Waste of time

Good start, but then it gets ruined

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

This is a little gem that absorbs so much of our zeitgeist and angst, and turns it into a surprisingly entertaining picture. On the surface, it sounds like it should be a stinker, yet there are some interesting and touching twists to the plot, especially toward the end. Costner plays a Homer Simpson dumb-ass, yet Swing Vote avoids falling into the Dumb and Dumber genre, thanks in part to his "Lisa Simpson" daughter, played to perfection by Madeline Carroll, and to the genuineness of Costner's performance. It also avoids falling into stereotypes of politicians and their operatives, though it sometimes comes close. The candidates, at least, do have second thoughts and feelings. The screenplay builds characters deftly. The movie is a bit long and slow, but to good effect. I am tired of hyper, zipping movies. The scenes with Bud and Molly fishing, with the President and Bud just sitting outside on chaises, need the slow pace to convey atmosphere. And it says that Bud is the sort of guy who just likes to enjoy a quiet life. He isn't a bad guy, and in an earlier decade with a better economy, might have done just fine; as such he represents millions of Americans. The basic premise is more that a little improbable, of course, of an election decided by one vote. And yet we see stories about this on the local level often enough. It is movie as fable, much like the classic "Dave," a point alluded to by John Debney's score when it echoes the fairytale effects of James Newton Howard's score from "Dave." Both are about an everyman who gets to call the shots when he becomes king for a day. We get to imagine ourselves in their shoes. Spoiler alert: Swing Vote has a fantastic premise, and as such, we viewers are treated to the spectacle of seeing how far the writers and director can go out on a limb before it collapses. It never does. We wonder how it will end, who Bud will vote for, will he get a job, will he get the girl? Wisely, but sadly, they don't take us that far, leaving it to the viewer's imagination. It is nice to have an ending that leaves things to think about.There are so many echoes in this movie of life and art, particularly the bizarre Dade County endless recounts of the 2000 Bush-Gore election. That was a case of truth being stranger than fiction; I still have trouble believing that a U.S. Presidential election was virtually stolen by someone who lost by more than a half-million votes.Swing Vote is sort of the Wag the Dog of electoral politics, with the transmogrification of reality into PR media reality, as every word Bud utters leads to a near instantaneous rewriting of the candidates' positions through television ads addressed to Dear Bud. It also brings to mind The Lathe of Heaven, where the character's dreams and wishes instantaneously transform the world. Both Dave and Swing Vote are heirs to the Capra tradition of film populism -- and both have a hefty list of real-life cameos.Swing Vote is a reductio ad absurdum of everyday poll-driven swing-voter politics to their ultimate absurdity: a single voter. It is amusing and frightening. But Molly and reporter Kate Madison save the day by rubbing Bud's nose in the reality of some of the thousands of letters he has received from people who are hurting, who care passionately about the issues. Finally, Bud takes his responsibility seriously, ending the movie on a note of hope. If Bud is the Everyman, then what it is saying is that if every voter were to take his responsibility to weigh the issues as seriously, perhaps the candidates, too, would respond with substance. For they and their handlers care, but under the imperative to win must cater to an electorate that does not think deeply, who, like Bud, are probably in a beer haze while voting -- if they do.Six years on, Swing Vote has become a sleeper, a potential classic that most viewers have overlooked. I highly recommend it. It's message is as timely as ever. Most of all, it is a fun, entertaining movie.

There are some good mysteries left in the world. The Loch Ness monster. The dark matter. Atlantis, etch. Another mystery for me is how this small gem received a mere 6.0 in IMDb!Anyway, this movie is nothing short than a small masterpiece! Based on a made-plausible, but not really so realistic scenario (which shouldn't be anyway, since this movie is a metaphor), it addresses ,with humor and sensitivity, all the basic issues in today's world of politics. Its hypocrisy. Its luck of real empathy. Its volatility and opportunism. And although the messages conveyed here relate to vastly- more-than-the-US political scene, in effect to most of today's modern politics, the obscurities and insanities of the US political system (like the electoral college) are clearly hinted here, despite the movie's intentional exaggerations (because, uh-mm, IT IS a satire!) Political hypocrisy and opportunism are, of course, the main focus of the movie. How easily political leaders change their agendas in order to win? And how much of THEIR agendas do they really make, instead of being swayed left and right by their opportunist political consultants? (Some people commented that in reality they wouldn't change views so easily, because that would get them into trouble with their other voters! But this is a metaphor, not really aiming to be realistic, but rather to show how spineless politicians can sometimes be , if the stakes are high enough!) The second message is a message for all of us, and it is conveyed by Molly's brilliant quote, one of the brightest ever uttered on TV: "All the world's great civilizations have followed the same path. From bondage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy back to bondage. If we are to be the exception to history, then we must break the cycle, for those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it" I spent a while reflecting on from civilization to civilization, and it was mind- boggling how true that quote is (ancient Greecs, Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines... you name it!!!)! It was as if someone distilled 3000 years of history and came down to a single message! If there is something worthwhile to take home from this movie, this is it!Finally, the third major message, that went unobserved by most is the one concerning the place of children in our world. Children, wonderfully represented by Molly(and in smaller extent by Jed), carry massively more than their due weight of the world, having to suffer from the adult's insufficiencies and indifference (despite Bud's sincere and best intentions of course). But with them lies all the hope for the future! All throughout the movie, Molly represents all the most decent (and caring) traits in her world (her voting attempt being irreproachable since is central for the plot), and in that respect she stands out from all the adults in the movie! There are a lot of secondary messages, about the major flaws, contradictions and inequalities of US political, social and economic system, but of course all these are known and have been seen before. But wait, there is a core of optimism amidst all that! By the end of the movie all the main characters (most notably Bud and the two presidential candidates) show redeeming qualities: the last talk between Boone and Bud and Bud's introduction to the debate say it all! And perhaps, the best accomplishment of this movie is that among all the satire and the wrongs exposure, it manages to retain a sense of understanding, even sympathy for its main characters who all, more or less, show specs of consciousness at the end. That alone elevates this movie from a flat, strictly denunciatory statement to a lot more qualitative work, giving it a lot more humanely approach. Thus, all the important messages are conveyed, but with traces of hope, understanding and entailing awareness within them. And this is a hard-worked but wonderfully meaningful mix to end up with!WARNING: Major spoilers ahead...Despite all the above, however, I have to note that in my opinion, the ending should be different. Instead of Bud finally taking a vote, the movie should end with Bud DENYING to vote (or voting "blanck"), thus leading to new elections or the election of the President by the Congress. This would have made a lot more fitting ending, staying close to the movie's spirit but also closer to the true people's will (its why I give this movie a mere 8/10). But even so, this film strives to maintain strict neutrality, and this is one of its biggest accomplishments (if the end was showing what was Bud's selection, it would have ruined the movie at all!) There is no doubt in my mind that the creators of this movie (director, writers, producers) are real patriots, striving to pass all their messages and points about US along with genuine satire, while virtually omitting any clichés! The end product is a really hard and well balanced mix. I am just sorry that a lot of people didn't get that, although they should! I cannot finish without commenting on Bud's daughter, Madeline Caroll. The little girl was simply amazing, delivering a remarkably mature performance and stealing virtually every scene she was in, outshining even Kostner most of the time! Surely she has a great future ahead. All the other cast, starting from Kevin Kostner, was simply remarkable too. So, all in all, a wonderful movie with important messages that everyone, especially with a sense of humor and political sensitivities, should definitively see!

A movie about the result of the United States presidential election being determined by one man's vote? Sounds ridiculous, but the film's explanation of how this came to be almost sounds plausible.Bud Johnson is some dude living in a trailer in a tiny New Mexico town who cares about nothing but his daughter, Molly. The overachieving Molly basically has to take care of her alcoholic father. She tries to get him to become aware of current events, and tries to get him to vote--and everything plays out from there.Kevin Costner did a great job as Bud Johnson, who, as he put it, is an "American rascal". Bud has no clue what he's doing or what's going on, and Coaster portrays that perfectly.However, Madeline Carroll stole the show. Sure, Kevin Costner's name was put on the poster, but that was only a ploy to make money. Madeline is the real star. Madeline has a special talent, something I've never seen before. Her performance just seemed so real, so much more real than everyone else's. She has a bright future ahead of her.I do not understand how this movie didn't do better commercially and critically. There's really nothing wrong with it. It made me wonder about just what exactly goes on behind the scenes of a candidate's campaign. A funny, thought-provoking movie with great performances from its leads.

Kevin Costner was actually in another decent movie. His last movie I saw, Mr. Brooks, was pretty good also. I would call this movie a political satire, that tries to be a little funny at times. However, the idea that one guy determines the presidential election is absurd, but if you can get past that, then the plot is OK. It was funny how the movie had the political parties doing adds for things they oppose. Example, the democrats supporting pro life because Bud says he's pro life.The plot is struggling, every day man, Bud Johnson, just got laid off. He has a very smart daughter and she cares about the presidential election. Bud promises to vote since Molly thinks it's important. But, when he doesn't show, Molly votes in his place but the power goes out and the vote didn't count. The election comes down to New Mexico and for some reason, not told in the movie, Bud's vote will decide the electoral votes. I mean, how could the votes be even for each side and even if they were very close, how many months would it take for all the recounts that would take place. But any way, it's up to Bud, whom doesn't care about politics. He becomes an instant celebrity and is courted by both candidates. By the end of the film, Bud grows an appreciation for the political scene and realizes that it is important to care about social issues.FINAL VERDICT: Funnier than I thought and provides a message. Plus, the movie doesn't try to say that one party is better than the other.