Top 5 Election Films

5. George Wallace 1997-Gary Sinise deservedly won an Emmy for his portrayal of the notorious Alabama governor during the Civil Rights movement. The film shows how, after a lost election, Wallace gives up his soul-as well as the respect of his mentor, Jim Folsom (Joe Don Baker)-in order to win the governorship. Features a young (and steamy) Angelina Jolie as Wallace’s second wife, Cornelia.

4. Election- This 1999 film about a student body president election, between an obnoxious overachiever Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon, in a star-making role), a dim witted jock and the jock’s lesbian sister, is a wicked satire about elections in general. Tracy is definitely a piece of work: her perfect smile and over-cheerfulness masks a ruthless, win-at-all costs mentality and a temper as ferocious as a pit bull.

3. Wild in the Streets 1968-This bizarre cult film has dated very badly, but is definitely worth a look in order to get a glimpse of the paranoia that must have gripped older generations during the cultural revolution of the late 1960’s. A congressman (Hal Holbrook) uses Max Frost (Christopher Jones), “the world’s most popular rock star,” to gain the youth vote in his run for the senate. However Frost1) turns on the congressman, 2) gets elected president, 3) lowers the voting age to 14, 4) laces both the House and Senate with LSD and 5) gets the drug induced congress to pass a law forcing everyone over 30 into “retirement camps.” Man! Features a young Richard Pryor as “Stanley X.”

2. Tanner 88. This ambitious and often hilarious made for cable series by Robert Altman and Gary Trudeau was clearly influential on Michael Moore, as well as Borat. During the 1988 presidential election, fictional candidate Tanner (Michael Murphy) campaigns alongside true candidates such a Alexander Haig and Pat Robertson. It gives probably as accurate an account of the process of running a campaign as possible, as well as explores the often explosive love-hate relationship that exists between politics and the media.

1. The Candidate 1972-A handsome, charming young candidate (Robert Redford) challenges a seemingly unbeatable incumbent Senator in California. He enters the race not so much to win, but to bring issues dear to him to the forefront. However, when things begin to change-and it seems he has an opportunity to win-his integrity changes as well. The film builds to an alarming-and perfect-closing line: “What do we do now?”

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