You Can Count on Me

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, You Can Count on Me is the story of a single mother who gets a visit from her younger brother who stays longer than expected as they deal with their relationship as well as other issues within their family. The film is an exploration of the relationship between siblings as well as a woman trying to deal with aspects of her life as well as help her wayward brother find a sense of direction in his life. Starring Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, Rory Culkin, Jon Tenney, J. Smith-Cameron, Amy Ryan, Josh Lucas, Gaby Hoffman, Adam LeFevre, and Matthew Broderick. You Can Count on Me is an extraordinarily rich film from Kenneth Lonergan.

Set in a small town in upstate New York, the film follows a single mother who is raising her eight-year old son while working at a bank where she learns her younger brother is coming home. Though he was supposed to stay for a day as he’s asking her for money, some troubling circumstances relating to his girlfriend forces him to stay longer as he has to do a few duties for his sister in raising his nephew. During the course of the film, the two cope with their different lifestyles as well as their own vices which would eventually affect one another. Kenneth Lonergan’s script explore the dynamic between Sammy (Laura Linney) and Terry Prescott (Mark Ruffalo) as these two siblings who both lost their parents in an accident when they were kids as it had affected them greatly. For Sammy, she would live at the home she had lived for all of her life as she would share it with her son Rudy (Rory Culkin) as she struggles with her job due to the fact that she’s working for a new manager in Brian Everett (Matthew Broderick).

When Terry writes a letter in the hope that he would stay for a day, Sammy is excited at first until she learned why Terry hadn’t contacted her for months as it relates to the fact that he’s had some bad luck and continues to drift from city to city. Though his visit was only for money, he is forced to stay longer than expected where he would bond with Rudy who keeps asking Terry about his father since Sammy never talks about him as Terry would reveal that his father isn’t someone he liked at all. While Terry is someone that admits to having no real sense of direction of what to do. Sammy’s life is in a whirlwind as she is in relationship with a man named Bob (Jon Tenney) who wants to marry her as she is unsure while she would have an affair with her boss. Terry would know about Sammy’s love life as he would be baffled when she brings the local minister (Kenneth Lonergan) to counsel him as it is a key moment early in the third act about the tension between the two over their lifestyle choices.

Lonergan’s direction is simple in terms of the compositions and setting as much of the film is shot on location at Margaretville, New York near the Catskill Mountains as fictional small towns of Scottsville and Auburn. The locations in the film is a big importance as it relates to the this sheltered world that Sammy is in and why she wants to shelter Rudy from aspects of the outside world knowing how fucked up it is. For Terry, it’s an environment that isn’t ideal for him since there isn’t much to do other than drink, play pool, or go fishing. While there are some wide shots of the locations, Lonergan goes for something that is more intimate in terms of the drama that is prominent throughout the film. Notably in some of the close-ups and medium shots as there is this one shot in the latter from the stairs in the corner of the dining room that shows where Sammy, Terry, and Rudy would be sitting if they’re eating dinner. It’s among these little details including the lunch scene where Sammy and Terry meet on the day of the latter’s arrival where there is a wide shot to show the other patrons hearing the two argue over Terry’s troubles.

The direction also play into these little quirks over Brian’s disdain over things at the bank which is just silly as it play into some of the film’s humor which is subtle as well as what Sammy would do in her affair with Brian. Still, Lonergan maintains that low-key approach to the drama which include scenes in the third act as it play into Terry’s immaturity as well as Sammy’s own flaws where she would force Terry to confront his own aimlessness to cover up for her troubles. The third act is dramatically-intense as it relates to Rudy’s father where it play into why Sammy never wants Rudy to know about him and why Terry despises him. All of which forces Sammy and Terry to deal with their own differences but also realize that they can still rely on each other. Overall, Lonergan crafts a rapturous yet heartfelt film about two siblings coping with loss and themselves.

Cinematographer Stephen Kazmierski does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is straightforward to play into the locations in the daytime but also with some low-key lighting for the scenes at night including the film’s opening scene. Editor Anne McCabe does brilliant work with the editing as it is straightforward with some jump-cuts as well as some rhythmic cuts for the drama. Production designer Michael Shaw, with set decorator Lydia Marks and art director Shawn Carroll, does fantastic work with the look of the house Sammy and Rudy live in as well as a few of the places they go to with Terry.

Costume designer Melissa Toth does nice work with the costumes as it is mainly straightforward to play into the look of the characters from the more clean clothes of Sammy when she’s working to the ragged look of Terry. Sound editor Wendy Hedin does terrific work with the sound as it play into the natural atmosphere of the locations including the chaotic sound at the bar. The film’s music by Lesley Barber is superb as it is very low-key in its folk-based score with bits of country while music supervisors Barry Cole and Christopher Covert provide music from folk and country with the latter being something Sammy listens to with the rest of the soundtrack consisting of classical pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach.

The casting by Lina Todd is wonderful as it feature some notable small roles from Amy Ryan and Michael Countryman as Sammy and Terry’s parents in the first scene, Haley Feiffer as Sammy and Terry’s babysitter early in the film, Whitney Vance as the young Sammy, Peter Kerwin as the young Terry, Kenneth Lonergan as the local pastor, Nina Garbiras as Brian’s pregnant wife, Kim Parker as the girlfriend of Rudy’s father, Adam LeFerve as the local sheriff who knows Sammy and Terry, Gaby Hoffman as Terry’s girlfriend at Worcester, J. Smith-Cameron as a bank secretary that Sammy tries to protect from Brian, and Josh Lucas as the man who might be Rudy’s father. Jon Tenney is superb as Bob as an old boyfriend of Sammy who is seeking to marry her unaware of the things she does as he’s just a nice guy that never did anything wrong.

Matthew Broderick is excellent as Brian Everett as the bank manager and Sammy’s boss who is annoyed by the little quirks at the bank while engaging into an affair with Sammy that becomes too intense for Sammy. Rory Culkin is brilliant as Rudy as Sammy’s eight-year old son that is trying to deal with his own adolescents and idea of who his father is where he would find a father-figure in his uncle where he would get a broad idea of the world. Mark Ruffalo is incredible as Terry Prescott as Sammy’s younger brother who drifts from place to place to find something as he finds himself back home unsure of what to do while finding a comfortable role as Rudy’s uncle where he would give his nephews an idea of the world but also make sure that the kid does have some kind of hope to carry. Finally, there’s Laura Linney in a phenomenal performance as Sammy Prescott as a bank loan manager who is raising an eight-year old son as she is dealing with all things in her life including relationships with two different men as well as dealing with her brother at home and wondering about what he will do next as she is also forced to face her own faults.

You Can Count on Me is a tremendous film from Kenneth Lonergan that features great performances from Laura Linney, Mark Ruffalo, and Rory Culkin. Along with its ensemble cast, gorgeous setting, and a riveting story about loss and siblings coping with their own differences. It’s a film that manages to create something that is engaging but it is also willing not to provide any easy answers into how some cope with loss or the fact that they can’t adjust to certain places or ideas in life. In the end, You Can Count on Me is a spectacular film from Kenneth Lonergan.

Kenneth Lonergan Films: Margaret (2011 film) - Manchester by the Sea

© thevoid99 2017

Manchester by the Sea

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea is the story of a lonely janitor who is asked to raise his nephew following the death of his brother as he copes with his own faults in his life. It’s a film where a man reluctantly steps up to do what is right as well as deal with the demons in his own life. Starring Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, Gretchen Mol, and Kyle Chandler. Manchester by the Sea is a mesmerizing yet engrossing film from Kenneth Lonergan.

The film is a simple story of a man who learned that his brother died of a heart attack while learning his brother wants him to become his nephew’s guardian. It’s a film that follows this lonely janitor who isn’t just forced to return home and be given the responsibility to watch over his teenage nephew but also cope with the past as he remains troubled by family tragedy. Kenneth Lonergan’s screenplay has narrative that sort of moves back and forth in the life of Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) as he reflects on what he had when he was married to a woman named Randi (Michelle Williams) as they had a family. At the same time, he had a good relationship with his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler) and nephew Patrick (Luca Hedges). Yet, something tragic happened that led to Lee and Randi splitting up and Lee moving away from the small town of Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts into a town near Boston where he works as a janitor.

The script doesn’t just follow Lee’s reluctance to raise Patrick but also Patrick’s own growing pains as he tries to distract himself from the reality over his father’s death. Especially as he is taken aback by his uncle who appears to not really wanting to be involved with him as he considers the option of reaching out to his estranged mother Elise (Gretchen Mol) whom Lee doesn’t like at all as she was an alcoholic and drug addict that Joe had to separate from. It adds to Lee’s struggle in wanting to do right to his late brother but also contend with the demons in his own life. Even as Lee’s attempt to connect with others has him wanting to be alone and not be reminded of the past where he continuously struggles with loss and wanting to do what is right.

Lonergan’s direction is definitely majestic in terms of the imagery that he creates as well as being shot almost entirely on location in Manchester-by-the-Sea which is a major character in the film as well as other small towns in Massachusetts. Though Lonergan doesn’t really go for anything that is visually-striking, he does present that is still simple in its composition but also has something more in terms of his observation of what is going on. Much of the film is shot during the wintertime as it adds a lot to not just the visuals but also in some of the situations the characters have to cope with. While Lonergan would use wide shots to play into the location and the beauty of wintertime in Massachusetts, he would more favor something intimate with the medium shots and close-ups. Especially in the former as it play into some of the awkward moments Lee would have in his attempts to connect with people such as the mother of one of Patrick’s girlfriends.

Lonergan’s direction is also quite loose as it has bits of humor but also a sense of something real into the world that Patrick is in as he plays hockey and is also in a garage band with friends and one of his girlfriends. The flashbacks of Lee’s life with Randi and their family is also quite loose as it play into the good times as well as what happened that would destroy everything for Lee. There is also something striking about how Lee presents himself in his isolation as it has some truth into that sense of loss where Lonergan’s framing is quite entrancing. Even in moments where he attempts to connect showcase someone that is quite damaged and still trying to get himself back on track. Its conclusion isn’t just about the reality of what Lee has to do for Patrick but also for himself as well as get help from the people who can be relied on in an often complicated world. Overall, Lonergan creates a ravishing yet somber film about a man dealing with the responsibility to taking care of his nephew following the death of his brother.

Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes does amazing work with the film‘s cinematography from some of the sunny exteriors of the locations along with more gray and snowy look as well as the way some of the nighttime interior/exteriors are shot and lit. Editor Jennifer Lame does excellent work with the editing as it play into some of the drama and presentation of the flashbacks with the usage of jump-cuts and other rhythmic cuts. Production designer Ruth De Jong, with set decorator Florencia Martin and art director Jourdan Henderson, does fantastic work with the look of the single room that Lee lives in Quincy to the home of his brother and the boat they have.

Costume designer Melissa Toth does nice work with the costumes as it is mostly casual to play into the look of the wintertime. Sound designer Jacob Ribicoff does superb work with the sound as it play into not just the atmosphere of some of the locations but also in the way it is mixed to play into how music is heard on location or things that play into the drama. The film’s music by Lesley Barber is brilliant for its somber yet orchestral-based score that play into melancholic tone of the film while music supervisor Linda Cohen creates a soundtrack that features a lot of opera music as well as a mixture of rock and soul music to play into the locations or what is heard on the radio.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is marvelous as it feature some notable small roles from Ben O’Brien as the young Patrick, Stephen Henderson as Lee’s boss early in the film, Tom Kemp as Lee and Joe’s father in the flashback scenes, Chloe Dixon and Ellie Teeves as Lee and Randi’s daughters from the flashbacks, Josh Hamilton as Joe’s lawyer Wes, Erica McDermott as a boat yard boss who doesn’t want to give Lee a job for some unknown reasons, Kara Hayward and Anna Baryshnikov in their respective roles as two of Patrick’s girlfriends in Silvie and Sandy, Liam McNeil as Randi’s new husband, and Tate Donovan as Patrick’s hockey coach. C.J. Wilson is fantastic as longtime family friend George who helps out Lee and Patrick while being someone who knows about the family boat and how it works. Heather Burns is wonderful as Sandy’s mother Jill who is wondering what Sandy and Patrick are doing while trying to flirt with Lee as their lone meeting ends up being awkward. Matthew Broderick is superb as Rodney as Elsie’s new fiancée who is a devout Christian that Patrick tries to get to know as it ends up being very awkward. Gretchen Mol is excellent as Elsie as Patrick’s estranged mother who is infamous for her substance abuse where she responds to Patrick’s email as she invites to a lunch with Rodney that is just very uncomfortable.

Kyle Chandler is brilliant as Joe Chandler as a man that is the embodiment of responsibility and care as he does whatever to help Lee as well as be a good man until he is stricken by a rare heart disease. Lucas Hedges is amazing as Patrick as Joe’s son who doesn’t try to cope with the sudden death of his father but also wanting to stay home to be with friends and his father’s boat as well as wonder why his uncle is reluctant to look after him. Michelle Williams is incredible as Randi as Lee’s ex-wife who was a woman that Lee loved and cared for until tragedy happened as she becomes estranged until she hears about Joe’s death as Williams is just devastatingly radiant in a key scene she has late in the film. Finally, there’s Casey Affleck in a phenomenal performance as Lee Chandler as a man that had everything and lost it all as he tries to cope with the loss of his brother as well as the responsibility he has to bear for his nephew where Affleck displays that air of restraint and anguish into a man trying to isolate himself from the world as well as struggle to do what is right for his family.

Manchester by the Sea is a magnificent film from Kenneth Lonergan that features great performances from Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, and Lucas Hedges. Along with a brilliant supporting cast, an effective screenplay, gorgeous visuals, and a mesmerizing music soundtrack, it’s a film that explores not just grief but also a man coping with responsibility and the need to do right for his family. In the end, Manchester by the Sea is a rapturous film from Kenneth Lonergan.

Kenneth Lonergan Films: You Can Count on Me - Margaret (2011 film)

© thevoid99 2016

Margaret (2011 film)

Written and directed by Kenneth Lonergan, Margaret is the story of a young woman who feels responsible for causing an accident that left someone dead. In turn, she deals with the guilt over what happened while going through all sorts of things in her own life. The film is an exploration into the tumultuous life of a young woman who goes through lots of changes in her life as well as trying to find herself. Starring Anna Paquin, Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo, Kieran Culkin, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, J. Smith-Cameron, Matthew Broderick, Jeannie Berlin, Allison Janney, and Jean Reno. Margaret is a haunting yet mesmerizing film from Kenneth Lonergan.

What happens when a young 17-year old student distracts a bus driver where an accident is caused resulting in the death of a woman as this young woman deals with the guilt over what happened? That’s pretty much the idea of what this film is about as it explores a young woman named Lisa Cohen (Anna Paquin) whose life changes due to an accident she caused all because she asked this bus driver (Mark Ruffalo) about his cowboy hat while he was driving the bus. For Lisa, she deals with the guilt over what happened as she has no idea what to do as she tries to protect the driver since what he did was an accident yet when she meets him to discuss the accident. Things don’t go well as she decides to change her statement to the police while contacting a woman to help file a lawsuit against the bus company in hopes the driver gets fired.

While the story largely revolves around Lisa’s tumultuous life as she deals with guilt and loss, there is a subplot revolving around Lisa’s mother Joan (J. Smith-Cameron) who finds herself in a relationship with a man named Ramon (Jean Reno) which causes issues between the two women who already have a troubled relationship. Notably as Joan is a stage actress while Lisa is just a high school kid who likes to smoke and do crazy things. The accident definitely causes a rupture in their relationship where Lisa starts to act out more in school and later befriend the friend of a victim where they go for a lawsuit. Yet, Lisa’s behavior becomes more complicated over the guilt she deals with families of the victim gets involved as well as other aspects of her life including relationship with boys and her attraction towards her math teacher Aaron Caije (Matt Damon).

The script also allows to explore the dynamic between Lisa and Joan as they’re two different women who are going through changes in her life. While Joan is concerned over what happened to Lisa, she has no idea how to talk to Lisa who starts to become more detached and angry. Yet, Lisa would also deal with the realities of how things are handled with the police and the lawsuits as it would cause more complications about who she is. Particularly as she is this 17-year old high school student who is in the transition into becoming a woman.

Kenneth Lonergan’s direction is very entrancing for the way he presents this very dramatic story that contains very heavy themes. Shot on location in New York City in the Manhattan area, Lonergan does make the city a character in the story though he does go a bit overboard in utilizing lots of insert shots to help fill the story though some parts are effective. Notably as the camera gazes through the city to show a world where things are already moving on despite the incident that had just happened. Lonergan’s direction also has a lot of unique framing devices to help capture the sense of loneliness and detachment that Lisa is going through. There’s also a lot of shots that are stylized including the big accident scene where Lonergan uses the crane to express the sense of loss and longing that Lisa goes through.

Another part of Lonergan’s direction that is unique is the fact that film also features scenes at the Metropolitan Opera House to establish not just the world Joan is in but also the drama she’s facing in her own life. Other scenes such as school discussions about politics show Lisa becoming more aggressive in her arguments where she will sometimes go way too far. These are moments to establish this detachment and anger these two women are going through where they will vent to each other and say things to each other that intensify. Yet, Lonergan will find a way for the women to reconnect where both women will face something that would overwhelm them leading to a powerful ending. Overall, Lonergan creates a very strong yet harrowing film about guilt and loss.

Cinematographer Ryszard Lenczewski does excellent work with the film‘s photography as a lot of it is straightforward to complement the beauty of New York City in its day and nighttime settings. Editors Mike Fay and Anne McCabe, with additional work from filmmaker Martin Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker, do superb work with the editing to play out the drama as well as some of its intensity as it includes some stylized moments in the non-dialogue scenes. Production designer Dan Leigh, with set decorator Ron von Blomberg and art director James Donahue, does nice work with the sets from the look of the apartments to the look of the school.

Costume designer Melissa Toth does terrific work with the costumes as a lot of it is casual with the exception of the scenes at the opera house. Sound designer Jacob Ribicoff does brilliant work with the sound to capture the low-key atmosphere of the opera houses to the more raucous scenes in some of the film‘s exteriors and phone conversations. The film’s music by Nico Muhly is amazing for its low-key orchestral pieces with some haunting arrangements on the strings while the soundtrack features an array of classical and operatic pieces along with some few indie-rock and hip-hop cuts in the party scenes that Lisa goes to.

The casting by Douglas Aibel is a major highlight of the film for the rich ensemble that was assembled for the film. Among those making small appearances include Krysten Ritter as salesgirl, John Gallagher Jr. as a friend of Lisa in Darren, Olivia Thirlby as a classmate of Lisa, Sarah Steele as Lisa’s friend Becky, Kieran Culkin as another classmate of Lisa whom she has sex with, Michael Ealy as a lawyer who advises Lisa, Jonathan Hadary as a lawyer who deals with the suit that Lisa is involved in, Cyrus Hernstadt as Lisa’s younger brother Curtis, Josh Hamilton as an actor Joan works with, and Rosemarie DeWitt as the wife of the bus driver. Other notable small roles include Matthew Broderick as a drama teacher, Allison Janney as the victim who is killed in the bus accident, and Jeannie Berlin as the victim’s friend Emily who helps out Lisa with the suit.

Jean Reno is wonderful as the very kind Ramon who falls for Joan as he tries to get to know Lisa. Matt Damon is excellent as Lisa’s math teacher Aaron Caije who is trying to understand Lisa’s behavior as well as her attraction to him. Mark Ruffalo is superb as the bus driver who causes the accident as he is aware of what he’s done while deals with Lisa’s aggressive manner towards him in the one scene they have together. J. Smith-Cameron is great as Lisa’s mother Joan who tries to deal with Lisa’s detachment while she falls for the businessman Ramon as she finds the escape she needed to deal with Lisa. Finally, there’s Anna Paquin in a remarkable performance as Lisa Cohen as a young woman dealing with tragedy as she becomes lost in her grief while becoming more angry over the way the world deals with what she is trying to do and such.

Margaret is an extraordinary yet engrossing drama from Kenneth Lonergan that features amazing performances from Anna Paquin and J. Smith-Cameron. The film is definitely an intriguing drama that explores the world of grief and detachment as well as interesting piece about the dynamics between mother and daughter. In the end, Margaret is a marvelous film from Kenneth Lonergan.

Kenneth Lonergan Films: You Can Count on Me - Manchester by the Sea

© thevoid99 2013

Election (1999 film)

Based on Tom Perrotta’s novel, Election is the story of a high school teacher who tries to stop an overachieving student from winning a student body election. Directed by Alexander Payne and screen adaptation by Payne and Jim Taylor, the film is a satirical comedy about the world of high school and suburban life as it’s set in Omaha, Nebraska. Starring Matthew Broderick, Reese Witherspoon, Chris Klein, and Jessica Campbell. Election is a witty yet charming comedy from Alexander Payne.

Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) is an American history/civics teacher at high school in Omaha, Nebraska that is well-respected by colleagues and students as he’s set to run the upcoming student body election. Running for president is Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), an ambitious student who has done a lot for the school as Jim holds a grudge against her due to an affair she had with a former colleague of his in Dave Novotny (Mark Harelik). Realizing that Tracy is unopposed and is likely to win, Jim convinces injured football star Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) to run against Tracy. Tracy decides to work harder against Paul until Paul’s younger adopted sister Tammy (Jessica Campbell) decides to run as an act of revenge when her friend Lisa (Frankie Ingrassia) leaves her for Paul.

While the election becomes crazier with Tammy deciding to cause some anarchy during the assembly, Jim’s personal life starts to unravel as his marriage to Diane (Molly Hagan) loses its spark as he becomes attracted to Dave’s ex-wife Linda (Delaney Driscoll). With Jim feeling more attached to Linda, suspicion arouses when Paul’s campaign posters had been torn as Jim suspects Tracy, who did tear them, until Tammy makes a false confession that she had done it. With Tammy expelled, it comes down to Tracy and Paul in the election as Jim’s personal feelings towards Tracy would make an impact for all of the fates involved in the election including his own.

While the film is kind of about a high school election where a teacher tries to destroy the dreams of an overachieving student. It’s really about the lives of a teacher and three students all caught up in a student body election that would definitely change their lives. While the Metzler siblings would use this election for different reasons in Paul finding some kind of life outside of football and Tammy as an act of revenge and later using it as an act of civil disobedience. The story is more about Jim trying to make Tracy lose as the two eventually come to terms that there’s more to life than just ambition and scheming.

The screenplay that Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor create is definitely engaging for the way it strands the multi-layered narrative into a single stream without becoming uneven or all-over-the-place. Instead, Payne and Taylor focus on what the four principle characters go through in this election and their motivations that is all told in each of their reflective voice-over narrations. While Tammy’s reason to be involved is for selfish reasons, she manages to get in by appealing to students who aren’t part of anything and her act of anarchy would later have the entire school rally for her. While it would make her a pariah with the school authority and further Tracy’s yearning to win, Tammy eventually gains something much bigger than everything else.

Then there’s Paul who is essentially the most innocent person involved in the election. While he gets roped into the election as a way to do something other than mope around over his injured leg, there is something about Paul that is relatable as someone who is very lucky and seems to appreciate everything that’s happening to him. Paul is a character that is impossible to dislike as he and Tammy both offer something that is appealing as neither of them seem interested in any real big plans for their future and just prefer to find some kind of happiness.

For Tracy, it’s all about going to a good school and do great things yet there is a flaw to her as her relationship with Dave would force her to realize that there’s more to life than ambition. She and Jim McAllister aren’t villains but people who really do bad things for their own selfish reasons. Jim is a guy who loves being a teacher but believes that Tracy is really doing things the wrong way and feels that the way she ruined Dave’s life only adds to his furor. Still, what he does is wrong while he would do further undoing when he engages into a brief affair with Dave’s wife. Payne and Taylor’s script succeeds for the way they allow the characters to be more than one-dimensional figures but rather as people who are very interesting and each have something that audiences can relate to.

Payne’s direction is truly solid for the way he presents the film as more than just a high school comedy. Instead, Payne adds a real sense of style to the presentation by infusing lots of humor the story such as a fantasy scene of Jim pretending he’s driving a nice car or him seeing Linda and Tracy while having sex with his wife. Since the film has a multi-layered narrative, Payne is able to make sure the film doesn’t make it overwhelming by keeping it simple while allowing each character’s arc to come together so people can follow through what is going on.

By having the film set mostly in Payne’s native home of Nebraska as it’s shot largely in Omaha, he clearly knows the city very well as there’s more to what the city offers than some town in the mid-west. Omaha becomes a character as Payne shoots in various locations to reveal the places that some of the characters like to wander into while adding a sense of beauty that is truly American cinema at its finest. Payne’s compositions for a lot of the scenes do play into framing styles as he would either freeze-frame things or present some sequences into a full-frame format while utilizing hand-held and tracking shots to follow the characters in their lives. Overall, Payne creates what is truly a funny yet engaging film that does more than what comedies often do.

Cinematographer James Glennon does a superb job with the film‘s low-colored photography to emphasize the rainy exterior look of Omaha and other locations like New York City and Washington D.C. while a lot of the interiors play up the natural look of what school look like including stylized looks for some of the characters in their home. Editor Kevin Tent does an amazing job with the editing as he brings a real sense of style to the editing in using jump cuts and other sorts of transitional movements to have the film move at a brisk pace. One of the key scenes that Tent’s editing comes to play is a scene where Jim McAllister gets himself in trouble as the editing is a tribute to the work of Nino Baragli for the Sergio Leone film The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly.

Production designer Jane Ann Stewart, along with set decorator Renee Davenport and art director T.K. Kirkpatrick, does an incredible job with the set pieces created such as the rooms and homes for some of the characters while creating posters and such for the film as it‘s shot largely in an actual Omaha high school. Costume designer Wendy Chuck does an excellent job with the costumes from the sweaters and more prim clothing that Tracy wears to the shirt and ties that Jim wears while the look of Tammy and Paul are much more casual. Sound editors Frank Gaeta and Scott Wolf do a great job with the sound work to capture the raucous atmosphere of the school plus sparse work on some of the exterior locations while layering the multiple narrations for its prayer montage scene.

Music composer Rolfe Kent does a fantastic job with the film‘s score that is very playful as it ranges from jazz to Latin rhythms. Kent’s score serves as the right tone for the film’s humor while bringing some low-key orchestral pieces for the dramatic moments of the film. Music supervisor Dondi Bastone does a nice job in assembling the soundtrack as it’s wide mixture of genres ranging from alt-rock acts like Mojave 3 and Spacehog to bits of jazz and pop, that includes Lionel Richie, along with a very inspired use of Ennio Morricone’s theme from Navajo Joe as the overall work on the music is brilliant.

The casting by Lisa Beach is terrific for the work put in as a lot of the extras and tiny roles are filled by locals and real kids that adds to the authenticity of the film. Notable small roles include Holmes Osborne and Jeanine Jackson as Paul’s parents, Loren Nelson as a disgruntled custodian, Matt Malloy as the vice principal, Nicholas D’Agosto as a student who assists Jim in the election voting, and Colleen Camp as Tracy’s supportive mother. Other standout supporting roles include Molly Hagan as Jim’s wife Diane, Mark Harelik as Jim’s old friend Dave, Delaney Driscoll as Dave’s wife Linda, Frankie Ingrassia as Paul’s girlfriend/Tammy’s ex Lisa, and Phil Reeves as the school principal Dr. Walt Hendricks.

Jessica Campbell is excellent as Tammy, a young lesbian whose heartbreak becomes the motive for her to join the election while trying rile up the school establishment as Campbell’s performance is engaging for bringing voice to a girl seemingly out of step with the world of school cliques and such. Chris Klein is wonderful as Paul, an all-around nice guy that finds himself being part of the election as he gains an idea that there’s more to life than sports as Klein’s performance is just immensely charming to watch.

Reese Witherspoon is phenomenal as Tracy Flick where Witherspoon brings a real complexity to a character that has a lot of enthusiasm but is also very cunning to get her way to the top. Witherspoon proves to be very funny and exciting while also making Tracy a character that people love to hate as it’s definitely the best role of her career. Finally, there’s Matthew Broderick in an outstanding performance as Jim McAllister. Far from the iconic role of Ferris Bueller, Broderick brings a real maturity to a teacher who loves his job while trying to make sure Tracy doesn’t win while his personal life begins to unravel. It’s a very exciting yet grounded performance from Broderick who allows his character to be human despite his actions.

Election is a magnificent yet hilarious film from Alexander Payne that features top-notch performances from Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. Of the films that Payne has done from 1996 through 2004, it’s the best of the four as it combines all of the witty humor that Payne provides as well as real characters dealing with themselves in their own predicament. It’s also a film that gives a lot of satire to the world of elections and how people are willing to lose themselves in something that is quite dumb. In the end, Election is a triumphant comedy from Alexander Payne and company.

Alexander Payne Films: Citizen Ruth - About Schmidt - Sideways - Paris Je T’aime-14e Arrondissment - The Descendants - Nebraska - (Downsizing) - The Holdovers - (Tracy Flick Can't Win) - The Auteurs #5: Alexander Payne

© thevoid99 2011