I think you're review is pretty much on the mark, Justin. Pretty Persuasion really didn't know what it wanted to be. But the director did apparently believe that dinner-table cursing and references to lesbianism are quite transgressive. I felt bad for both Woods and Rachel Wood, who I'm assuming took this project because it sounded promising on paper. 

In comparison Saved was better, but it also ultimately betrayed its premise by trying to please everyone. Election is arguably the best high-school set satire/black comedy of recent years.