Bloodless Coup

Recount

So last night I finally got around to seeing Recount, the film about the Florida 2000 ... disaster? Mess? Debacle? Take your pick. I give it two thumbs up, way up. Danny Strong (best known as Buffy's Jonathan) is really responsible for that. He's written a really compelling script that makes the complicated easy to understand, and aquaints viewers with pretty much all the relevant topics, from ballot design, to federalism, to separation of powers, to the power of hacks and partisans running elections, etc., etc., etc. It's both dramatic and informative, while managing to avoid over-the-top readings of it (for the most part). The direction is fine, and some of the acting is pretty good (especially Tom Wilkinson as James A. Baker III), but really it's the story that makes this, and it's plotted very well. I really wish this was screend in high schools and colleges across the country. It would be good if more Americans understood just how flimsy and open to abuse our electoral system is.