The 2024 American Presidential election came and went and was quite an entertaining one. We’ve all had a good laugh or a good shudder in horror; maybe a bit of both.
Where there’s the never-ending fight between Republicans and Democrats, there’s SNL sketches and The Onion article posts burying audiences in political satire. While said satires really got a chuckle out of me (in particular, Melissa McCarthy’s performance as Sean Spicer), there’s one piece of cinematic satire that I believe is criminally underrated and despite its lead actors being two of the greatest comedians of their time, isn’t talked about enough.
‘The Campaign’ is a satirical look at the lengths to which politicians will go to secure their bid to power. Directed by Jay Roach (the master who brought us the ‘Austin Powers’ trilogy and the first two ‘Meet The Parents’ films) and written by Shawn Harwell and Chris Henchy (who’s also written three other stellar Will Ferrell films), with the story being developed by Adam McKay (Ferrell’s longtime director), the film has a guaranteed recipe for success.
If the film has a problem, it’s its seasonal nature, only appearing relevant once every 4 years. But ‘The Campaign’ isn’t just an election night watch. It’s a timeless film for every generation. We constantly worry about whether our Prime Minister will drag us into a war or whether a foreign power will threaten us with nuclear execution and yes, whether the people we vote for will actually fix the housing market. ‘The Campaign’ helps us both laugh and feel correct at the same time. It’s a win-win.
‘The Campaign’ follows Congressman Cameron Brady, who has won every congressional election by running unopposed. But when the Motch Brothers need a politician who will agree to help move Chinese factories onto American soil to cut costs even lower, they enlist Marty Huggins to run against Brady. It’s a classic clash as good-hearted and kind-natured Huggins has to turn to his wild side in order to win against foul-mouthed and unintelligent Brady. The two rivals turn villainous as they play dirtier and desperately to win a position in Congress.
Brady is played by Will Ferrell in one of his strongest comedic performances, sporting a North Carolina accent in the role of a man who can get away with almost anything. Like in any of his films, Ferrell’s strength is in his vocals. His determination in every word as he describes, in an incorrectly directed voicemail, the sex acts he’d perform on his mistress, is gold. I still find myself repeating his low, gaping mouth performance of “I. Fu**ed. Up.” There are too many scenes just to pick out for Ferrell. Everything from his DUI, to his intent to bed Huggin’s wife and his infamous punch to a baby’s face is glorious.
Zach Galifianakis plays Marty Huggins and luckily reduces the vulgarity from his usual “dumb but sweet” style most prominent in the ‘Hangover’ films and ‘Due Date’. His innocence and naivete as Marty Huggins leads not only to a character to root for, but also to chuckle at as he fails to trash-talk Brady, dances with his pugs and struts around with such a confident flamboyance. Unfortunately, the downside is wasted talent of the antagonist actors. John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd play the Motch brothers, but they don’t get as much screentime as Ferrell or Galifianakis and even fewer jokes, though the cameo appearance by John Goodman was worth a giggle.
Allegories are easy to make in today’s political climate. You could argue that Brady is Trump in disguise (especially with his history of sexual misconduct), or that Huggins is a younger Joe Biden. Is it that this film was able to predict the behaviour and performances of politicians even 12 years on, or that the political sphere has become such a caricature of itself that politicians now campaign with the knowledge that entertainment wins? With the film appearing more and more realistic, I can’t help but pose a question: was the behaviour of such politicians nurtured by the voters, or did this mentality and practice grow over time as they became more and more obsessed with power?
Mason’s Top 3 Reasons to Watch ‘The Campaign’
- A timeless critique on politicians’ obsession with power
- A film with an all-star crew at the helm
- The only film where a baby punch has ever been hilarious
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