So ridiculous, it just might happen
Release date: 1 August 2008
By Jerilyn Covert
Amid a box office lineup that includes superhero blockbusters, fantasy adventures, and a much anticipated science fiction sequel comes a film with a really fantastical premise–in which an entire presidential election boils down to just one vote. But before you decide to allocate your $9 toward a movie that’s a bit more realistic, like part three of The Mummy, consider casting your ballot for something unique. Swing Vote is a heartwarming comedy with a serious message, heavily tempered by Kevin Costner’s lovable “Oh, shit” demeanor and the dynamic between him and adorable newcomer Madeline Carroll, cast as the daughter whose political idealism would border on naiveté if she weren’t, in fact, smarter than many of the adults in the film. When an electronic voting machine at a polling booth in Texaco, New Mexico, is accidentally unplugged, one vote is lost. The voter name registered on the bum ticket: Earnest “Bud” Johnson (Costner), who like many of the townspeople, is unemployed, drinks a lot, and drifts through life on a gale of apathy. Suddenly, the two-party system that for so long has failed the working poor, has to win over the very man who epitomizes the group–well, except for the “working” part. With that, an implausible yet relevant tale unfolds in this uplifting, blue-collar-comedy-meets-political-satire account of how one ordinary man can impact the future of the free world.