Jill Simonian is a correspondent for Dailies (ReelzChannel TV, weeknights @ 6PM ET), and occasionally shares stories from the field. This week: Swing Vote
True, he’s an outdoorsy guy.
But I’m talking about Hostess Sno-balls: the pink and white, coconut covered, marshmallow treats. After 61 years on the market, they may soon be used by the Presidential candidates to win Kevin Costner’s vote in November.
Swing Vote is a tender, inspirational comedy about lovable loser Bud Johnson (Costner) and his precocious 12-year-old daughter (played by one of the most gifted onscreen criers I’ve ever seen, newcomer Madeline Carroll). After an Election Day snafu, the United States government needs Bud’s ignorant and apathetic vote to determine who will win the Presidential election. And yes, shameless political bribery ensues.
Given this plotline, I asked Costner’s cast and crew what it would take in real-life to win Costner’s vote. Without a beat of hesitation, director Joshua Michael Stern said “frozen Hostess Sno-balls… with a big glass of milk.” 12-year-old Carroll seconded immediately, informing Costner that he “had one every day!” Costner threw his head back, laughed, and cited that he does have “a moral conscious” when it comes to choosing our next President. (Although he apparently ate so many Sno-balls during filming, they have a cameo in the movie.)
As for the runner-up bribe? Nathan Lane told me that baby-back ribs work every time. (Maybe that explains Swing Vote’s promotional partnership with Outback Steakhouse?)
Watch the story this week on Dailies.
Swing Vote opens nationwide Friday, August 1.