By Josh Moss
josh@louisville.com
As you know, it’s an election year, which means Hollywood is looking to cash in. This fall, for example, controversial filmmaker Oliver Stone’s “W.,” about the life of president George W. Bush, is set to hit theaters. (Okay, Stone may have an agenda other than turning a profit.) Until then, we’ve got Kevin Costner in “Swing Vote.” The message about the importance of voting is straightforward and admirable enough. Getting to that point, however, seems to take longer than, say, the entire primary season.
Twenty years ago (!) Costner starred in and won an Oscar for directing “Dances with Wolves,” clearly his crowning achievement. In the almost two decades since, especially recently, his roles have mostly been forgettable. We’re talking “The Guardian” and “Rumor Has It” forgettable. (He was rather creepy as a serial killer in last year’s “Mr. Brooks,” but that still doesn’t make up for 2001’s “3,000 Miles to Graceland.”) His character in “Swing Vote,” a ninny named Ernest “Bud” Johnson, isn’t much better than what we’ve seen lately. And the plot doesn’t help his case.
Largely unknown director Joshua Michael Stem (2005’s “Neverwas”) co-wrote the absurd script with the also largely unknown Jason Richman. It’s Election Day, and democrat Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper) is challenging incumbent republican president Andrew Boone (Kelsey Grammar) for the White House. They’re both almost-funny stereotypes of their political affiliations.
In his hometown of Texico, New Mexico, single father Bud doesn’t plan on voting, didn’t want to register because he feared he’d get jury duty.
Instead, the recently unemployed loser prefers to fish, guzzle beer or talk about his Willie Nelson tribute band, the Half Nelsons. His young daughter Molly (firecracker Madeline Carrol), who aspires to one day grow up and be a “veterinarian or chairman of the Fed,” registers him anyway through the mail. And when Bud still doesn’t show up to fill out his ballot, Molly tries to do it for him. The voting machine malfunctions, and blah, blah, blah, we’ve got ourselves a problem. Bud’s one vote will now decide the next Commander in Chief, and soon the presidential hopefuls, the media and spectators swarm tiny Texico.
Clearly it’s unrealistic, but that’s not why we don’t like it. For starters, it’d be nice to see a change in Bud sooner than, oh, the film’s final 10 minutes. Throughout, he’s just the same, unlikable jerk Child Services should have been after long ago. And we’re just asking: Wouldn’t Bud at least discuss with his daughter what went wrong in the voting booth? There’s also a tired storyline about a television reporter (Paula Patton) that could have been cut altogether.
The only time we genuinely laughed was when the candidates start flip-flopping on issues to court Bud. Some of the television advertisements are priceless, especially the one in which Hopper’s character switches stances and warns about abortion’s dangers. Funny stuff. And we’ll admit that Bud’s speech at a presidential debate is solid.
Overall, though, he’s too pathetic to enjoy. His charm wears off quickly. Hopper and Grammar are just collecting a paycheck. In supporting roles as competing political aides, Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane are underused. Instead, we get Bud, you know, at the bowling alley or yelling at another reporter. Young Carrol is the best thing going for “Swing Vote,” but Stem milks her for tears to the point of exhaustion. (What’s this stuff about an estranged mother?)
We guess Stem just wants to prove that, yeah, one vote matters. And that politicians are afraid to take a stand. And that the media is ruthless. Too much for a movie like this. But even if Martin Scorsese was directing, we still wouldn't feel comfortable with Costner deciding our nation's fate.
1 and 1/2 fleurs di lis out of 4