Next year’s election looms large in the national consciousness, with constant 24-hour news about what may happen in the next few months as the campaign heats up. But Hollywood has been dissecting the political process for years.
A movie election may often provide more definitive closure than real life. But films are also a great way of showcasing themes of corruption and integrity, competition and truth.
Here are ten of the greatest election movies ever.
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Primary Colors
This 1996 movie with John Travolta and Emma Thompson recreated the scandalous book of the era which exposed some of what was going on in the Clinton White House.
This fictionalized version of Clinton’s election is told through the eyes of a young political idealist who gradually becomes disillusioned with the system and his heroes.
The Candidate
This election movie came out in 1972, with Robert Redford before his breakout political smash “All The Presidents Men” (see # 4). This movie centers on how an “unwinnable” candidate winds up winning. The closing line is emblematic: “What do we do now?”
It’s interesting to see nowadays what used to be considered “an unwinnable” candidate.
Election
It’s hard to believe it has been twenty years since “Election” put actress Reese Witherspoon on the map. She was even nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of a conniving student willing to do anything to win the student election for class president.
Matthew Broderick plays the increasingly unhinged teacher who resents Reese’s perennially perky student dead set on getting what she wants.
Over the course of those two decades, this movie has taken on a life of its own and multiple interpretations. It did not initially do well at the box office, but it has stayed vibrant and relevant over time in its dark depiction of relative morality and possible misogyny.
What about those emails again?
Napoleon Dynamite
Here is another movie about student elections with a decidedly more sweet tone. Napoleon wants to help his best friend Pedro win the position of class president, and he does it with inspired advertising.
With iconic not ironic T-shirts and posters, Pedro wins thanks to the dedication — and mad dance skills — of his friend’s campaigning.
It is true that sometimes buttons, posters, and slogans can make or break the entire election. Read more for more background on this niche art form.
All The President’s Men
This classic political thriller shows the dogged journalism that contributed to the fall of Richard Nixon in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Nixon’s shenanigans to win an election are showcased in an almost Shakespearean depiction of how power corrupts.
Wag the Dog
This political movie was made in 1997 — what was it about the ’90s which influenced so many election movies? Oh, we remember…
Kevin Spacey, now embroiled in his own scandals, concocts the outrageous plans. Maybe he was gearing up for his dark turn on the presidency in “House of Cards,” a more modern and even more cynical look at presidential corruption.
“Wag the dog” has become a trope for when an administration creates a distraction (in the film it was a war) in order to distract and deflect attention from some other unseemly behavior. When the movie was released, a few months later there were comparisons with the Lewinski scandal and the invasion of Iraq.
It could still be applicable today.
Dave
“Dave” is a more light-hearted look at presidential politics, with Kevin Kline as a doppelganger in America’s highest office.
Sigourney Weaver is the First Lady who gets suspicious when her husband the president starts caring about important matters like homelessness. Good conquers all the truth comes out, and everyone lives happily ever after.
Sometimes you need a little fiction to keep hopes up.
The American President
Like “Dave,” “The American President” is a more romantic look at Washington. Starring Michael Douglas as the widowed president who falls in love with a lobbyist played by Annette Bening, the movie also ends happily while upholding some lofty ideals.
Michael Douglas gets a happy respite from running away from murderous lovers as he did in “Fatal Attraction” and “Basic Instinct.”
Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay. This job must have fueled his idea for his later hit, “The West Wing,” the political TV series.
Bulworth
Warren Beatty has always been a political moviemaker. His earlier “Shampoo” even takes place on election night.
“Bulworth” was a more controversial foray for the talented director/actor/writer. It explored themes of race, hypocrisy, and healthcare, and culminated in a presidential assassination- still a sensitive subject for American moviegoers.
The movie was not one of Beatty’s most popular, although it does feature a young Halle Barre and Don Cheadle.
Milk
“Milk” shows local politics in action, as it charts the rise of activist Harvey Milk to his election to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. He was the first openly gay candidate to be elected to public office in California, and he was a pivotal figure in the gay rights movement.
Milk was tragically shot while in office, but his legacy has lived on. The movie was released two weeks before a California referendum in 2008 on Proposition 8, which sought to determine the legality of gay marriage. Gay marriage was declared valid, and the movie was a huge hit.
“Milk” received 8 Oscar nominations at the 81st Academy Awards. Sean Penn won for Best Actor, and the screenwriter Dustin Black won for best screenplay.
Watch a Movie Election: When Real Life Politics is Too Much to Handle
You may want to escape from politics, as it permeates the news and everyday conversation right now. But if you want to remember what makes our democracy great, there are many movies you can watch which will give you faith in our system again.
Who knows what films we will be watching in a few years as Hollywood actors writers and directors attempt to make stories from this year’s election season? Can any movie election possibly be as dramatic as what we have in store in 2020?
Keep checking back for more tips on the movies you want to see.