Swing Vote

Armed with an irresistible premise and a seriously charismatic performance from star Kevin Costner, Swing Vote quickly establishes itself as a thoroughly affable piece of work that makes up in easy-going entertainment what it lacks in plausibility. The storyline details the chaos that ensues after a hotly-contested presidential election boils down to just one vote, as Costner’s Bud Johnson, a likeable (if entirely irresponsible) everyman, is ultimately forced to choose between two (seemingly) deserving candidates (Kelsey Grammer’s incumbent Andrew Boone and Dennis Hopper’s Donald Greenleaf). Director Joshua Michael Stern, working from a script cowritten with Jason Richman, effectively compensates for the admittedly ridiculous nature of Swing Vote‘s set-up by establishing (and stressing) an impressive selection of wholly appealing characters, with Costner’s effortlessly compelling work undoubtedly matched by a supporting cast that includes Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, and Paula Patton. Madeline Carroll’s winning turn as Bud’s precocious daughter ultimately stands as the film’s most overtly positive attribute, as the young actress more than holds her own alongside her experienced costars and delivers a stirring performance that avoids cloying sentimentality at every turn. And although it clocks in at exactly two hours, Swing Vote‘s bloated running time doesn’t become a problem until around the 90-minute mark – after which point Stern places a lamentable emphasis on elements of an overtly melodramatic nature. The movie recovers for an effective climax based around a stirring speech that Bud delivers before a worldwide audience, and while the conclusion that follows it does feel like something of a cop-out, Swing Vote‘s plethora of minor pleasures ensure that it finally comes off as an unabashedly old-fashioned bit of Capraesque entertainment.

**1/2 out of ****