Primary Colors (1998)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers (WGA):

Joe Klein (novel)
Elaine May (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 March 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

What went down on the way to the top.

Plot:

A man joins the political campaign of a smooth-operator candidate for president of the USA.

Plot Keywords:

Candidate | Governor | Scandal | Philanderer | Politics

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	Governor Jack Stanton
Emma Thompson	...	Susan Stanton
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Richard Jemmons
Kathy Bates	...	Libby Holden
Adrian Lester	...	Henry Burton
Maura Tierney	...	Daisy Green
Larry Hagman	...	Gov. Fred Picker
Diane Ladd	...	Mamma Stanton
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Howard Ferguson
Rebecca Walker	...	March
Caroline Aaron	...	Lucille Kaufman
Tommy Hollis	...	William McCullison (Fat Willie)
Rob Reiner	...	Izzy Rosenblatt
Ben Jones	...	Arlen Sporken
J.C. Quinn	...	Uncle Charlie

Also Known As:

Mit aller Macht (Germany)
Perfect Couple (Japan: English title)
Primary Colors (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and sexual references.

Runtime:

143 min

Country:

France | UK | Germany | USA | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS | DTS-Stereo

Certification:

Denmark:7 | Australia:M (re-rating after appeal) | Australia:MA (original rating) | Iceland:L | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:13 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Argentina:13 | Belgium:KT | Canada:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:AL | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Company:

Award Entertainment

Trivia:

Larry Hagman's appearance at the political rally was kept a secret from the extras in the crowd. The reaction when he walks on stage is genuine. However, Hagman was recovering from a broken rib at the time and was in great discomfort so was unable to really enjoy the moment.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Libby and Henry are driving back from the Florida meeting, the reflections on their windows are in slow motion.

Quotes:

Gov. Jack Stanton: You know as well as I do, that plenty of people playing this game, they don't think that way. They're willing to sell their souls, crawl through sewers, lie to people, divide them, play on their worst fears for nothing! Just for the prize.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 56th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1999) (TV)

Soundtrack:

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Much better than I was expecting

I thought "Primary Colors" (1998:***) was pretty good. It appears to be a lot easier on "Jack Stanton," the Clinton surrogate played by John Travolta, than the book reportedly was. The movie presents "Stanton" as flawed but essentially decent (at least as decent as any politician running for high office can be). Travolta's imitation of Clinton is OK for a "Saturday Night Live" sketch, but it sometimes gets in the way of his performance over the 2-1/2 hour length of the film. However, he's often effective, and Emma Thompson is first-rate as "Susan Stanton", by turns pragmatically worldly-wise and fiercely supportive. Actually, the focal point of the film is not that of the Stantons but the young, black grandson of a highly regarded civil rights leader, who gets sucked into Stanton's roller-coaster campaign and has his idealism sorely tested. He's well-played by an actor named Adrian Lester. There are also great turns by Kathy Bates, Larry Hagman and Billy Bob Thornton, among many others.

For me, the only big drawback of the picture was the melodramatic suicide of a key player in the drama (I won't say who). I thought it was something this particular character would never do. Otherwise, "Colors" is absorbing and funny and moving nearly all the way. Good moment: The Stantons do a "60 Minutes"-like reaffirmation of their marriage, but as soon as the cameras are turned off, she yanks her hand out of his in a flash.