Review of Swing Vote (2008) by Shannon S — 14 Jan 2009

The premise of the story is fictitious and highly improbable; it is based on the idea that one manâ??s vote was not counted, and as a result, the presidential election is held in limbo until the man (Bud, played by Kevin Costner) can re-cast his vote. Part of the problem is, the man didnâ??t really vote and had no plan to. His young, overachieving daughter tried to vote for him. Her father, as part of a string of broken promises, stood her up at the polls. A local reporter trying to find her claim to fame discovers the story and the man on whom the election now rests. In doing so, she brings the entire nationâ??s attention on Budâ??especially the attention of the two presidential candidates and their campaign managers. In realizing that the hopes for the election rest on one man, both parties do everything they can to court his vote. This includes switching positions on various issues that the candidates feel strongly about. The results of the process eventually take a toll on Bud and his daughter, along with the two candidates. In the end, Bud decides to take a pro-active stance in regards to his situation; he both becomes an informed voter honestly seeking to decide the best candidate and a representative for countless Americans who have pinned their hopes on the outcome of his vote.

The character of Bud is portrayed as a self-centered, ignorant alcoholic who has difficulty being a responsible father. If there is one redeeming thing about his character, however, it is that he loves his daughter. On realizing what his daughter did for him and the trouble that would happen if it were discovered, Bud agrees to go along with his daughterâ??s plan to vote a few days later. In terms of the characterâ??s politics, I must admit that I at times fall into the same idea that Bud expresses early in the movieâ??that voting doesnâ??t really matter because our votes donâ??t really count and things in the government will hardly ever change in such a way that we will see the results we desire. In other words, Budâ??s political attitude is one of cynicism and apathy. Looking at the political parties in this movie, it isnâ??t difficult to see why. Though dramatized for the movie, the way the political parties try to court Budâ??s vote is probably not far off from how the two major parties try to court the votes of every American in the United States. Though the movie was originally in theaters before the results of the 2008 election, the message is just as relevant to people of any political interest or affiliation today. And like any other good film, it doesnâ??t tell us that one party is right or wrong, there are no â??bad guysâ?? in the movieâ??unless you want to count the two campaign managers for trying to do their job without caring about principles. The only real â??bad guy,â?? I believe the movie is trying to say, is the one who does not participate and allows apathy to rule his or her life.