Amazon.com Essentials:
Based on the novel by Anonymous (a.k.a. political reporter Joe
Klein) and released when the Monica Lewinsky scandal was in full
swing, Primary Colors may have been a case of too much, too
soon for many moviegoers, who preferred the real-life Clinton crisis
over the movie's thinly disguised "Clintonesque" comedy. The general
public felt that the film was exploiting the president's
indiscretions, and as a result one of the most critically acclaimed
movies of 1998 was a box-office disappointment. But when considered
apart from the Clinton scandals and judged on its own considerable
merits, this superb comedy-drama provides an illuminating, insightful,
and frequently hilarious look at the harsh realities of presidential
politics. John Travolta stars as Jack Stanton, a presidential hopeful
whose campaign is challenged by dual dilemmas: how to squelch a
scandal involving the candidate's alleged sex with an underage girl,
and how to handle information that could potentially ruin Stanton's
opponent (superbly played by Larry Hagman). Stanton's wife (Emma
Thompson) stands by her man despite awareness of his infidelities, but
his loyal campaign planners (played by Billy Bob Thornton, Maura
Tierney, and promising newcomer Adrian Lester) experience a crisis of
conscience. So does one of the Stantons' oldest friends (Kathy Bates,
in an Oscar-nominated role), whose sense of betrayal and lost idealism
proves too much to bear. Masterfully adapted by director Mike Nichols
and his former-comedy-partner-turned-screenwriter, Elaine May,
Primary Colors plays like a sophisticated comedy with loads of
memorable scenes and dialogue, but it sneaks up on you with
devastating dramatic impact. Anchored by Travolta's superb performance
(which is reminiscent of Clinton without being a cheap impersonation),
the movie presents a story of great moral complexity and leaves
viewers to contemplate their own reactions to the volatile and
ethically complicated game of modern politics. --Jeff Shannon
