Swing Vote ***

Through a twist of fate (OK, several twists) and the well-meaning interference of his precocious daughter, a recently-fired drunk in Texico, New Mexico, has the opportunity to cast the deciding vote in the election of the next president of the United States.

The drunk, Bud, exuberantly and fearlessly played by Kevin Costner, seems to stand for what Edward Bulwer-Lytton called "the Great Unwashed," the great Unthinking, Uninterested, and Unexamined Underclass that is more interested in the next beer than in the next president. His daughter, Molly, expertly embodied by Madeline Carroll (watch out Abigail Breslin!), portrays idealistic youth, most interested in the plight of the working poor and the unfulfilled promise of the American Dream.

When Bud's identity becomes known, the incumbent Republican president (Kelsey Grammer) and his Democratic challenger (Dennis Hopper) both decamp to Texico to court Bud. Bud, who has no idea what the code words "pro-life" or "pro-choice" mean, for example, makes remarks that cause both campaigns to make shameless flip-flops on basic platform planks just to please Bud. The political satire is broad and there are some good laughs.

What I liked about this movie was Costner's and Carroll's performances, and the ultimate seriousness of the message. The heart of the film is the father-daughter relationship, and the father's belated recognition, in the face of far-greater failings of his ex-wife, of his own. But don't expect big box office. The public, suffering from four dollar a gallon gas, a slumping economy, and a war that still seems without end, is in no mood for anything that makes them confront an uncomfortable reality. Just like Bud.

Rated PG-13. 120 minutes. Joshua Michael Stern - Director / Writer, Jason Richman - Writer, Kevin Costner - Producer, Jim Wilson - Producer, Shane Hurlbut - Cinematographer, John Debney - Composer, Steve Saklad - Production Designer, Jeff McEvoy - Editor. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Principal actors: Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Kelsey Grammer, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez, Madeline Carroll, Paula Patton, Judge Reinhold, Willie Nelson, Mare Winningham, and Richard Petty.