True Colors (1991)

Director:

Herbert Ross

Writer (WGA):

Kevin Wade (written by)

Release Date:

15 March 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Lies. Deceit. Betrayal. It's What Friendship Is All About.

Plot:

Best friends from law school to election night, their friendship is sorely tested when one learns of another's betrayal.

Plot Keywords:

Law School | Skiing | College | Revenge

Cast

John Cusack	...	Peter Burton
James Spader	...	Tim Gerrity
Imogen Stubbs	...	Diana Stiles
Mandy Patinkin	...	John Palmeri
Richard Widmark	...	Sen. James Stiles
Dina Merrill	...	Joan Stiles
Philip Bosco	...	Sen. Frank Steubens
Paul Guilfoyle	...	John Laury
Brad Sullivan	...	FBI Agent Abernathy
Russell Dennis Baker	...	Todd
Don McManus	...	Doug Stubblefield
Karen Jablons-Alexander	...	Store Clerk
Wendee Pratt	...	Janine
Rende Rae Norman	...	Fanne
Frank Hoyt Taylor	...	Sen. Lockerby
Anthony Fusco	...	Sam Minot
Bev Appleton	...	Prof. Houseman
Mary Mara	...	Sophia Palmeri
Julian Bell	...	Anchorman
Larry Joshua	...	David
Tom Sean Foley	...	Ken
Bruce McCarty	...	Mark
Joe Mattys	...	Tux Shop Owner
Steve Morley	...	Justice Dept. Aide
Joshua Billings	...	Justice Dept. Aide
Ronnie Farer	...	Justice Dept. Agent
Kim Criswell	...	Campus Radical
Sam Hoffman	...	B.J.
Antonia Rey	...	Soledad
Peter Hackes	...	Dr. Burt Tuck
Stephen H. Aronson	...	Miami Reporter
Sally Beckner	...	Miami Reporter
Michael Stanton Kennedy	...	Miami Reporter
Sam Wells	...	Miami Reporter
Phillip Coccioletti	...	Carl
John Battle	...	Burton Campaign Aide
Mike Fowler	...	Burton Campaign Aide
Timothy Chambers	...	FBI Agent
Tom Ellis	...	FBI Agent
Michael Haley	...	FBI Agent (as R.M. Haley)
Richard Adee	...	Palmeri's First Mate (as Richard G. Adee)
Donald 'Spec' Campen Jr.	...	Campaign Aide
Ernie Dunn	...	Campaign Aide
Anne H. Hill	...	Campaign Aide
O. Dewayne 'Bart' Davis	...	Campaign Reporter
Mary McMillan	...	Campaign Reporter
Sue Boyd	...	Senior Supporter
Chester Holt	...	Senior Supporter
Ed Sala	...	Lockerby Aide
Rhonda Fitzgerald	...	Justice Secretary
Lisa Cooley	...	Stiles' Secretary
Thomas Hauff	...	Detective
Scott Wickware	...	Detective
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tony Carlin	...	Tony

Directed by
Herbert Ross

Writing credits (WGA)
Kevin Wade		(written by)

Produced by
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	executive producer
Laurence Mark	....	producer
Herbert Ross	....	producer

Original Music by
Trevor Jones

Cinematography by
Dante Spinotti

Film Editing by
Robert M. Reitano		(as Robert Reitano)
Stephen A. Rotter

Casting by
Hank McCann

Production Design by
Edward Pisoni

Art Direction by
William Barclay

Set Decoration by
Robert J. Franco

Costume Design by
Joseph G. Aulisi

Makeup Department
Colleen Callaghan	....	hair stylist
Allen Weisinger	....	makeup artist
Elaina P. Schulman	....	hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management
Joseph M. Caracciolo	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mark D. Currie	....	third assistant director: second unit
Michael Haley	....	first assistant director
Joseph Brad Kluge	....	additional second assistant director
Andrew Stone	....	second unit director
Glen Trotiner	....	second assistant director
Tim Williams	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Wally Adee	....	property master
James J. Archer	....	lead person
Michael Bird	....	property master
Wren Boney	....	set dresser
William Les Collins	....	construction foreman (as William Leslie Collins)
Peter Damien	....	construction coordinator
Judeth Lowey	....	assistant art director
Miriam Silberman	....	graphics designer
Donna Swope Wieters	....	stand-by scenic artist
Catherine Tambini	....	assistant art director
Dick Tice	....	set dresser (as Richard Joseph Tice)
Keith Weaver	....	scenic
Bill Wieters	....	scenic chargeperson (as William Paul Wieters)
Jea DeVoe	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Kam Chan	....	assistant sound editor
Randall Coleman	....	assistant adr editor
Kay Denmark	....	adr boom operator
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Gilroy	....	assistant sound editor
David Grossack	....	assistant sound editor
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor
Steven Klinghoffer	....	boom operator
Dan Korintus	....	assistant sound editor
Kevin Lee	....	sound editor
Sue Malfitano	....	apprentice sound editor (as Susan Malfitano)
Bitty O'Sullivan-Smith	....	sound editor
Al Overton Jr.	....	sound mixer (as Al Overton)
Randall J. Pease	....	utility sound person
Fred Rosenberg	....	dialogue editor
Dan Sable	....	supervising sound editor
Lynn Sable	....	assistant sound editor
Susan M. Wagner	....	assistant sound editor (as Susan Wagner)
Deborah Wallach	....	adr editor

Stunts
Bob Coakley	....	stunt skier
Michael Haynes	....	stunt coordinator
Paul M. Lane	....	stunt skier
Jerry Spicer	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Lou Barlia	....	camera operator
Norman Buck	....	first company grip
Andrew Casey	....	second assistant camera
Jack Coffen	....	lighting technician
Jack Coffen	....	rigging electrician
Eddie Colman	....	additional first assistant camera
Rusty Edmonson	....	best boy
Michael J. Fabiano	....	second company grip
Larry Gebhardt	....	director of photography: second unit
Charles A. Harris	....	electrician
Jay Kemp	....	set lighting technician
James Malone	....	chief rigging electrician
Frances 'Buddy' McBride	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as Buddy McBride)
James McGrath	....	dolly grip
Larry Orlick	....	first assistant camera (as Lawrence Orlick)
Stuart Stein	....	second assistant camera (as Stuart Paul Stein)
Dean Stinchcombe	....	camera trainee
Jürgen Vollmer	....	still photographer
Richard Walden	....	additional camera operator
William Ward	....	gaffer
Howard Weiner	....	24-frame video engineer

Casting Department
Andrea Curtis	....	casting
Bill Dance	....	extras casting
Joe Durso	....	casting associate
Robert Nelson	....	casting assistant
Richard Ryan	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kendall Errair	....	wardrober: women
Mark Peterson	....	wardrober: men
Elizabeth Shelton	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Scott Bokun	....	apprentice editor
Angelo Corrao	....	additional editor
Pam Di Fede	....	assistant editor
Phil Downey	....	color timer
Richard Friedlander	....	first assistant editor
Susan Graef	....	apprentice editor
Ron Honsa	....	segment editor
Kelly Irvine	....	apprentice editor
Ron Lambert	....	color timer
Tina Radziwill	....	post-production assistant

Music Department
Daniel Allan Carlin	....	conductor
Daniel Allan Carlin	....	supervising music editor
Donnamarie Hock	....	assistant music editor
Becky Mancuso-Winding	....	music consultant (as Becky Mancuso)
Nicholas Meyers	....	music editor
Timothy R. Sexton	....	music consultant (as Tim T. Sexton)

Transportation Department
Walker L. Chaney Jr.	....	transportation captain
Michael J. Mulvaney	....	transportation coordinator (as Michael Mulvaney)

Other crew
Petra Alexandria	....	assistant: Mr. Mark
Joan Altman	....	assistant accountant
Charles Thomas Baxter	....	location manager
William B. Berkemeyer	....	production assistant
B.J. Bjorkman	....	script supervisor
Bill Corsair	....	adr loop group
Janis Corsair	....	adr loop group
Tony Criscione	....	assistant accountant
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Joy Frelinghuysen	....	production assistant
Ellen Gannon	....	assistant production office coordinator
Dean Garvin	....	production assistant
David J. Grant	....	assistant: Mr. Caracciolo
Wendi Haas	....	production office coordinator
Elizabeth Himelstein	....	additional dialect coach (as Elisabeth Himmelstein)
Sam Hoffman	....	production assistant
Joseph Brad Kluge	....	assistant location manager
Lillian O. MacNeill	....	script supervisor (as Lillian O. MacNeil)
John Marston	....	location projectionist
Seth Miller	....	production assistant
Tim Monich	....	dialect coach
Paul Mowry	....	assistant: Mr. Ross
Donald Petrie	....	accountant
Anthony Kirk Poore	....	location assistant
Eve Roth	....	secretary: Mr. Ross
Elena Santaballa	....	production assistant
Christopher A. Schmitt	....	location manager: Montana
Edna Tromans	....	unit publicist
Duane Williamson	....	craft service
David H. Kramer	....	adr loop group (uncredited)
Michael Parks	....	location supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• CIC Video (1992) (Germany) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Pictures

Other Companies

• Bill Dance Casting  extras casting
• Creative Casting  casting
• Hastings Sound Editorial  sound editorial services
• Montana Film Office  special thanks
• Pacific Title  opticals
• Reel People Inc.  negative cutting

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sensuality

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:S | USA:R | Singapore:PG | Australia:M | Iceland:L | Germany:16 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Richard Widmark's last film.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the parking garage scene, Peter recognizes the car of a senator from Kentucky by the license plate on the front of his car. Kentucky did not issue front plates at any time in the 1980's or 1990's.

Quotes:

Peter Burton:Tell me this isn't about me coming out ahead of you!

Movie Connections:

References Dr. No (1962)

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

True Colors is certainly not a classic, but it is worth a look, Having seen it years ago I have always considered it one of those mini discoveries. A little film that I enjoyed that most people were not aware of. Viewing it now I still enjoyed the relationship between Cusak and Spader. We all know that politicians are scum and that the government is always at work for US, so NOTHING about this film or the morals of the people in it should surprise. What is a bit amusing is the fact that the film makers wish us to believe that Spader and the Justice Department have integrity. This is quite laughable.

My advice is to enjoy the concept and the journey these people take to achieve power.