Stealth Entertainment: Recount
By Scott Lumley
November 2, 2008
I'd like to point out a couple of really stellar performances in this film. Kevin Spacey, as always, is phenomenal. He turns down the volume on a quiet and unassuming character who refuses to give up and just really want to know who won the election. Equally good, although possibly overdoing it a little is Laura Dern, playing possibly the most memorable character in the film in Katherine Harris, a woman who apparently valued impartiality above everything else... as long as the Republican party won. Laura plays this character like an absolute space cadet, dressed in some truly odd outfits and about 70 pounds of makeup. Tom Wilkinson puts in a great performance as well, standing tall as the Republican field general of the recount and strong in his conviction that the Republicans won the election in the first place.
The script for this film was very tight, with the majority of scenes continuing to tell the primary story of the recount. It's not above deviating here and there to tell a few side stories, however, like the explanation of how dimpled chads come to be or how 20,000 eligible voters were denied the right to vote because their name was similar to a convicted felon living in the state. At one point a character speaks with one individual denied his right to vote and discovers that not only is this person (an African American by the way...) not a felon, he's also a minister. When he announces this to the rest of the Democratic recount team, you can see them react like they've been hit with a ton of bricks. It's a truly disheartening moment in this film. It's equally sad to see the poor electoral staff, struggling to do their jobs, start to receive death threats and hate mail.
And yet, I couldn't stop watching. At the end of the film, Gore calls Clain to tell him it's time to let it end, and Clain is near tears as he begs Gore to hold on. I know how the recount turned out. I know what happened. I'm not even American and I was sitting there hoping against hope that Gore would give it just one more shot.
Gore of course conceded, and Bush took the presidency. You may already know that.
The film wraps up on that point, and the teams pack up and leave. Clain and Baker run into each other at the airport and they both reaffirm to each other that they feel their man won. Neither one chastises the other, because they both understand what the other one is feeling. Baker is generous in his victory and Clain is gracious in his defeat. It's a fitting end for a story that was as hard fought as any action film, yet clearly lacked a bad guy. All's fair in love, war and politics, and this film embraces that philosophy.
This is an intellectual, powerful and entertaining film. It's one of my top ten films of the year and it's one I've watched numerous times. Entertainment like this comes along rarely, so keep an eye out for Recount. It's worth your time.
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