Interview by Paul Salfen
In the bustling heart of Dallas, where high school dreams collide with adult realities, Adam Saunders is living a full-circle moment. The Richardson High School alum, class president turned actor-writer-director, has returned to his hometown to promote Re-Election, his 2025 comedy that blends nostalgia, laughs, and a timely plea for kindness. Sitting down with Paul Salfen amid a whirlwind press tour, Saunders opens up about the film’s origins, its underdog spirit, and why this “Hail Mary” project feels like destiny—especially with the Dallas Cowboys’ offense looking sharper than it has in decades.
From Class President to Comeback King
Re-Election stars Saunders as Jimmy Bauer, a fortysomething high school dropout stuck in a dead-end job under his father, Stanislaw. Haunted by losing the senior class president race to a classmate who later became Texas governor, Jimmy decides to run again—at his old alma mater. It’s a premise ripe for absurdity, but Saunders grounds it in universal truths: regret, redemption, and the stories we tell ourselves.
“I was class president in high school, and I did theater,” Saunders recalls with a grin. “Politics and acting—those were my two passions. This movie? It’s the dream.” Fresh off his 30th high school reunion at Richardson High, Saunders screened Re-Election for old classmates. “It was incredibly meta,” he says. “Flying from the reunion to New York promo, then back to Dallas—everything aligned perfectly.”
The timing couldn’t be better. Written in 2020 amid a heated election year, the script lingered until indie distribution deals secured a 2025 theatrical release. “I wanted a buyer that would put it in theaters,” Saunders explains. “Now, in this polarized landscape, a movie about empathy and how we’re more alike than different? This is the moment.”
A Throwback Comedy with a Modern Message
Saunders directs, writes, and stars in Re-Election, a deliberate nod to the character-driven films of his youth. “People call it nostalgic or throwback—and it is,” he admits. “But I grew up on movies like A Few Good Men—entertaining, about something real, not based on IP or board games. Just people.”
Co-starring Tony Danza as a wise mentor figure, the film follows Jimmy’s arc from self-absorption to spreading empathy. “Jimmy learns it’s not too late to care about others,” Saunders says. “We have a sacred responsibility to ourselves first—don’t sacrifice your dreams behind obligations. Then, if you get a platform, use it to spread love.”
Danza, a childhood idol from Who’s the Boss?, brought levity to the Baton Rouge set. “Tony played ukulele every day—like the Pied Piper,” Saunders laughs. “One day he misplaced it and went crazy searching. Pure comedy.” Despite rainstorms and sweltering heat, the cast bonded. “Everyone was in it to win it,” he adds. Standout moments include a lively high school debate scene with audience-thrown questions (“It felt like real politics”) and improvisations from Patty Guggenheim that left Saunders “rolling on the floor” as director.
Updating ’90s tropes for Gen Z proved hilarious. “I wrote a keg party scene, but high schoolers today were like, ‘What? We don’t do that—we fam don’t buy drinks,'” Saunders recounts. “No 17,000 likes, different gender dynamics. It was fun revisiting my era through their eyes.”
Mindset, Mentorship, and the Big Screen
As a diehard Cowboys fan—interviewing Roger Staubach in eighth grade, no less—Saunders equates filmmaking to football. “Producers are GMs, directors are coaches, actors are players. On game day, no stress—just flow. Be light on your feet.” Prep is key: years rewriting with comedian punch-ups, coaching for his dual role. “Tension is the death of good acting,” he insists. “Create a relaxed environment.”
For aspiring filmmakers in the audience, his advice is blunt: “Do it. No job’s easy—lawyer, plumber, whatever. Pursue what you love; that’s your best shot at success.” Q&As reveal resonances: viewers connect with Jimmy’s underdog vibe, even icons like Sally Field admitting imposter feelings. “We’re all on our own mountain,” Saunders says. “Let go of comparisons.”
Why Theaters Matter—and What’s Next
Saunders urges theater viewings for the “community joy” of shared laughs, echoing 1995 moviegoing (the year of the Cowboys’ last Super Bowl win—full circle again). “Comedies hit different with an audience,” he notes. Streaming works if needed, but nothing beats the big screen.
Post-Re-Election, Saunders is developing Poker Sunday with co-star Rizwan Manji (Governor Singh). “Jews and Muslims playing poker weekly—tackling big issues lightly, fun for everyone.”
Back in Dallas, Saunders savors home: Tex-Mex at Mi Cocina, old neighborhood walks, high school football games. “It’s universally rewarding,” he reflects. In a divided world, Re-Election is Saunders’ platform for unity—one heartfelt, hilarious comeback at a time.
Re-Election is now playing in theaters nationwide. Catch the Hail Mary—Dallas might just run with it.*
