Swing Vote

'Swing Vote' is one of those charming little movies that comes out of nowhere and manages to put a bit of a smile on your face.  It is far from perfect and at times star Kevin Costner's performance as a ne'er-do-well, boozing loser can wear a bit thin.  But there is some fine work from the film's supporting players, particularly cherubic faced newcomer Madeline Carroll.  Carroll plays Costner's daughter and is really the responsible member of the parental relationship they share.  As residents of the small town of Texico, Texas, Carroll, takes care of Costner and just about everything in their dilapidated trailer home.  Besides being extremely mature for a twelve-year-old, she's also very ambitious and is fascinated by the workings of government and politics.  Her current school assignment is the upcoming Presidential election and though she pleads with Costner to vote because its his moral duty, he ends up getting drunk and passing out after losing his job. 

Carroll sets a chain of events into motion by sneaking into the voting facility, signing Costner's name and inserting a ballot into the machine.  But a malfunction causes Costner's "vote" to be unaccounted for and hours after the votes have been counted its determined that there is a tie in the Presidential race.  When investigators from the President's (Kelsey Grammer) office arrive at his doorstep, dimwitted Costner thinks they're from child protective services, but discovers that his so-called vote must be made again to decide the next President.  That doesn't sit well with Grammer's political rival Dennis Hopper, an environmentalist who has worked long and hard to win the election. After learning of Carroll's secret deception, Costner agrees to re-cast his vote in ten days time, but before long the media gets wind of the story and he is soon turned into a nation sensation.

Hoping to build a career as a news anchor is local TV reporter Paula Patton who by coincidence befriended Carroll when she did a news report on her class at school.  Her ambitious boss George Lopez tells her straight, that if she wants to make it she'll have to be ruthless and though it goes against her morals, the interviews she conducts with Costner make him the national buffoon.  Making matters worse is that Grammer's right hand Stanley Tucci and Hopper's P.R. rep Nathan Lane, convince each of them to duke it out in the media and that means attempting to appease Costner through news ads.  The problem is that any innocent wisecrack that pops out of Costner's mouth results in either candidate agreeing to help him with a TV ad that goes against their principles.  One of the most humorous moments is Hopper's response to Costner's dismay that his employers are "in-sourcing" jobs by replacing employees like him with illegal Mexicans.  The result is pro-immigration Hopper filming an ad against illegals with many of them running across the border in the background.  It may sound like Grammer and Hopper are doing their usual schtick and being comedic, but the two actual give credible performances as candidated legitimately seeking to make a difference.

Though there is plenty of humor to be found in Costner's experiences with newfound celebrity like driving a race car with Richard Petty or performing with a Willie Nelson tribute band, the real moral of the story has little to do with politics.  Costner eventually comes to grips with his moral obligation to make the voices of the American people heard by both candidates, but this is also the story of a man who had his heart broken by a wife who was an addict (Mare Winningham) and has been wallowing in misery for so long that he doesn't realize that he is losing his daughter.  There's magnificent chemistry between both Costner and Carroll to the point where you believe they've had this disjointed relationship for all of her young life.  That's where Costner's talent as a performer shines though and not with the wise-cracking aloof attitude of his character.  Ultimately the film is not about a man coming to a decision regarding two candidates, but choosing to be a father to the one good thing in his life.