Irresistible

The first minutes of Irresistible tell us the setting is “Rural America,” followed by “Heartland, USA.” One more intrusive line of text would establish the overkill as a joke. The opening credits might also have noted how the role of Deerlaken, Wisconsin is played by Rockmart, Georgia. Unfortunately, beloved writer/director Jon Stewart never becomes that acidic or self-aware with his tale of Steve Carell as a political consultant trying to create “a new kind of Democrat” during a humble farmer’s campaign to become Deerlaken’s mayor. (A running gag about bad wifi is a reminder that both Hollywood and the national press still haven’t learned how tractors connect to the internet.) Irresistible eventually becomes part of a mundane D.C.-meets-small-town trilogy alongside Welcome to Mooseport (which every critic is invoking) and Swing Vote (which every critic has forgotten). The ambitious third act even relies on the plot of a 1970 episode of The Mod Squad. That’s made more painful knowing Jordan Peele has already provided a successful template for mixing politics and dark comedy. Stewart could have made The Hunt. Instead, he’s a showbiz creature who insists on some determined pandering – including moronic final moments that really whittle away any good will. There’s no vicious irony involved in having a Democrat operative like Candy Crowley goofing on the media. Then the credits end with the director himself chortling over how Irresistible has made a terribly important point.

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