Swing VoteMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Swing Vote."

Gifts + Promos

The Vow Free Gift

Buy tickets & receive a FREE 3-Month Love Forecast from Astrology.com!

Fandango Bucks

Send your sweetheart the gift of movies this Valentine’s Day!

Journey Sweeps

Enter for a chance to win a trip for 2 to Nicaragua!

Interactive Oscar Ballot

Who's taking home the Oscar? Cast your vote & challenge your friends on Facebook!

Need Help?
So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 47 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
13 Iffy for 13+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    The mix of comedy and drama is winning; Costner couldn't be better, and the little girl is a find. Read full review

  • 75
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    Swing Vote is messy and its targets are relatively safe. But its aim is true. And Costner's performance hits the bull's-eye. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    The movie is a genial comedy, but it has significant undertones. Like some of Frank Capra's pictures. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety | Justin Chang

    Picture's comic smarts and affecting daddy-daughter drama provide a sturdy platform for its heartfelt advocacy of informed voting and responsible citizenship. Read full review

  • 63
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    This reasonably entertaining movie falters by trying to be both a dark comedy and a sentimental treatise on family and country. Read full review

  • 50
    Washington Post |

    The film's not nearly as idiotic as its trailer made it seem, because it's not really about voting, or politics. Read full review

  • 50
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Costner (who's also a producer) plays to his middle-aged strengths in a role that exaggerates male weaknesses. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | Manohla Dargis

    A mainstream, eager-to-please, relatively generic endeavor, not an auteurist showcase. Read full review

  • 38
    Boston Globe | Wesley Morris

    Swing Vote is a satire that's afraid to satirize. Read full review

  • 20
    The Hollywood Reporter | Kirk Honeycutt

    Paints a surprisingly sour portrait of nearly all its characters, so much so that even the final-reel redemption rings hollow and forced. Read full review

View more reviews for Swing Vote on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 13+ Lots of booze in mostly winning political comedy.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that although this comedy has a young protagonist and could serve as an entertaining -- if superficial -- introduction to the political process, most kids probably won't be that interested. Maybe just as well, since the central character is a booze-guzzling loser who's downright neglectful of his 12-year-old daughter, especially in the beginning of the movie. There's also an allusion to drug use, lots of strong language ("s--t" and the like), and some stereotypes.
  • Families can talk about how Bud's drinking affects his life and his role as a dad. What are the real-life consequences of drinking too much? Families can also discuss the political process. Is the movie's premise -- that every vote matters -- true, or is there some validity to Bud's pronouncement that votes don't count? What's behind the apathy that many Americans feel toward elections in general? How does the media impact people's impression of the political process and their feelings about voting
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: A father neglects his daughter because he drinks way too much and appears unaware of how his boozing is hurting her. He's also apathetic and irresponsible, taking his daughter out of school because he wants to spend time with her -- even if she doesn't want to. He makes promises he can't keep. But in the end, he seems to have seen the light. A mother appears to not want to have anything to do with her daughter because she'd rather work on her music and has a drug problem. A teenager takes on way too many grown-up responsibilities because neither one of her parents is stepping up to the plate. Another young teen drives his father's car when the older man is passed out drunk. Some stereotyping, particularly involving political parties and politicians.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence: A man kicks an empty beer can in frustration; he also yells at a stranger leaning on his car. His neighbors jeer at him and make fun of him, as do TV pundits, but it's a war of words, not violent actions.
  • sex false0 Sex: A few allusions to Bud having fun with women as he becomes more high-profile. Some mild flirtation.
  • language false3 Language: Runs almost the full gamut, from the arguably mild "damn," "crap," and "hell" to stronger words like "s--t" and "son of a bitch."
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Frequent and notable, from TV network logos (CNN, MSNBC, BBC, and more) to Bud's favorite drink (Bud Light, of course), as well as other beer brands (Michelob), UPS, Dodge, and Old Spice. Cameo appearances by many well-known celebs and politicos, from race car driver Richard Petty to Arianna Huffington.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Lots of beer swilling at all hours of the day, and allusions to one character's drug addiction. Alcohol affects Bud's behavior and his abilities as a parent. A character passes out drunk.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Swing Vote Featured Trailers + Video Clips

Facebook Movie Fans

Fan Fandango on Facebook