Movies in the Park Presents: Election
You look like you need a cupcake, and that is just what you will get tonight when the Austin Parks Foundation and the Alamo Drafthouse bring you Election, the second installment in the spring Movies in the Park series. However, that cupcake will be laced with arsenic icing and a heavy dose of satire extract.
When we first saw Election back in the late 90’s, high school was still fresh enough in our minds that we could identify each corresponding character from our personal experience: the overachieving, hyper-driven perfectoid, the meat-headed philoso-jock, the girl that we used to play unicorns with in elementary school who was suddenly a lesbian, and the awe-inspiring, universally respected teacher. (Wait, did we just admit to playing “unicorns?” Let’s move on….) What’s so fantastic about Election is that we, the voyeurs, get to crack the pristine shell of these archetypes and feast on the ooey-gooey center of their delicious flaws, while the poor souls in the film are left famished with an emaciated view of each other’s reality. Tom Perrotta, who wrote the novel that Election is adapted from, loves this guise. See also Little Children.
Speaking of famished, you should come to Republic Square Park hungry, because refreshments will be available for purchase from Dog Almighty (tasty meat and veggie dogs, chili, popcorn and bevies), Maine Root (locally brewed root beer) and Lifeworks Ben and Jerry's (ice cream with a cause!). You can also bring your canines (and requisite plastic bags, wink, wink), pic-a-nic baskets, and lawn chairs. Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the park, but we think we can lay off the sauce long enough to enjoy this little semi-family-friendly event (i.e. no munchkins under the age of 6 allowed; if you are over 6 but under 18, you must be accompanied by an adult.) Parents, if you do bring the curtain-climbers, be ready with your earmuffs and your eye blinders, as there is definitely some “adult” content in this one.
Oh! One more thing. For the pre-show shenanigans, be prepared to dazzle the student body with your class president campaign speech! Seriously. Sharpen those no. 2 pencils and get scribblin’. Be sure to promise everyone that you will make their wildest dreams come true and that you will get new vending machines for the quad.
Movies in the Park Presents: Election
Thursday, May 10th, (raindate May 17)
Republic Square Park [map]
7:30pm, Movie Begins at Dusk
Free!
Photo Courtesy of the Austin Parks Foundation website
