Election | |
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Directed by | Alexander Payne |
Screenplay by |
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Based on | Election by Tom Perrotta |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | James Glennon |
Edited by | Kevin Tent |
Music by | Rolfe Kent |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 103 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $8.5–25 million[1][2] |
Box office | $17.2 million[1] |
Election is a 1999 American black comedy film directed by Alexander Payne from a screenplay by Payne and Jim Taylor, based on Tom Perrotta's 1998 novel.
The plot revolves around a student body election and satirizes politics and high school life. The film stars Matthew Broderick as Jim McAllister, a popular high school social studies teacher, and Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick, an overachieving student whom he dislikes. When Tracy runs for student government president, McAllister sabotages her candidacy by backing a rival candidate and tampering with the ballot count.
Although not a commercial success, Election received widespread critical acclaim, along with an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Golden Globe nomination for Witherspoon for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical, and three Independent Spirit Awards including Best Feature Film in 1999.