You can also listen to this episode on any podcast platform of your choice (we’re on all of ‘em!)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! To celebrate, we’re tackling the scariest, most terrifying subject matter we could think of: POLITICAL. ELECTIONS.
(And America's own election is a scant few days away. So let's watch something that's going to make us laugh, think, but most importantly, FEEL GOOD.)
Directed by Oscar-winning writer/director, Alexander Payne (Sideways, The Holdovers) based on the novel of the same name and starring Reece Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick, and featuring the filmic debuts of Chris Klein and Jessica Campbell. It was a box office disappointment at the time, but has since gained cult status with Witherspoon's Tracy Flick chararcter becoming a pop cultural icon, inspiring such characters as Amy Poehler’s Leslie Knope from Parks & Rec.
Best of luck to us all between now and Nov. 5th! We return next Thursday, Nov 7th, when hopefully we’ll know who won and it won’t still be dragging out, but just in case next week’s episode is our coverage of the 2013 album THE CIVIL WARS with special guest
because how fitting is that?!? 😜We mention an Original/Alternate ending in the podcast, and here are links to read the original ending in script form.
Or watch it here in the only format it’s survived in, a workprint VHS recording. I highly recommend watching the movie first! Then come back and watch this:
The Wines
Dallas’ Wine Pairing
2010 Château de Sales, Pomerol, France
The 2010 Château de Sales Pomerol is known for its complex flavor profile, featuring subtle notes of red fruits, earth, and spice. This complexity mirrors the intricate plot and character dynamics in "Election," where seemingly simple high school politics reveal deeper, more nuanced themes.
The 2010 Pomerol has had time to mature and develop and aged into itself. The film and the wine are elegant and well structured.
It’s rich, velvety texture because of the Merlot base make this an excellent pairing for the film with is also extraordinarily smooth. This smoothness pairs well with the film's dark humor and the character of Tracy Flick, whose ambition appears smooth on the surface but hides a more intense core. Both this 2010 and the film have a long, memorable finish.
Dave’s Wine Pairing
2021 Private Property Grenache, Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey Country, Central Coast, California
Cool climate Grenache, easy to mistake for a Pinot Noir in a blind tasting with its lighter color, body, and bracing acidity alongside red fruit and herbaceous notes. If SIDEWAYS is director Alexander Payne's Pinot movie, then ELECTION is his cool-climate Grenache flick!
Raspberry, strawberry, rhubarb, beetroot, sage, salinity. Private Property is the more affordable ($20 - $30/bottle) second label of Caraccioli Cellars (which does Pinot, Gamay, Chardaonnay, for $40 - $100/bottle). Zingy, fresh, a play of birght red fruitiness + astringency to match the lively, cutting satire of the film.
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