Election

Perhaps it's because of the current lack of good comedy. Perhaps it's because of this year's oversaturation of bad teen-oriented comedies. Or perhaps it's because it's Matthew Broderick is actually good in something again.

For whatever reason, "Election" is a much-needed breath of fresh cinematic air: a comedy that believes in the intelligence of its audience.

Also, the film's depiction of high school relationships is so dead-on that, as a result, it looks like a hard-hitting documentary in comparison to the fantasy world of "Never Been Kissed."

If those two things weren't astonishing enough, the movie may even be more surprising, considering that the filmmaking arm of MTV helped produce it.

Not that it's completely free of problems — especially the tendency to fall into cheap and easy, sexually based humor at times. However, even that isn't enough to derail this subtle, dark comic work, which, cinematically, lies somewhere between "Rushmore" and "There's Something About Mary."

Based on Tom Perrotta's scathingly funny novel, the story follows Jim McAllister (Broderick), the beloved U.S. history and civics teacher at Nebraska's George Washington Carver High, who gets a little too involved with the school's student body elections.

His motivation is Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon), an overachieving junior who helped destroy the career and life of Broderick's best friend, is running unopposed for student council president.

So, in retaliation, McAllister drafts Paul Metzler (Chris Klein), a popular jock who's been sidelined from playing football, to run against her. But the scheme quickly spirals out of control.

For example, Paul's younger sister, Tammy (Jessica Campbell), decides to run as well — in revenge against her brother, whom she blames for stealing her girlfriend.

The plot sounds wild (and it is), but director and co-scripter Alexander Payne ("Citizen Ruth") does a marvelous job of balancing the off-kilter humor with smart barbs aimed at real political campaigning and sexual politics.

However, not all of his plotting works that well. A subplot dealing with McAllister's sexual inadequacies seems forced and receives way too much time in the film's second half.

Fortunately, brisk pacing helps, as do terrific performances from Broderick and especially Witherspoon, who manages to flesh out what could have been a one-note character.

"Election" is rated R for simulated sex (both seen and overheard), profanity, vulgar sexual humor and use of crude slang terms and expressions, glaring closeups of nude museum displays, drug use (marijuana) and a violent tantrum.