Election (1999 film)

Election is a 1999 American comedydrama film directed and written by Alexander Payne and adapted by him and Jim Taylor from Tom Perrottas 1998 novel of the same title. The plot revolves around a high school election and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics. The film stars Matthew Broderick as Jim McAllister, a popular high school social studies teacher in suburban Omaha, Nebraska, and Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick, around the time of the schools student body election. When Tracy qualifies to run for class president, McAllister believes she does not deserve the title and tries his best to stop her from winning.

Jim McAllister Matthew Broderick is a muchadmired high school teacher in the suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska, who is actively involved in many afterschool activities, one of which is overseeing the student government election process. Tracy Flick Reese Witherspoon is an overachieving junior with an insufferable air of selfimportance. Earlier in the year, another teacher, Jims best friend Dave Novotny Mark Harelik, had seduced Tracy and began carrying on an affair with her. When Tracys mother learned of the affair and reported it to school authorities, Dave was fired from his job and divorced by his wife, Linda Delaney Driscoll, while Tracys reputation was unscathed.Against this backdrop, Tracy announces that she is running for student council president. When Tracy presents Mr. McAllister with her list of nominating signatures to qualify for the election ballot, she makes a remark about working closely together that he interprets as an indication she may try to seduce him. Annoyed by Tracys presumptuousness and disturbed by the absence of any opposing candidates to challenge her in the election, Mr. McAllister decides to persuade junior Paul Metzler Chris Klein, an affable and popular yet dullwitted football player who has been sidelined by a ski injury, to enter the race. Although Paul is initially ambivalent, Mr. McAllister ultimately prevails upon him to run, much to Tracys consternation. ........

Source: Wikipedia