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Swing Vote
Touchstone Pictures (Disney)


6.2

based on 30 reviews
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based on 19 votes
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MPAA RATING: PG-13 for language

Starring Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Madeline Carroll, Paula Patton, Judge Reinhold, Willie Nelson, Mare Winningham, and Richard Petty

Swing Vote follows the story of Bud Johnson, an apathetic, beer-slinging, lovable loser, who is coasting through a life that has passed him by. The one bright spot is his precocious, over-achieving twelve-year-old daughter Molly. She takes care of both of them, until one mischievous moment on Election Day, when she accidentally sets off a chain of events which culminates in the election coming down to one vote... her dad's. (Touchstone Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Comedy
WRITTEN BY:	Joshua Michael Stern Jason Richman
DIRECTED BY:	Joshua Michael Stern
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: January 13, 2009 Theatrical: August 1, 2008
RUNNING TIME:	minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

ReelViews James Berardinelli

Swing Vote marries mild satire with Capra-esque melodrama in a formula that works surprisingly well.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The movie is a genial comedy, but it has significant undertones. Like some of Frank Capra's pictures.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

The film seems like a loose and uncredited updating of "The Great Man Votes," a more serious 1939 entry.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Swing Vote is messy and its targets are relatively safe. But its aim is true. And Costner's performance hits the bull's-eye.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

The thing is far too absurd and broadly played for its own good.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

The mix of comedy and drama is winning; Costner couldn't be better, and the little girl is a find.

Variety Justin Chang

Picture's comic smarts and affecting daddy-daughter drama provide a sturdy platform for its heartfelt advocacy of informed voting and responsible citizenship.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Costner does something difficult: In the middle of a tepid comic whirlpool, he finds the humorous aspect of inertia.

USA Today Claudia Puig

This reasonably entertaining movie falters by trying to be both a dark comedy and a sentimental treatise on family and country.

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

This one may be soft and derivative. But the actors establish a groove and stay on-message.

Empire Ian Nathan

This light satire is unlikely to influence the forthcoming election, but Costner's in fine fettle.

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

If the title hadn't already been taken by another equally strained recent comedy, the new Kevin Costner vehicle could have been dubbed "Idiocracy."

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

Dusted off and brought up to date, it's still the same old Capracorn – minus the populist pizzazz he might have provided.

New York Daily News Joe Neumaier

A good-ol'-boy civics lesson that's too scattered to achieve its predictable goals.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

This is a killer idea for a political satire, and screenwriters Jason Richman and Joshua Michael Stern come close to realizing its farcical potential.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

As in so many essentially childish movies, it's an actual child who's always the smartest pants in the room.

Washington Post Laura Yao

The film's not nearly as idiotic as its trailer made it seem, because it's not really about voting, or politics.

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

Everyone, including the candidates, will recognize the importance of civic duty, leaving Swing Vote to end with swelling music and uplifting speechifying but on a completely unsatisfactory note.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Costner (who's also a producer) plays to his middle-aged strengths in a role that exaggerates male weaknesses.

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

The longer Swing Vote hangs around, the more engaging it becomes. It's twice as smart as you have any reason to expect but still only half as smart as you wish it were.

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

A mainstream, eager-to-please, relatively generic endeavor, not an auteurist showcase.

Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek

A maddeningly indistinct picture.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

This potentially sharp working-class fantasy proves strangely unsatisfying.

Slate Dana Stevens

Swing Vote isn't exactly a toothless political satire. It's something worse: a satire with dentures.

Time Richard Corliss

Swing Vote falls from agreeable fable into wan satire.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

Hopelessly muddled film cries out for the firm hand of a dyed-in-the-wool cynic like Billy Wilder, who would have put some teeth in its jabs at amoral politicians and blindly ambitious journalists.

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Swing Vote is a satire that's afraid to satirize.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

Swing Vote may muster a few easy laughs, but the film is no contender.

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt

Paints a surprisingly sour portrait of nearly all its characters, so much so that even the final-reel redemption rings hollow and forced.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Brain-dead political satire/tear-jerker.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.2 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Rev. Rikard gave it a4:
This film insults the political savy of sotherners, while melting the political process down into an oversimplified, sappy stew. Costner's "Bubba" gets old within ten minutes, which is about as long as the film should be.

Ally W gave it an8:
I did not have high expectations, but my wife and I loved this movie. Despite the outrageous premise, the movie was smart, funny, and had moving moments of profound depth. Good performances by the actresses playing Bud's daughter and ex-wife.

Jess E gave it an8:
Whether you like the movie or not depends on whether you like Costner or not. In this film he delivers a charming performance along with newcomer 12yr old Madeline Carroll. The film is funniest when it depicts the two campaigns trying to fit into Costner's character political opinions. No new ground broken here but it is a delightfullight hearted comedy that is worth seeing if you can break away from seeing the current Special effects action flicks over and over and over and over again. Don't people ever get tired of seeing a film so many times so soon. Evidently not. Catch Swing vote. It deserves an audience.

Evan C. gave it a7:
This was not a great movie, but it certainly was enjoyable with excellent acting. I think the critics were too harsh. Admittedly it is unplausible, but certainly not more unplausible than a lot of other inane action and sophomoric slapstick flicks this summer, which the critics seem to like better.

Bob W gave it a7:
Too long and with an annoying soundtrack, but I still liked it. The little girl is terrific.

Red gave it a3:
This movie was a swing and a miss. Between the occansional chuckles and debating whether or not to refill my popcorn I was happy when the movie ended. It really was rather dull which is upsetting because Kevin Costner can do so much better. As for little Madeline Carroll I'd like to say she stole the show... but really their wasn't much of a show to steal. One of the biggest let downs of the movie came towards the end with an unexpected crescendo of emotion. It comes out of no where and feels so disconnected to the rest of the film. To sum it up simply save and your money and don't go to the theatre. Better yet if you do make it out to the local cinema see a real work of art such as "The Dark Knight."

Colin G. gave it a9:
Great premise, good film. A Capra-esque story that will appeal to those who like a little hokey and heart-warming in their entertainment. For those who complain this is unrealistic or absurd I would ask if it would improve the realism if Costner ran around in a latex bat suit.

Swing Vote Touchstone Pictures (Disney)

Swing Vote
Touchstone Pictures (Disney)