Mister America 2019

As Tim Heidecker (Tim Heidecker) navigates the uncharted terrain of electoral politics, his campaign manager Toni Newman (Toni Newman) by his side, the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur. Fresh from a hung jury mistrial that exonerated him of murder charges stemming from a tragic event at one of his music festivals, Heidecker sets his sights on the district attorney’s office in San Bernardino County, driven by a burning desire for revenge against Vincent Rosetti (Vincent Rosetti), the prosecutor who put him through the wringer. The film opens with a small crew following Heidecker as he door-to-door canvasses to gather signatures and qualify as a third-party candidate, his irreverent charm and disarming wit failing to mask the desperation beneath.

As Heidecker’s campaign begins to falter, Newman’s attempts to generate buzz and secure press coverage are met with disappointing results. A hastily arranged debate event ends in embarrassment when neither of Heidecker’s opponents deigns to attend, leaving his frequent collaborator Gregg Turkington (Gregg Turkington) to lament the futility of their efforts. As tensions rise and Heidecker’s grip on reality begins to slip, he finds solace in the familiar rituals of substance abuse, indulging in excessive drinking and THC vape use that had previously contributed to a devastating tragedy at his music festival.

Newman’s valiant efforts to salvage the campaign are ultimately for naught, as Heidecker’s name fails to appear on the ballot. In a bizarre and unsettling scene, Heidecker calls Rosetti from the cramped confines of his hotel room-cum-campaign headquarters, initially extending a gracious concession before devolving into vitriolic insults and veiled threats. As the dust settles, Heidecker finds himself lost in a haze of self-pity and regret, leading him to create a makeshift memorial at the condemned site of the music festival, where he pays tribute to the youthful lives cut short by his own negligence.