Election 1999

Susan Stark, Detroit News: Fresh, fast, funny and full of insight! Read more

Janet Maslin, New York Times: The screenplay, by Payne and Jim Taylor, delights! Read more

Jay Carr, Boston Globe: You've got to laugh at Witherspoon's tightly wound Little Miss Perfect, rising at dawn to do her hair and encase herself in a preppy look before baking cupcakes to pass out at school as vote-getters in her campaign for student council president. Read more

Ted Anthony, Associated Press: Election at first has the feel of a simple work. But don't let that fool you; it's a complex, deep tale. Read more

Lisa Alspector, Chicago Reader: The treatment of this touchy material is impressive, neither gratuitous nor mincing, but this 1999 satirical comedy doesn't really go anywhere. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: An instant classic, Alexander Payne's 1999 high school comedy seems even more scathing now that we're losing control of our own election machinery. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: Reese Witherspoon is proving to be one of the most versatile actresses of her generation. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Cool! Read more

Globe and Mail: Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: What is it about high-school overachievers that gets the goat of movie directors these days? Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: A quartet of solid performances only adds to the movie's strength. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Reese Witherspoon hits her full stride in Election! Read more

Mary Elizabeth Williams, Salon.com: A tart study in teacher-student relations, adolescent pecking orders and the nasty vicissitudes of living in a world of haves and have-nots. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: A black comedy that takes off in unexpected directions. Read more

Time Out: This remarkable film may be set in high school, but its satiric take on moral corruption, political chicanery, adultery and seduction is anything but juvenile. Read more

Derek Elley, Variety: A dark, insidiously funny satire on the self-involved ways otherwise rational people can allow narrow personal agendas to lead them astray to the point of self-destruction. Read more

Dennis Lim, Village Voice: The film never finds a confident tone. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: The satire of the season, a hilarious, razor-sharp indictment of the American Dream! Read more