In 2019, Alexander Payne's "Election" turned twenty years old, and it seemed to become a new movie. For a long while, Tracy Flick had appeared villainous. This reading of the movie centers on Tracy's destruction of opponents' posters. She interferes with others' property, then lies; she allows an innocent person to take the hit. Also, she is a Republican. Finally, and obnoxiously, she thinks she is better than the students around her. The new reading of Tracy Flick sort of ignores these events. It focuses on the fact that Tracy is groomed and violated by a middle-aged teacher. Next, the teacher's friend throws an election to ruin Tracy's dream. In one of many brilliant depictions of petty meaniness, Payne has the teacher avoiding Tracy's raised hand, just because he doesn't want to hear her voice in civics class. I think neither reading is entirely satisfying. Tracy isn't a villain--but this doesn't mean she lacks villainous qualities...