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ENLARGE
OK, so we all know (well most of us anyway) that Kevin Costner's best flicks (outside of "Dancing with Wolves") seem to be the baseball pictures: "Field of Dreams" (1989), "Bull Durham" (1988), "For the Love of the Game" (1999) and "The Upside of Anger" (2005), which I think are some pretty good baseball flicks (though Robert Redford's "The Natural" still is No. 1 in my book), proving that Costner is a capable enough actor.
Then again, there's 1995's "Waterworld," 1997's "The Postman" and the painful 2005 belly flop, "Rumor Has It." In a nutshell, that's it really. Never since watching the "Star Trek" flicks has it been easier to decipher one's movie career. Remember those? All the good ones were even-numbered (II, IV and VI) while the odd ones were best avoided. That's how shortcut-fixated we've become as a society.
With that said, Costner endears himself in "Swing Vote," about a blue-collar guy who finally grows up and turns his life around. Like life, it's the journey that is the most interesting. "Swing Vote" makes you look within and see the bigger picture. Along the way, you're treated to plenty of laughs, along with a little tugging on the old heartstrings. At its core, it offers a question: How far are you willing to bend to come out as No. 1, even if it means sacrificing your character?
If some of this sounds familiar it's because the studio backing this project is none other than Disney.
Costner plays Ernest "Bud" Johnson, a man who lives one day at a time, and if it weren't for his adorable 12-year-old daughter, Molly (Madeline Carroll), Bud wouldn't know when one day ended and the next one started. He lives in the nondescript town of Texico, N.M., in a trailer that's just as unkempt as he is.
Then again, there's 1995's "Waterworld," 1997's "The Postman" and the painful 2005 belly flop, "Rumor Has It." In a nutshell, that's it really. Never since watching the "Star Trek" flicks has it been easier to decipher one's movie career. Remember those? All the good ones were even-numbered (II, IV and VI) while the odd ones were best avoided. That's how shortcut-fixated we've become as a society.
With that said, Costner endears himself in "Swing Vote," about a blue-collar guy who finally grows up and turns his life around. Like life, it's the journey that is the most interesting. "Swing Vote" makes you look within and see the bigger picture. Along the way, you're treated to plenty of laughs, along with a little tugging on the old heartstrings. At its core, it offers a question: How far are you willing to bend to come out as No. 1, even if it means sacrificing your character?
If some of this sounds familiar it's because the studio backing this project is none other than Disney.
Costner plays Ernest "Bud" Johnson, a man who lives one day at a time, and if it weren't for his adorable 12-year-old daughter, Molly (Madeline Carroll), Bud wouldn't know when one day ended and the next one started. He lives in the nondescript town of Texico, N.M., in a trailer that's just as unkempt as he is.
He's not much of a role model for his daughter, constantly drinking beer, cussing and always forgetting where he's supposed to be. In short, Molly is more of a parent than he is. She loves him very much, but if he were to continue in this manner, she would seek out her mom (Mare Winningham), whom she hasn't seen since she was practically a toddler.
Carroll is one of those young actresses you virtually feel for and, I might add, who also steals the picture. The movie is very Frank Capra-ish in style, and some might call it sappy, but after seeing it, I would venture to guess that even the most hardened cynics will find that they have a heart inside.
"Swing Vote" explores the possibility of a presidential election that rests squarely on the shoulders of one man who will decide the next president because of an incomplete ballot. How the situation arises, I won't say, but the attention on one apathetic voter is pretty funny. Will it go to the incumbent (Kelsey Grammer), or will it go to the liberal candidate (Dennis Hopper)?
The message might seem on the surface that, yes, every vote does in fact count, but when you get into the story, you soon find out to what extent a person is willing to go just to convince one individual that you are the right man for the job.
Both Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane were great playing the campaign managers. You soon realize who really makes the decisions when it comes to the presidency.
Carroll is one of those young actresses you virtually feel for and, I might add, who also steals the picture. The movie is very Frank Capra-ish in style, and some might call it sappy, but after seeing it, I would venture to guess that even the most hardened cynics will find that they have a heart inside.
"Swing Vote" explores the possibility of a presidential election that rests squarely on the shoulders of one man who will decide the next president because of an incomplete ballot. How the situation arises, I won't say, but the attention on one apathetic voter is pretty funny. Will it go to the incumbent (Kelsey Grammer), or will it go to the liberal candidate (Dennis Hopper)?
The message might seem on the surface that, yes, every vote does in fact count, but when you get into the story, you soon find out to what extent a person is willing to go just to convince one individual that you are the right man for the job.
Both Stanley Tucci and Nathan Lane were great playing the campaign managers. You soon realize who really makes the decisions when it comes to the presidency.
"Swing Vote," at its core, is about those around you and what matters most. It goes far beyond the 15 minutes of fame. When the attention and the people who no longer consider you relevant go away, all that matters is family and those who care about you. This is a great family picture, and though it probably won't win any awards, I found myself looking around during the screening so that no one could see my eyes getting a little moist. And that's all I have to say about that.
- Howie Nave is host/manager of The Improv comedy club inside Harveys and reviews films for seven radio stations throughout Northern California and Nevada, including Sirius Radio. He hosts "Howie's Morning Rush" on Tahoe's KRLT radio, and you can see his film reviews on "Howie's Late Night Rush" Monday through Friday at midnight on RSN. For past reviews, blogs and audio clips, visit www.HowieNave.com.
- Howie Nave is host/manager of The Improv comedy club inside Harveys and reviews films for seven radio stations throughout Northern California and Nevada, including Sirius Radio. He hosts "Howie's Morning Rush" on Tahoe's KRLT radio, and you can see his film reviews on "Howie's Late Night Rush" Monday through Friday at midnight on RSN. For past reviews, blogs and audio clips, visit www.HowieNave.com.
Keepin' it reel:
NOW PLAYING: "Swing Vote"
STARRING: Kevin Costner, Madeline Carroll, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Judge Reinhold, Charles Esten, Richard Petty, Willie Nelson, Mare Winningham, Mark Moses, Nana Visitor, Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman, Shawn Prince, Aaron Brown, Campbell Brown, Tucker Carlson, James Carville, Mary Hart, Arianna Huffington, Larry King and Bill Maher DIRECTED BY: Joshua Michael Stern RATED: PG-13 for some language RUNNING TIME: 105 minutes HOWIE GIVES IT: 4 out of 5 bagels |
