Tracy Flick

Tracy Enid Flick is a fictional character portrayed by Reese Witherspoon in the 1999 film "Election". The character originated in the 1998 novel upon which the film is based.

Overview

In the film, Tracy is a high school student running for student body president. After spending the previous three years immersed in extracurricular activities, she expects to win the office unopposed, and is shocked when two other challengers enter the race. One of the candidates, Paul Metzler (Chris Klein) has been encouraged to enter by civics teacher Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), who holds a grudge against Tracy for an affair she had the previous year with another teacher, who was subsequently fired and divorced from his wife. Tracy's frustration at the possibility of losing the office to someone she feels is undeserving and unqualified leads her to sabotage Metzler's campaign posters, but through a stroke of luck, she gets away with it and ends up winning the election. In the film's postscript, she is seen attending Georgetown University, her dream school, and apparently working closely alongside a congressman in Washington, D.C..

Roger Ebert began his review of "Election" by noting, "I remember students like Tracy Flick, the know-it-all who always has her hand in the air, while the teacher desperately looks for someone else to call on. In fact, I was a student like Tracy Flick." He goes on to compare Tracy to "Elizabeth Dole: a person who always seems to be presenting you with a logical puzzle for which she is the answer... She is always perfectly dressed and groomed, and is usually able to conceal her hot temper behind a facade of maddening cheerfulness. But she is ruthless. She reminds me of a saying attributed to David Merrick: 'It is not enough for me to win. My enemies must lose.'" [Ebert, Roger. [http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990430/REVIEWS/904300302/1023 "Election."] The Chicago Sun-Times, 1999-04-30.]

A 2006 profile of the character in "The Washington Post" called her "wonderfully monstrous." "In [director Alexander Payne] 's study of her pathologies, Tracy's will is so fiery and her perfection so total that no one dares stand against her in her goal." [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/03/AR2006110300287_pf.html "TRACY FLICK: 'Election,' 1999."] The Washington Post, 1999-04-30, p. N04.] "The Stranger" wrote, "Like Humbert Humbert, the Reverend Harry Powell, and Baby Jane Hudson before her, Tracy Flick is a real and lasting contribution to the cinematic understanding of the villain, and the feather in Witherspoon's cap." [Schilling, Michael. [http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=7999 "Blonde and Brilliant: The Feral Fire of Reese Witherspoon."] The Stranger, 2001-07-12.]

Witherspoon's portrayal

Witherspoon became interested in starring in a comedy when her budding career hit a slump following starring roles in the dramas "Fear" and "Freeway". "All my serious dramatic performances suddenly weren't getting me the jobs or opportunities that I really wanted," she said in a 2005 interview. "I have stacks and stacks of letters from great directors saying I can't cast you because you don't mean anything to the studios. That's why I turned the boat toward comedy."Booth, William. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/11/AR2005111100442_2.html "Playing It Straight: In Life and Her New Film, Reese Witherspoon Washes the 'Blonde' Away."] The Washington Post, 2005-11-13, p. N01.]

"Election"'s director, Alexander Payne, wanted Witherspoon for the part of Tracy after seeing her performances in "The Man in the Moon" and "Freeway".Cheng, Scarlet. [http://articles.latimes.com/1999/apr/11/entertainment/ca-26137 "Acting on Dual Intentions."] The Los Angeles Times, 1999-04-11.] However, Witherspoon was originally interested in portraying Tammy Metzler, Paul's lesbian, social-outcast younger sister and the third candidate in the school election. Referring to Tammy's shocking campaign speech, in which she denounces the school administration, student government, and the entire election process, Witherspoon said, "That speech alone made me want to play Tammy! So I was terribly conflicted [about which part to play] ." (The role of Tammy was played in the film by Jessica Campbell.

To play Tracy, Witherspoon developed a Midwestern accent with a strident speech pattern. She also worked on clenching her face and walking at a constant clipped pace. "That was just Tracy, it so escapes me how it came out!" she said. "I just imagined how uptight people carry themselves, and they grind their teeth at night and they clench their jaw because everything has to be just perfect." Co-star Broderick praised her performance: "From the first she knew exactly what she wanted–a very aggressive person in a small and cute package... she comes out very funny and very scary at the same time."

Witherspoon won critical acclaim and her first Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance as Tracy Flick. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/entertainment/4581664.stm "Talent Behind Witherspoon's Win."] BBC News, 2006-01-17.] However, she later said her career continued to struggle after "Election"'s release due to public confusion between the character and the actress. "I'm not Tracy Flick. I couldn't get jobs for a year after that because people thought I was that crazy and angry and controlling and strange. But yeah, um, I'm not."

Comparisons

Tracy Flick has been compared to several real-world political figures, as in Roger Ebert's "Election" review, quoted above, where he likens her to Elizabeth Dole. Perhaps the most common comparison has been to Hillary Clinton, U.S. senator from New York and candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. A January 2008 mashup video, produced by "Slate", combined campaign footage with scenes from "Election" to draw analogies between Flick's and Clinton's feelings about the unworthiness of their opponents. The video was much praised and well-circulated. [Zjawinski, Sonia. [http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/01/youtube-mash-up.html "Mashup Shows Similarities Between Hillary Clinton, Tracy Flick."] Wired.com, 2008-01-28.] [ [http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/01/is_hillary_clinton_indeed_trac.html "Is Hillary Clinton Indeed Tracy Flick?"] New York Magazine, 2008-01-16.] [Conaway, Laura. [http://www.npr.org/blogs/bryantpark/2008/01/wow_hillary_clintons_inner_tra.html "Wow: Hillary Clinton's Inner Tracy Flick."] NPR, 2008-01-28.]

A "Christian Science Monitor" review of Clinton's 2003 biography, "Living History", quoted an excerpt in which Clinton discussed her participation in a Cultural Values Committee during high school and noted, "There is obviously some truth here, but the tone of the passage reeks of Tracy Flick, the overachieving, overly serious high school student from the film "Election." Not to belittle the efforts of the Cultural Values Committee, but a brief aside to show that Clinton understands that high school sociopolitics is not exactly on par with race relations would be nice." [Chinni, Dante. [http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0612/p15s01-bogn.html "The Importance of Being Earnest."] Christian Science Monitor, 2003-06-12.]

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter compared 2000 presidential candidate Al Gore to Tracy Flick while reviewing his performance in a presidential debate. "It got to the point that even the audience was laughing at Gore for his ridiculous pomposity. Bush was in on the joke, laughing and winking at audience members, as Gore grew increasingly insufferable." [Coulter, Ann. [http://www.jewishworldreview.com/cols/coulter102000.asp "The Three Faces of Al."] Jewish World Review, 2000-10-20.]

In September 2008, multiple commentators, including Andrew Sullivan, likened Flick to newly-announced Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin. [Bachko, Katia. [http://www.cjr.org/the_kicker/tracy_flick_round_two.php "Tracy Flick, Round Two."] Columbia Journalism Review, 2008-09-04.] [Abramowitz, Rachel. [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-brief6-2008sep06,0,5462666.story "Sarah Palin, If Her Life Was A Movie."] Los Angeles Times, 2008-09-05.]

Flick has also been compared to Seattle City Council member Helen Willis. [Connelly, Joel. [http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/117668_joel16.html "In the Northwest: Overhaul of Seattle City Council is Long Overdue."] Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2003-04-16.]

Outside the political arena, several reviews of the 2007 film "Rocket Science" noted similarities between that film's character of Ginny, portrayed by Anna Kendrick, and Flick. [Hornaday, Ann. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/07/AR2007090700695_pf.html "Nerdy Teenage Boys Define the Zitgeist Of Summer '07."] Washington Postr, 2007-09-09.] [Chang, Justin. [http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=features2007&content=jump&jump=review&dept=berlin&nav=Rberlin&articleid=VE1117932499&starting=11 "Rocket Science."] Variety, 2007-01-21.] [Lumenick, Lou. [http://www.nypost.com/seven/08102007/entertainment/movies/if_i_had_a_stammer_movies_lou_lumenick.htm "If I Had A Stammer."] New York Post, 2007-08-10.]

As a cultural icon

Tracy Flick has been included on a 2007 list on mtv.com of "our 10 favorite high school archetypes from the movies" (Flick represented "The Annoying Overachiever") [Heitmueller, Karl. [http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1567506/20070820/story.jhtml "The Ultimate High School Flick Clique."] MTV.com, 2007-08-21.] ; a 2008 "New York Daily News" list of "High-school fast-talkers before Charlie Bartlett" [ [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/2008/02/17/2008-02-17_highschool_fasttalkers_before_charlie_ba.html "High-school Fast-Talkers Before 'Charlie Bartlett'."] New York Daily News, 2008-02-17.] ; and a 2008 E! Online list of "the top 9 creepiest movie bad guys." [ [http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b3095_creepiest_movie_bad_guys_our_top_9.html "The Creepiest Movie Bad Guys: Our Top 9."] E! Online, 2008-07-16.]

References