I 2 deputati 1969

Two brothers-in-law, Francesco Grassiani and Franco Franchini, share a building and an office, yet their lives could not be more different. Grassiani is a prominent politician with the Christian Democracy party, while Franchini serves as a humble usher, quietly going about his day in the same hallway.

With elections looming, Grassiani launches a bid for Parliament under the Christian Democracy banner. The leaders of the Italian Communist Party (PCI) swiftly counter by proposing that Franchini run as an independent candidate for the PCI. At first, Franchini doubts himself, feeling he is “too ignorant” and “too Catholic” for the PCI, but he ultimately agrees, swayed by his wife Rita.

What follows is a no-holds-barred political contest between the two men. They try to steal each other’s speeches, Franchini attempts to sow discord between Grassiani and the Christian Democracy party, and a hitman dispatched by Grassiani disrupts Franchini’s final election speech. The campaign intensifies until the communist candidate is elected, Franchini.

Meanwhile, Franchini’s wife attempts to reconcile with her sister-in-law, an effort that spirals into a brawl between the two families. In the midst of the chaos, a Christian Democracy party leader arrives with news of the death of a recently elected centrist deputy, and Francesco, as the highest-ranking non-elected candidate, gains entry to Parliament.