Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick are great in this and their non-chemistry really works. I have disliked- and will continue to dislike until I die- Broderick simply because he was Ferris Bueller and David from Wargames when I was growing up. And I wasn't! Childish isn't it? And that's partly the point of the film here. Aside from the comedy set-pieces (more wry than rip-roaring but funny all-the-same) the film is a consideration of the way our actions and judgments stem from our own insecurities, foibles or resentments and the impact this can have upon others.
Tracy Flick (Witherspoon) has been raised by her single mother to be ambitious, driven and focused. That it results in unpopularity, isolation and a whopping great chip on her shoulder doesn't seem to matter; achievements are all that counts. And so Tracy has never learned to be a person (her brusque eve-of-the-election prayer exemplifies this: "Dear Lord Jesus, I do not often speak with you and ask for things, but now, I really must insist that you help me win the election tomorrow"). While Broderick resents her constant striving, we learn, because he is dissatisfied with his own easy acceptance of mediocrity. And saw his best friend leave town after the fall-out of an affair with her. Thus the competitive edge which drives the movie is set. And the Morricone-styled soundtrack that accompanies this when they share a scene is a great touch too. I loved that.
The sub-plots are equally bred from personal paradigms. At the centre of this is Chris Klein's Paul, an affable jock version of Harry Enfield's Tim Nice-But-Dim. He is subject to the manipulations of those around him (Mr McAllister's plotting, Lisa's pointed using of him, Tammy's misplaced vengeance) but suffers them with grace and humility, everything that happens to him has been put into perspective by the career-ending injury described in the opening scenes. He is the only person to respond to adversity with a positive resolve and that serendipity carries him while all around him more fortunate people are floundering. Aside from Tracy's pushy mother (who cannot offer consolation, only reproach when the results don't go well) and the other protagonists above there are Dave (the best friend of Broderick's character) who betrays his wife Linda and suffers hugely, and then Linda herself who repeats the betrayal upon her best friend (Jim's wife Diane) with Broderick costing him everything at no great reward to herself. And on and on it goes.
Every time we hear Tracy Flick sneer at the richer and more privileged, we know that the resentment eating at her will drive her to become harder, colder and more insular in her bid to outdo them. I can certainly understand the resentment, believe me, but the response can only fail to bring her any peace.
As I said, I'm off my box and rambling. But I enjoyed it anyway. And the slogan "PICK FLICK" is great advice for anyone suffering nasal congestion to the degree that I am, so that's nice too.
Post Script - whacked out of my brain at 3.35 AM I texted myself the following "Election. No-one loves anyone else. Said a couple of times. Not meant" presumably as a prompt to write an addendum to my notes. Well, it's almost true that no-one in the film really appears to love anyone else. Except the Mettzler family and, with the possible exception of Tammy, they all love one another. That just goes to show, you can't trust a man on max-strength remedies.
