Swing Vote (2008)

Directed by: Joshua Michael Stern | 116 minutes | comedy, drama | Actors: Kevin Costner, Madeline Carrol, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Paula Patton, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Mare Winningham

A single vote can make a big difference, this is central to ‘Swing Vote’. Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner) lives in the small town of Texico, New Mexico. Bud is not an everyday family man, it is his daughter Molly (Madeline Carrol) who has to take care of him rather than the other way around. Bud is often in front of pampus because of his alcohol abuse. As a viewer, you quickly wonder why the twelve-year-old did not flee to her mother. Luckily for Bud, Molly has a long haul. Molly, unlike her father, is very social. She desperately wants her father to make use of his compulsory voting. At school, Molly gives an impressive lecture about what voices can do. She therefore fervently hopes that Bud will go to the polling station with her after work. But instead, her father is drunk at the bar.

Molly takes matters into her own hands and unknowingly sets in motion a series of events that will cause quite a stir in their quiet life… ‘Swing Vote’ has a very slow pace. The film only picks up when the two presidential candidates compete for Kevin’s casting vote. It’s amusing to see the ridiculous proposals or outings the two men throw into battle. These excerpts are also the interesting parts of ‘Swing Vote’. Like when President Andy (Kelsey Grammer – known from the TV series “Frasier”) is having a beer with Bud and allows him to tute each other. But competitor Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper) also makes a nice contribution. Bud gets the opportunity from Greenleaf to perform Willie Nelson songs again with his old buddies. Indeed, you read that right: Kevin Costner briefly shows his singing skills.

Despite the good efforts, the story of ‘Swing Vote’ surrounding a floating voter is too thin for a film of almost two hours. The well-known gentlemen Grammer, Hopper and Costner cannot disguise this either. The main character Bud is a bit too stereotypical. You don’t really empathize with him because you don’t understand what brought him to the ground. And when the turnaround in Bud’s character actually takes place – which you have been waiting for quite some time – the film quickly ends. That is ashame.

‘Swing Vote’ pretends to get the viewers to the voting booths, but the denouement of the whole thing is a cold shower. However, a compliment to the actress Madeline Carrol, because this young lady looks good on her ‘man’ next to the accomplished Costner. The moments in which Carrol as Molly acts sternly against Father Bud are endearing. Costner, on the other hand, doesn’t impress with his game. With ‘Swing Vote’, the actor shows a weak side. Then the contributions from co-workers Grammer and Hopper are a bit nicer, because they bring on the laughs more than the stunts Costner’s character pulls. The crazy actions of Greenleaf and the president also bring the necessary ‘breeze’ that ‘Swing Vote’ needs. For Molly’s existence without the intervention of these two gentlemen was only depressing. All in all ‘Swing Vote’ gets a meager pass. But the film does poke fun at the US presidential election campaign!