Swing Vote Movie Review

Reviewed by Stephen R. Lang

Swing Vote is the story of a hapless alcoholic father, Bud Johnson (played by Kevin Costner) who is the average White Trash Single Father of an over-achieving, co-dependent caretaker daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll) who basically is the parent to her father (who she calls by his first-name).  Bud is the kind of Good Ol’ Boy loveable loser who likes to fish, and has a drinking problem. Hellbent on ensuring Bud votes in the Presidential election Molly does something illegal that will change the world and make two powerful men want her father’s attention and stop at nothing to get it. 

Kevin Costner’s Bud Johnson is symbolic of all middle-American good-time loving average men who work a mediocre job, sub-average accommodations, and no aspirations for the future.  Honestly, why should he care about voting or the electoral process?  His daughter Molly, on the other hand, realizes the situation they are in, and realizes that she is the only one that can help them, but being that she’s only about 12, it’s by arming herself with knowledge.  While giving a speech to her class on the importance of voting, she makes a powerful and jaw-dropping statement on how society as a whole goes through stages and if we’re not careful history is doomed to repeat itself.    

When his identity is cracked by a local news reporter, Kate Madison (Paula Patton) Bud and Molly’s world turns upside down. Then, when the President Andrew Boone (Kelsey Grammer) and Candidate Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper) discover his identity all stops are taken out and a virtual advertising war starts.  There are a wide variety of cameos in the movie from Willie Nelson and Richard Petty, but actual news people like Mary Hart, Larry King, and Dennis Miller all giving their opinions on the situation.  Played excellently as The Right Hand Men were both Boone’s Chief of Staff (Stanley Tucci) and Greenleaf’s Campaign Manager (Nathan Lane) who at first realize that they need step up their game or risk loosing everything but all soon realize what they have become. What is hysterical, from an advertising perspective, is the quickness of new campaign commercials and actions directed at getting Bud’s vote—even if it contradicts their current campaign platforms.   

What is amazing about this movie is the fact that its focus is not on either party but on how important the process is and how as Americans we need to remind ourselves that we have this right and to not to take it too lightly.  Swing Vote is an important movie that will make you laugh, cry, and hopefully inspire you to vote this November!