him in the mail. The movie ends with Bud casting his vote, though it is never revealed for whom he voted.
Production
Swing Vote was shot primarily in AlbuquerqueAlbuquerque, New Mexico
Albuquerque is the largest city in the state of New Mexico, United States. It is the county seat of Bernalillo County and is situated in the central part of the state, straddling the Rio Grande. The city population was 545,852 as of the 2010 Census and ranks as the 32nd-largest city in the U.S. As...
and Belen, New Mexico
Belen, New Mexico
Belen is a city in Valencia County, New Mexico, United States. Belen is Spanish for Bethlehem, and over time has gained the nickname "Hub City" because of the Belen Cutoff of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. The Cutoff made it possible for many more trains to travel east and west across...
. Although not intended as a political statement on the upcoming presidential elections, when Kevin Costner found he couldn’t get the financing he wanted for Swing Vote to get it into theaters in time for the 2008 presidential election, he bankrolled it himself."
Joshua Michael Stern, who directed and co-wrote the script with Jason Richman, had earlier precedents to follow. The premise of the film is similar to an Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
story "Franchise", in which elections have evolved until the entire decision is based on one man chosen by Multivac
Multivac
Multivac is the name of a fictional supercomputer in many stories by Isaac Asimov. According to his autobiography In Memory Yet Green, Asimov coined the name in imitation of UNIVAC, an early mainframe computer...
. The premise of Garson Kanin
Garson Kanin
Garson Kanin was a prolific American writer and director of plays and films.-Film and stage career:...
’s 1939 movie The Great Man Votes
The Great Man Votes
The Great Man Votes is a 1939 American drama film starring John Barrymore as a widowed professor turned drunkard who has the deciding vote in an election for mayor. It was based on the short story of the same name by Gordon Malherbe Hillman in American Magazine...
is also very similar to Swing Vote.
Cast
As appearing in screen credits (main roles identified):- Kevin CostnerKevin CostnerKevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
as Ernest "Bud" Johnson - Madeline CarrollMadeline CarrollMadeline Carroll is an American actress who was first noticed for her role as Molly Johnson in 2008's Swing Vote. Carroll had many supporting roles in various films Comedy and Drama...
as Molly Johnson, Bud's daughter - Paula PattonPaula PattonPaula Maxine Patton is an American actress. She is mostly known for her appearances in the films Idlewild , Déjà Vu , Mirrors , Swing Vote , Precious , Just Wright , and Jumping the Broom .-Early life and career:Patton was born in Los Angeles, to Joyce , a European-American...
as Kate Madison, news reporter - Kelsey GrammerKelsey GrammerAllen Kelsey Grammer is an American actor and comedian. He is most widely known for his two-decade portrayal of psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the sitcoms Cheers and Frasier...
as President Andrew "Andy" Boone, Republican incumbent - Dennis HopperDennis HopperDennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
as Donald "Don" Greenleaf, Democratic candidate - Nathan LaneNathan LaneNathan Lane is an American actor of stage and screen. He is best known for his roles as Mendy in The Lisbon Traviata, Albert in The Birdcage, Max Bialystock in the musical The Producers, Ernie Smuntz in MouseHunt, Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, Pseudolus in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to...
as Arthur "Art" Crumb, Greenleaf's campaign manager - Stanley TucciStanley TucciStanley Tucci is an American actor, writer, film producer and film director. He has been nominated for several notable film awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his performance in The Lovely Bones...
as Martin "Marty" Fox, Boone's campaign manager - George LopezGeorge LopezGeorge Lopez is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture...
as John Sweeney, TV station manager - Judge ReinholdJudge ReinholdJudge Reinhold is an American actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy.-Early life:...
as Walter, co-worker - Chip EstenChip EstenCharles "Chip" Esten Puskar III is an American comedian, actor and singer known for his appearances on the improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?....
as Lewis - Mare WinninghamMare WinninghamMare Winningham , born Mary Megan Winningham, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Drama Desk, 7 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won an Independent Spirit Award and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.She is...
as Larissa Johnson - Mark MosesMark MosesMark W. Moses is an American actor, known for his roles of Paul Young on Desperate Housewives and Herman "Duck" Phillips on the AMC series Mad Men.-Life and career:...
as Attorney General Wyatt - Nana VisitorNana VisitorNana Visitor , born Nana Tucker, is an American actress, best known for playing Kira Nerys in the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Jean Ritter in the television series Wildfire.-Early life:...
as Galena Greenleaf
Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown
Aaron Brown is an American broadcast journalist most recognized for his coverage of the September 11, 2001 attacks, his first day on air at CNN...
, Campbell Brown
Campbell Brown
Campbell Brown is an American television news reporter and anchor. She previously hosted an eponymous primetime show on CNN and was formerly co-anchor of NBC's Weekend Today...
, Mary Hart, Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington
Arianna Huffington is a Greek American author and syndicated columnist. She is best known as co-founder of the news website The Huffington Post. A popular conservative commentator in the mid-1990s, she adopted more liberal political beliefs in the late 1990s...
, James Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
, Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
, Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
, Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews
Christopher John "Chris" Matthews is an American news anchor and political commentator, known for his nightly hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, which is televised on the American cable television channel MSNBC...
, Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
, Lawrence O'Donnell and Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
appear as themselves (mainly in cameos).
Reception
Reaction from critics centered on Costner's performance. One characterized it as "unsentimental" but handled "with such ease and conviction" that it anchors the film. Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
noted that in building the premise, "the movie makes a plucky stab at explaining how it comes to happen - and it almost sounds plausible." He gave it three stars. saying that a "mix of comedy and drama is winning; Costner couldn't be better, and the little girl is a find." Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle also gave it favorable reviews. On the other hand, Richard Roeper was quoted as saying, "Not a bad movie, probably OK to rent on DVD, but I'm saying don't rush to the theaters."
The reception of the film has been mixed. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 37% of critics gave it positive reviews based on 139 reviews, and it holds a 47% mixed to average approval rating on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. The Times of the UK ranked Swing Vote No. 14 on its list of The 100 Worst Films of 2008.
The film grossed $16,289,867 domestically and $509,512 overseas totaling $16,799,379 worldwide. On its opening weekend, the film grossed $6,230,669 placing it #6.
After release, a controversy arose when one of the main stars complained about his role being cut; Dennis Hopper in a series of interviews, claimed, "I got cut out of that movie".
Lawsuit
Bradley Blakeman, a former deputy assistant for appointments and scheduling to President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, filed a lawsuit on August 7, 2008, stating that he gave Kelsey Grammer a copyrighted screenplay titled Go November in 2006. The lawsuit, filed at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the entirety of Long Island and Staten Island...
in Long Island, New York, is against Grammer, Kevin Costner (co-financier), The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
(owner of the film rights), Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group Inc. (production company) and Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures
Touchstone Pictures is an American film production label and is one of several film labels of the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group. Established in 1984, its releases typically feature more mature themes and darker tones than those that are released under the Walt Disney Pictures banner.Touchstone...
(distributor), and claims that the plot and marketing elements of Swing Vote were stolen from him.
External links
- Swing Vote review on PinkNews