Alexander Payne – IMDb

Moviegoers in May 1999 did not receive the film that they were expecting. While Election is an R-rated high school comedy, this was no American Pie. The film’s marketing misdirected audiences into believing that Alexander Payne ‘s film was an easy-going, good time at the movies. This was nothing to think too hard about. The comedic hook is right there in the trailer: students and teachers take a trivial high school class presidency too seriously, and hijinks ensue. The movie, based on the novel by Tom Perrotta of the same name, was even produced by MTV Productions . In what world could this actually be a satire on U.S. politics filled with black comedy and harsh tonal shifts throughout? Well, since this was the year 1999, when movies were consistently at such a high creative level with their concepts and execution, this bait-and-switch should not have come as a surprise. The film has developed a cult following,…