Primary Colors (1998)

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

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers:

Joe Klein (novel), Elaine May (screenplay)

Stars:

John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 12 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Jack Stanton is running for president. The election is seen through the eyes of young Henry Burton. Along the way Stanton must deal with a sex scandal.

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Plot Keywords:

candidate | governor | president | honor | politics | 

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Taglines:

How Much Spin Does It Take To Win?

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong language and sexual references

Details

Country:

France UK Germany USA Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 March 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mit aller Macht

Filming Locations:

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$65,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£238,918 (UK) (30 October 1998)

Gross:

£497,545 (UK) (6 November 1998)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Award Entertainment, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Icarus Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

143 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

During the Mill speech you can see 2 TelePrompTers hidden in the crowd that John Travolta's character uses to give his dialog. In the reverse shot (back of his head) the TelePrompTers are removed from the shot.

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Quotes

Jack Stanton: [about the cellphone] You wouldn't have found it if I hadn't thrown it out the car!

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Connections

References The Montel Williams Show (1991)

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Soundtracks

"GOOD OLE BOYS LIKE ME"
Written by Bob McDill

User Reviews

A political movie for people who don't like political movies

This movie and the book upon which it was based caused a major stir when first released because President Bill Clinton felt the movie was based too much on his own life, even though the author denied that Clinton served as the model for the book's lead character.

It's kind of hard to believe the author, since John Travolta's character has a haircut and a Southern accent identical to Clinton's. Also, the scandals Travolta suffers in the film, such as adulterous affairs and having children out of wedlock, also plagued Clinton during his presidency.

Whoever you believe, Primary Colors is a very enjoyable film, even if you don't like political movies. The entire cast is great, especially Larry Hagman as an aging Florida senator who fills in for one of Travolta's opponents after he has a heart attack. It's a good step away from his J.R. Ewing character, even if his accent sounds the same.

Primary Colors is rated R for profanity and sexual references, but I think a PG-13 would have been more appropriate.

Krispy Kreme dougnuts, anyone?