The Third Monday in October

Just because the war room is the kitchen and the PACs are your friends wearing "unofficial" T-shirts doesn't make the battle for middle school class president any less fierce. This spirited film drops us into four different middle schools across the country to follow a disparate group of 12-year-olds as they gear up for the cupcakes, posters, rallies and speeches and then brace themselves for the final count on the titular day. More than anything, we're taken in by the rich characters: politically savvy Sam, spunky Kayla running against two best friends, and innocent, earnest Mick, trying to make do in a school that can't afford textbooks. These kids mean business, and yet are also refreshingly uncynical about what role they might play if elected. Third Monday offers a rich lens into race, class, identity and the meaning of popularity — while delivering on the who-will-win drama. (DW)