Election (1999): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
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.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 43m (103 min)
- Director
- Alexander Payne
- Original language
-
Chinese
- Studio
- Paramount Pictures
- Budget
- $25M
- Based on
- Election by Tom Perrotta
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
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 Show fewer
- 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
Election Cast
Matthew Broderick leads the cast, with Reese Witherspoon. Directed by Alexander Payne.
-
Director Alexander Payne
More from Alexander Payne
More films directed by Alexander Payne, best-rated first: The Holdovers, Sideways, Nebraska and About Schmidt.
Election Reviews & Ratings
IMDb users rate Election 7.2/10.
-
IMDb 7.2 /10
See on IMDb -
TMDB 69% User score
See on TMDB
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
Election Box Office & Budget
Election grossed $14.9 million worldwide on a $25 million budget, 60% of what it cost.
Worldwide gross
$14.9M
60% of its budget back
- US & Canada
- $14.9M
- Budget
- $25M
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
-
Spirit Awards 2000 3 wins · 5 nominations- Won Best Director – Alexander Payne
- Won Best Feature
- Won Best Screenplay
- Nominated Best Debut Performance
- Nominated Best Female Lead – Reese Witherspoon
-
Golden Globes 2000 1 nomination- Nominated Best Performance in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (Actress) – Reese Witherspoon
-
Oscars 2000 1 nomination- Nominated Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published) – Alexander Payne
Election Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 clip.
- Trailer Election (1999) ORIGINAL TRAILER [HD 1080p]
- Clip A Scene from ELECTION
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
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the main protagonist and high school history teacher in 'Election'?
Cars in Election
44 cars on screen, including the 1990 Ford Festiva and the 1997 Ford F-150.
-
1990 Ford Festiva Main role -
1997 Ford F-150 Important role -
1986 Chrysler LeBaron Minor role -
1988 Ford Festiva Minor role
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 Show fewer
- 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?
Movies Like Election
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Candidate, Politics and Ballot.
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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