6 times that ‘Irresistible’ has a Wisconsin accent
Politically divided Wisconsin is finally getting its closeup, but it’s a little later and in a different world than anyone expected.
After having its original release plan for May hijacked by the coronavirus pandemic, Jon Stewart’s new political comedy, “Irresistible,” opens in a handful of theaters and via premium video on demand starting Friday.
The movie follows a Democratic campaign strategist, played by Steve Carell, who comes to a small town in swing-state Wisconsin to “road-test” a political campaign that, if successful, could be a blueprint for Democrats to win back rural voters — a key voting bloc they lost in 2016. In no time, what one character dubs “the election economy” kicks into high gear, turning a small-town election into a multimillion-dollar battleground.
Oscar winner Chris Cooper plays the former Marine colonel turned farmer who is recruited to run for mayor of Deerlaken, Wisconsin. Rose Byrne plays his dogged rival, a cynical, stop-at-nothing Republican political operative. Mackenzie Davis, Topher Grace and Natasha Lyonne co-star.
The movie’s biggest targets are the money machines that political campaigns have become; the professional campaigners and special-interest groups who forget about the people the candidates they’re working for are supposed to represent; and the national news media, which thrives on diving into the moment without understanding if it’s real, or if it even matters. (One of “Irresistible’s” funnier creations is the latest CNN “innovation,” the Duodecabox — a screen displaying 12 different pundits, all yammering at the same time.)
Although the movie is set and nearly all of its action takes place in Wisconsin, “Irresistible” was largely filmed in Georgia. But Stewart did his homework on the Badger State, incorporating Wisconsin touches throughout. (And he deserves bonus points for not having the locals speak in a “Fargo” accent.)
Here is a mostly spoiler-free sixpack of memorable Wisconsin moments in “Irresistible.”
1. There’s a Packers shout-out (sort of)
While flying to Wisconsin in a fancy private jet, Carell eats dinner, giving a passing glance to the TV above his seat, which is showing Bart Starr leading the Green Bay Packers downfield. Apparently, skimming Glory Days green and gold is part of his immersion strategy.
2. The locals mock Madison
His first night in Deerlaken, Carell stops in a bar to chat up some residents. The bartender asks him, “Ever been to Wisconsin before?” He replies: “Spent a fair amount of time in Madison.”
A pair of locals, known as Little Mike and Big Mike (Will McLaughlin and Will Sasso, respectively), chortle. Little Mike: That’s a no (laughs). Big Mike: That is in Wisconsin.
3. Rural Wisconsin has been red for a while
When Carell meets the incumbent mayor (played by Brent Sexton), the latter reminds the Democratic operative that he faces an uphill battle in this rural community: “This town hasn’t had a Democratic mayor since La Follette. It hasn’t had a Democratic Party since the seventies.”
4. Fish fry is bigger than politics
Carell and Byrne square off in public, but no one seems to notice them promoting their candidates because they’re too busy having fun at a community fish fry.
5. Carell defends cheese curds
Byrne tries to lure Carell back to Washington, dismissing Wisconsin as “a place where the (expletive) you skim off milk is considered a food.”
“They’re called cheese curds,” Carell responds, indignantly, “and they’re delicious.”
6. Stewart thanks a UW professor
At the end of the credits, Stewart thanks Rockport and Polk County, in Georgia, and Kathy Cramer. The former were the locations where “Irresistible” was filmed. Cramer is the University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor whose 2016 book “The Politics of Resentment” explored the role of disaffected rural voters in Wisconsin’s shift to the right. In 2017, Stewart reached out to Cramer, spending a day with her in Wisconsin, visiting some of the places and people she visited while researching her book.