June 21, 1999 -- "Election" is a wickedly funny send-up of high school politics, popularity, sex and the follies of human weaknesses in general.

The film depicts sex between teachers and students, along with straight and gay relationships between students, but it really isn't as much about sex as it is about jealousy and power.

The movie stars Reese Witherspoon ("Pleasantville" and "Twilight") as Tracy Flick, an overachieving high school girl with an ultra type A personality. She is a bright, ambitious hard worker who has her sights set on winning the student body presidency. She's the kind of student who always has her hand up in class.

Matthew Broderick ("Godzilla," "Glory"), plays Jim McAllister, a teacher who finds Flick tiresome and somewhat threatening. Since no one is running against Flick, McAllister talks a popular student, Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) into running against her. Flick is outraged and redoubles her efforts to win.

Meanwhile, Metzler's sister, Tammy (Jessica Campbell), jealous because her girlfriend is now going out with her brother, decides to run against him in the election. Her non-campaign speech during a school assembly is stunning. Her anarchism threatens the political structure of the school.

The film makes good use of some seldom-used camera tricks. In one scene, Flick's mouth is superimposed above McAllister's ear while he is trying to sleep, as if she is talking to him. In another scene, Flick's face is superimposed over McAllister's wife's head while he is having sex with her and the face talks dirty to him, urging him on in his labors to conceive a baby. Director Alexander Payne makes good use of some freeze frame techniques as well. The film also makes good use of off-screen narration.

The point of the film seems to be that there is such a thing as destiny. Some people are destined to be winners and others are losers. The consequences of one's actions are sometimes just and sometimes not. Sometimes people lose simply because they are good people. Sometimes victory is hollow. The film takes a morally neutral approach, observing outrageous human follies with aloofness.

Witherspoon gives a masterful performance in the film, as does Jessica Campbell. Broderick gives a good performance and the rest of the cast, many of them with little acting experience, is also very solid. This is a very funny film, one of the best of the year. It rates a B+.

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