When Does "Recount" (2008) Take Place?
"Recount: The Story of the 2000 Presidential Election" is a historical fiction film written by Danny Strong and released May 25th, 2008.
It takes place in the year:
We know this because it depicts the final day of the United States of America 2000 presidential election, which was on Tuesday, November 7th, 2000 AD, and then the recounts and the lawsuits stemming from it, which occurred in the real world roughly from November 8th, 2000 AD to December 12th, 2000 AD.
2000 AD
We know this because it depicts the final day of the United States of America 2000 presidential election, which was on Tuesday, November 7th, 2000 AD, and then the recounts and the lawsuits stemming from it, which occurred in the real world roughly from November 8th, 2000 AD to December 12th, 2000 AD.
Furthermore, at the very beginning of the film, as title cards announce production companies, a montage of papers dissolving into each-other are visible and the final one clearly reads “OFFICIAL BALLOT, GENERAL ELECTION PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA NOVEMBER 7. 2000”. The following scene shows citizens in the act of voting with this ballot, telling us it is November of 2000 AD.
Two early time setting title cards read “7:49 p.m. EST” and “9:51 p.m. EST” but the next tells us it is now “2:16 a.m. EST” bringing the audience to the early hours of November 8th, 2000 AD. Another title card over archival footage says “November 9th Deadline in 5 days” (referring to the deadline for a certification of a vote recount in the state of Florida). Then, the plot moves along with title cards labeling “November 11th Deadline in 3 days”, and, finally, "November 14th Certification Deadline in 3 hours".
The next third of the story includes the title card "November 15th" through many more to one that reads "December 11th One day before final deadline". An issue of the newspaper "USA Today" front page referring to the event depicted in the immediately previous scene is cover dated for "November 24, 2000".
The final act of the narrative covers the lawsuit filed by the Al Gore presidential campaign against the state of Florida. The scene with the first decision in this suit at the state level includes yet another time and place setting title card reading "Leon County Circuit Court December 4th". This decision is immediately appealed federally all the way to the United States of America's Supreme Court and while no title card appears for it, the court's opinion was announced on December 12th, 2000 AD in the real world.
Finally, a quasi-epilogue is dated "December 13th" with a last time setting title card. Though, a newspaper front page is held up during a closing montage that is dated for a January day in 2001 AD.
