Swing Vote (2008) More at IMDb Pro »

I write this as the US election of 2008 has ended. We will probably forget the amazing chills of various kinds that passed through many collections of beings in this process. We will forget the mobilizations, the desires.

Along the way, one fascinating dynamic is the role that Hollywood movies play in shaping the American character. I think (with the exception of Australia) that the US essentially has no history, no root tribe, no inherited shape. It is a nation founded on ideas, and thus more malleable as those ideas get reworked for various purposes.

Hollywood knows it can shape these. Some day we will have a slew of propaganda movies, first from Pat Robertson's film school, and then in a backlash from the more robustly creative world. But in the meantime, Hollywood isn't interested in shaping elections. Its interested in making money from them. So we have "Bullworth," "Wag the Dog," countless others and this. The idea there is to tap into whatever is an identifiable, monetizable trend. This year it was the revulsion over voter apathy.

Simple enough. Costner plays someone ignorant of and not engaged with his civic duty. He is drawn so offensively that we duly take note. His daughter learns/knows, leading the way to his civic awakening. This happens. We feel ennobled, end of movie.

We get value in belonging, they get our twenty bucks.

Fair enough.

Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.