Bud Kind of Wiser

Swing Vote

(PG-13)

originally published August 6, 2008

Kevin Costner

Typical Hollywood political films are either liberal screeds or conservative responses. Swing Vote stays mum on the issues, for the most part, and delivers a heartfelt, longwinded appeal on behalf of working class stiffs across the nation.

Not a classic Costnerian lovable loser like Crash Davis or Roy “Tin Cup” McAvoy, Earnest “Bud” Johnson woke up before he could achieve the American dream. He’s a single father who recently lost his job at the Texico, New Mexico egg-packing plant due to insourcing (defined by a mulleted, mustachioed Judge Reinhold as bringing Mexicans in to take jobs rather than shipping factories out). Bud drinks too much and must be cared for by his nearly adult, 12-year-old daughter, Molly (Madeline Carroll). In the highly overscripted plot by Jason Richman and director Joshua Michael Stern, Bud’s deciding vote, placed by Molly, doesn’t count due to an electronic error, giving this uneducated American 10 days to become the most important man in the nation.

A doggone decent civics lesson, Swing Vote is also pretty funny. Costner never seems completely comfortable as Bud, who is more loser than he is lovable, but the bonafide movie star has tons of charismatic kindling left to burn. He also has a lot of help. Swing Vote boasts a cast of recognizable faces - some talented (Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, Dennis Hopper), some likable (Kelsey Grammer) - to carry the scenes that aren’t Bud-centric. The toughest role and best performance belongs to young Carroll. She may oversell her weepy moments, but her fed up yet optimistic, knowledgeable yet compassionate future voter puts a brighter spin on America’s direction than any of Bud’s speechifying or the candidates’ rejection of party dogma. Too bad the comedy decides a presidential election is serious business and detours down several laughless, dramatic side roads. Typically, movies that attempt to boil down super important issues for mainstream, comedic consumption are unhip, unfunny and ultimately unsuccessful satires. The bipartisan Swing Vote is certainly the epitome of the first, but actually keeps some of the trailer’s and premise’s humorous and satirical promise.

Drew Wheeler