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Tuesday, November 4, 2008
My favorite voting movies
Many people are going to trot out their lists of the great movie presidents today, but I already did that back in March during the primaries.
So on this Election Day I present instead a short list of my favorite movies about - what else? Voting!
Mind you, this doesn’t mean the movie has to be about presidents. These five movies I list involve either voting or campaigning in some significant way. And in my mind, they’re all great.
Election: Alexander Payne’s black comedy shows how high school elections can be just as twisted as national ones. One of my favorite moments: When the popular but dim jock (Chris Klein) makes his campaign speech in a monotone and in one long breath - without once looking up from his text. Nails high school culture to a T.
Twelve Angry Men: Well, juries vote when they deliberate, don’t they? And this remains easily the best film ever made about the American court system - and one of the best about voting.
Nixon: I just watched this again recently on HDNet Movies. While it has its fair share of Oliver Stone overstatement (TM) , it remains a fascinating and probing document/speculation about the demons that drove the 37th president. I actually consider it superior to Stone’s much better known JFK.
Citizen Kane: Charles Foster Kane Defeated: FRAUD AT POLLS.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Obvious? Maybe. Unimpeachable? Definitely.
Of course, a list as short as this can only begin to scratch the surface, so cast your vote via the comments below. What are some other great movies about voting and the political process?
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