Considering the small number of citizens who give a damn about civics, it’s anybody’s guess why Hollywood keeps shooting flicks about politics. We assume it’s to awaken us to the possibility that we could have honorable elected bodies—from high school student councils all the way to Congress and the Executive Branch—if we just chose real and honest people like Chris Rock and Zach Galifianakis to represent us.
Whatever the reason for the glut of DC shows, comedies, and dramas, it’s clear that a lot of us relate to movies better than real life, and sure as hell watch more TMZ than C-SPAN.
As such, we thought to frame the Boston mayoral election between City Councilor-At-Large John Connolly and state Rep. Marty Walsh along the lines of some modern political classics.
BLACK SHEEP (1996)
Though neither candidate resembles Al Donnelly—the political hopeful and protagonist in this film played by the ageless Tim Matheson—there’s a little something in Walsh that reminds us of that character’s friendly Care Bear of a son, Mike, brilliantly portrayed by the late Chris Farley. Despite being sober for nearly 20 years, Walsh still has a whole lot of party left in him, and has certainly not shied away from wrangling votes at watering holes. Mike Donnelly would be proud.
ELECTION (1999)
Of the several intriguing characters in this gray comedy about a brown-nose’s run for student body president, it would be unfair to compare Walsh or Connolly to Reese Witherspoon’s insufferable Tracy Flick … though the former is somewhat akin to Paul Metzler, the benevolent jock candidate played by Chris Klein. Connolly, unsurprisingly, has traces of Jim McAllister, the passionate yet ruthless teacher played here by Matthew Broderick.
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (2004)
In this latest screen version of the 1959 novel of the same name by author Richard Condon, Liev Schreiber plays the bratty war hero son of a nefarious Beltway family that’s brainwahsed him into becoming the biggest douche in congressional history with eyes fixed on the presidency. Despite Connolly’s ties to banks and lawyers, and Walsh’s not-so-surreptitions links to labor, neither seems to be a bloodsucking military industrial complex zombie or evil political legacy. With that said, Connolly’s father Michael was secretary of the Commonwealth, so you never really know.
THE CAMPAIGN (2012)
A bit unconventional and rough around the edges, Walsh is a tougher version of Marty Huggins, who is played by Zach Galifianakis in this hyperbolic knee-slapper that somehow succeeds in being even more ludicrous than the system it mocks. Connolly isn’t exactly Cam Brady, the shameless moron played by Will Ferrell, but the general one-upmanship that’s been on display in Boston is fast-approaching Campaign levels. Neither candidate has punched a baby yet, but the way things have been going, you never know.
