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Comedy drama

Election (1999): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Election (1999) movie poster

Election is a 1999 comedy drama directed by Alexander Payne, starring Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon. It is partly based on Election by Tom Perrotta. It runs 1 hour 43 minutes and earned $14.9 million worldwide on a $25 million budget. It won 3 awards from 7 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. IMDb users rate it 7.2/10.

IMDb rating
7.2/10
worldwide gross
$14.9M
awards won
3
budget
$25M
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Election (1999) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 43m (103 min)
Director
Alexander Payne
Genres
Drama , Comedy , Romance
Original language
Chinese
Budget
$25M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Election About?

The premise of Election without spoilers, adapted from Election by Tom Perrotta. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

An overachieving high school student's determination to win the election for class president is challenged when a teacher schemes to prevent her victory. What begins as a seemingly minor conflict escalates into a comedic and insightful exploration of ambition, manipulation, and the complexities of adolescent politics. The rivalry between the student and teacher exposes the flaws and absurdities within the school's social hierarchy.

Election Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • high school
  • overachiever
  • sex scene
  • election campaign
  • student council president
  • student government
  • teenage girl
  • election
  • school
  • political satire
  • female protagonist
  • self destructiveness
+38 more
  • voice over narration
  • husband wife relationship
  • manhattan new york city
  • marital infidelity
  • freeze frame
  • fellatio
  • satire
  • high school election
  • teacher student relationship
  • brother sister relationship
  • new york city
  • multiple narrators
  • adultery
  • jealousy
  • infidelity
  • based on novel
  • asparagus
  • female antagonist
  • teacher as protagonist
  • lincoln memorial
  • washington mall
  • bad guy wins
  • porn movie
  • women's soccer
  • fantasy sequence
  • all girls school
  • political poster
  • retribution
  • thumb's up sign
  • national news
  • sex in a hot tub
  • time jump
  • congressional aide
  • reference to georgetown university
  • rear entry sex
  • man in a shower
  • man urinates in public
  • bare chested male
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Cast & crew

Election Cast

Matthew Broderick leads the cast, with Reese Witherspoon. Directed by Alexander Payne.

From the director

More from Alexander Payne

More films directed by Alexander Payne, best-rated first: The Holdovers, Sideways, Nebraska and About Schmidt.

Full filmography
Ratings

Election Reviews & Ratings

IMDb users rate Election 7.2/10.

Plot

Election Plot Summary

What happens in Election from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Jim McAllister, played by Matthew Broderick, is a respected high school history teacher residing in the suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska. He takes a keen interest in various extracurricular activities, prominently overseeing the student government election. Enter Tracy Flick, portrayed by Reese Witherspoon, an ambitious junior whose overwhelming sense of self-importance is hard to ignore. Tracy lives with her estranged and bitterness-imbued mother, who incessantly pressures her to “do whatever it takes” to achieve her dreams.

Full summary

The whole story of Election, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Election Box Office & Budget

Election grossed $14.9 million worldwide on a $25 million budget, 60% of what it cost.

1999 box office

Worldwide gross

$14.9M

60% of its budget back

US & Canada
$14.9M
Budget
$25M
Awards

Election Awards & Nominations

Election won 3 awards from 7 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Spirit Awards 2000, with 3 wins from 5 nominations.

3 wins7 nominations3 ceremonies

Videos

Election Trailers & Videos

3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 clip.

Election - Trailer
  • Trailer Election (1999) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
  • Clip A Scene from ELECTION
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Election?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who is the main protagonist and high school history teacher in 'Election'?

Cars

Cars in Election

44 cars on screen, including the 1990 Ford Festiva and the 1997 Ford F-150.

All 44 cars
  • 1990 Ford Festiva in Election 1990 Ford Festiva Main role
  • 1997 Ford F-150 in Election 1997 Ford F-150 Important role
  • 1986 Chrysler LeBaron in Election 1986 Chrysler LeBaron Minor role
  • 1988 Ford Festiva in Election 1988 Ford Festiva Minor role
Details

Election Also Known As

27 alternative titles, including “La Eleccion” and “Выборы”.

Also known as
  • La Eleccion
  • Выборы
  • Σκάνδαλα στα Θρανία
  • Η Εκλογή
  • L'Arriviste
  • 校园风云
  • Gimiboszi
  • Выскочка
  • Candidata
  • Eleições
  • Wybory
  • Eleição
+15 more
  • Съперници
  • 일렉션
  • Seçimler
  • Вискочка
  • בחירות או לא להיות
  • Kto z koho
  • ハイスクール白書 優等生ギャルに気をつけろ!, არჩევნები
  • 風流教師霹靂妹
  • 呢個校園選乜鬼
  • Kdo z koho
  • ครูขาอย่าหาว่าหนูแสบ
  • La Elección
  • Vaalit
  • Bầu cử
  • Rinkimai

Seen Election?

FAQ

Election FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of Election, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Election?

Election runs 1 hour 43 minutes (103 minutes).

When was Election released?

Election was released on April 23, 1999.

Who directed Election?

Election was directed by Alexander Payne.

More films by Alexander Payne

Who is in the cast of Election?

Election stars Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon.

How much did Election make at the box office?

Election grossed $14.9 million worldwide on a budget of $25 million.

How is Election rated?

Election has 7.2/10 on IMDb and 69% on TMDB.

Is Election based on a book?

Yes. Election is partly adapted from Election by Tom Perrotta.

What awards did Election win?

Election won 3 awards from 7 nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 2000.

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