- Title: USA: PREMIERE OF FILM "ELECTION" STARRING MATTHEW BRODERICK
- Date: 24th April 1999
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATTHEW BRODERICK SAYING I thought about a lot of teachers I had and I watched some teachers there in Omaha. I went to classes and watched and talked to them and I got a sort of feeling, it was interesting to see how sort of intimidating it is to look at a classroom full with young people looking up at you, you know. Even though we were just acting, b
- Embargoed: 9th May 1999 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNTIED STATES AND FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: Uruguay
- Reuters ID: LVA7TRW2C0G3M1FYO08UNCX0NG1Y
- Story Text: Broadway star Matthew Broderick took some time out from his work on the Great White Way and flew to Los Angeles for the premiere of his newest film comedy "Election," co-starring Reese Witherspoon.
Thirteen years after he first came to the attention of movie audiences with his portrayal of a rambunctuous high school student in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," Broderick is now switching sides to play a dedicated and respected student government and current events teacher in "Election."
He plays teacher Jim McAllister, a popular teacher who puts his 12 year career at George Washington Carver High School in Omaha, Nebraska on the line in order to stop one ambituous student from becoming student council president.
That student is Tracy Flick, played by Reese Witherspoon, the school's consummate overachiever and an alarmingly ambitious go-getter who treats high school as the first step in a lifelong career strategy.
Realizing that Tracy will stop at nothing to achieve her goal of the student body presidency, McAllister decides to put some healthy obstacles in here way, like convincing the school's dim-witted football jock/hero to run against her.
Paul Metzler is played by newcomer Chris Klein.
Also complicating matters is Paul's lesbian sister Tammy, played by Jessica Campbell, who also enters the race out of spite at her older brother for stealing her girlfriend.This is Campbell's first big-screen role.
As campaign fever sets in, the lines between right and wrong grow increasingly blurry and Jim's life, both in school and out, begins to spin out of control in this satirical comedy that takes a look at ambition, morality, desire and the lies we never cease telling ourselves.
"Election" is directed and co-written by Alexander Payne, whose debut feature film was the critically-acclaimed satirical comedy "Citizen Ruth," starring Laura Dern.He set the film in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska and brought the crew there to shoot entirely on location using a real life high school and its actual student body as backdrops.
Not only did Payne get most of his extras from the students, he also drew one of his stars from the student body.
Chris Klein was four weeks into his first semester at Texas Christian University when he won the role of Paul after a chance encounter with Payne during his senior year in high school in Omaha.
For Broderick, "Election" was a chance to get re-aquainted with high school.He followed around some of the teachers at the school before shooting began and was quite impressed with their dedication to such a challenging job.
The film was also a welcome break from his work on Broadway.He's currently starring on Broadway in the play "Night Must Fall."
This is Witherspoon's third film in less than a year, making her one of the busiest and most sought-after of the new crop of young actors in Hollywood.Earlier this year, she starred in "Pleasantville" and "Cruel Intentions," opposite her now-husband and fellow actor Ryan Phillipe.The couple is expecting their first child later this summer and Witherspoon is finishing up work on one more film before she takes a break to start her family.
"Election" opens in theaters across the United States on Friday, April 23. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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