Frontrunners

Caroline Suh's Frontrunners, one of the most enjoyable documentaries ever made about high school life, offers an endearing and at times howlingly funny study of the nature of democratic elections as seen in a pimply-faced microcosm—featuring all of the tension, elation, and (in this case mild-mannered) rancor that characterized 2008's presidential election. In fact, the differences between the race to the White House and the campaign for student union president at New York's prestigious Stuyvesant High School are surprisingly minimal. After two candidates are eliminated during a primary election, the pair of remaining frontrunners in this hormonally charged competition are George, an intensely over-analytical nerd with a penchant for hilariously excessive verbiage, and Hannah, a bright and ambitious cheerleader and aspiring actress who counters George's policy wonking with the formidable advantage of classroom popularity. Add in classic teenage behavior (encompassing “BFF's,” favoritism, and student-paper endorsements), and you've got a first-class race, with plenty of room for doubt about who deserves to win. A real-life counterpart to 1999's Election, this wildly entertaining documentary is highly recommended. (J. Shannon)