Getting an 'A' for whimsy, Swing Vote might strike a chord with viewers who want a little light humor with their political discourse.
Comment
08/01/08
Swing Vote (2008)
37
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:141
Fresh:52
Rotten:89
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: Despite Kevin Costner providing his most charismatic performance in years, Swing Vote fails to find the right mix of political satire and heartfelt drama.
Theatrical Release:26-09-2008
Synopsis: Writer/director Joshua Michael Stern (NEVERWAS) tackles American politics in his second feature film. Bud Johnson (Kevin Costner) is just your below-average Joe. He works in an egg factory, likes... [More]
Starring: Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper
Director: Joshua Michael Stern
Reviews for Swing Vote
If you want to cast your vote for smart, witty and irreverent filmmaking, this is the movie you’ve been waiting for.
08/01/08
The picture's message is admirable and young Madeline Carroll exhibits real acting chops, but the film itself is overlong, horrendously lit, cliched and heavy handed.
08/01/08
It's the sort of bite-less parody that sticks to safe punchlines and goes out of its way to insult no one. You know, like a JibJab cartoon.
07/31/08
Swing Vote, to sound as cliche as possible, is a heartwarming film that is smart and laugh-out loud funny. Believe it or not, the flick sends an important message about politics.
07/31/08
It almost manages to restore (at least temporarily) one's faith in both the democratic process and Kevin Costner's career.
07/31/08
It's as if Stern were asked to make one of three films, but made the mistake of choosing 'All of the Above' instead.
07/31/08
When it was funny, I had a good time. When it tried to be serious and high minded, I fell asleep.
07/31/08
Kevin Costner the producer severely underestimates the ability of Kevin Costner the actor to win over the audience in this tepid satire of electoral politics.
07/31/08
Confirms Plato's view that the head of state should be a philosopher-king, not someone chosen by people from small towns like Texaco, NM.
07/31/08
spends two hours demeaning the hillbilly cowpokes of flyover country, then reminds us just how powerful they can be in a general election
07/31/08
Under the direction of co-writer Joshua Michael Stern, it emerges as third-rate Capracorn, leaden and lumpy where it should be swift and pointed.
07/31/08
Like so many presidential candidates, Swing Vote falls victim to unfulfilled promises, wasted opportunities and smug self-satisfaction.
07/31/08
Swing Vote isn't exactly a toothless political satire. It's something worse: a satire with dentures.
07/31/08
Neither nimble enough to reflect the times nor passionate enough to be inspiring, the election year comedy relies on broad-side-of-a-barn caricatures and out-of-the-mouths-of-babes platitudes.
07/31/08
Swing Vote captures the spirit of an election year when many once-apathetic Americans are keenly interested in the outcome. We have met the enemy and he is us. But so is the hero.
07/31/08
Swing Vote desperately wants us to think of it as a modern-day, 'populist' comedy, much like Frank Capra's beloved 1939 comedy, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, or the films of Preston Sturges.
07/31/08
The ridiculous setup is just the skeleton for something more substantial; the flesh of the movie is made of the funny, tender interactions between Bud and his daughter, Molly.
07/31/08
A great cast but it's tough for actors to create laughs when the lines aren't funny, the leading man is miscast, the direction is hardly Capraesque, and the history ignorant.
07/31/08
If this is Everyman (and why else cast Costner?), he's enough to make you think twice about democracy.
07/31/08
Latest News for Swing Vote
January 13, 2009:
With Costner's yokel having a decided preference for being handed a beer rather than a ballot, he does a pretty darn good job of exposing the phony platitudes and pandering of candidates, in a movie about bad news politicians and even badder parenting. 
More...
January 09, 2009:
With Costner's yokel having a decided preference for being handed a beer rather than a ballot, he does a pretty darn good job of exposing the phony platitudes and pandering of candidates, in a movie about bad news politicians and even badder parenting.
More...
August 18, 2008:
Kevin Costner, Kelsey Grammer Sued for Cribbing Swing Vote Script
Former Bush assistant and political pundit Bradley A. Blakeman claims the political comedy, in theaters now, was lifted from a script he spent eight years writing. More...
August 03, 2008:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Bat Still Going Strong, Three Weeks In
The Dark Knight won't losen its grip on the box office gold, but the Mummy is a very close silver. More...
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