Irresistible

Gary Zimmer, a Democratic political strategist, comes across a video of a retired Marine colonel speaking up for undocumented workers in his small Wisconsin town. Convinced he has found a way to reconnect his party with voters in the American heartland, Gary travels to Deerlaken and persuades the apolitical colonel, Jack Hastings, to run for mayor. Jack's capable daughter Diana and a group of eager but inexperienced volunteers join the effort, until the Republican National Committee responds by sending Gary's sharp-witted rival, Faith Brewster, to counter him. What began as a local race grows into a larger contest.

Jon Stewart directed and wrote the film, his second feature after Rosewater in 2014. Steve Carell plays Gary, with Rose Byrne as Faith, Chris Cooper as Jack, Mackenzie Davis as Diana, Brent Sexton as Mayor Braun and Topher Grace as Kurt. The production involved 94 credited cast members and 60 credited crew, and was made by Focus Features, Plan B Entertainment and Busboy Productions.

Released in July 2020, the film runs 102 minutes. It holds a 6.3 rating on IMDb from around 25,000 votes and a 6 on TMDB from roughly 510 votes, while its critics' rating stands at 5.4 from 233 reviews, so audiences have received it somewhat more warmly than reviewers did.