Primary Colors (1998)

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:

Media | Cynicism | Disillusionment | Politics | Philanderer

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:

USA | UK | France | Germany | Japan

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Denmark:7 | South Korea:12 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:M18 | Finland:K-3 (new rating: 2001) | Australia:MA (original rating) | Iceland:L | Australia:M (re-rating after appeal) | Spain:13 | 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:

When Henry looks out the window at the hotel in Manchester, New Hampshire, he gazes at a Krispy Kreme donut shop. In 1992 there were no Krispy Kreme donut shops in the state of New Hampshire.

Quotes:

[Watching the final scene of "Shane" on television]
Henry Burton: Come back, Shane! Run for president!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Sudden Impact (1983)

Soundtrack:

THRU THE YEARS 1776-1969

kudos!

Last Saturday night, around 2 A.M., I came home from a night on the town, a bit intoxicated and feeling rather sleepy. Stubbornly, I decided to have one more beer (one for the road to my bedroom, if you will) and watch a couple of minutes of a video while finishing my drink. The video was `Primary Colors' which I had bought the day before for a mere $2. I didn't expect much, but I found myself not going to sleep well after 4 A.M. When a 2 ½ hour movie consisting of only dialogue (nothing remotely resembles even a HINT of action) contains no lulls and keeps a tired guy glued to the screen, someone out there must have done something right. Kudos to director Nichols, screenwriter Elaine May and the entire cast.

We, the self-proclaimed Totally Down To Earth folks of Europe, simply can't figure those Americans out. Their attitude towards sexuality is probably # 1 on our `weirdness reigns' Top Ten List, but their politics are a good photo-finish second (# 3 must be that suing one another seems to be some sort of national hobby). The whole Bill Clinton going ons may be stranger than fiction, but the story depicted in this great film (easily the best of 1997) still manages to deal with every doubt every man and woman blessed with an ounce of common sense might have had about American politics. Are elections a circus (wearing stupid hats, hugging Average Joe's baby kid, grinning at the papparazi)? Is it about `competitive happiness' (having to beat someone else in order to feel like a winner)? Is it about two opponents digging up each other's dirt (finding out that the opponent smoked grass in high school and using it against him –what does that say about you? Do you need to trash the other guy in order to win? Are YOU a saint? Does having smoked dope in high school make someone unqualified to be a leader?)? Is it about electing the least evil of two devils (when all the dirt is dug up, all the candidates seem to have done something ‘naughty' in the past – does it make us scared when our democratically chosen next president is ‘too human'? Are we really so naive to expect a flawless Christ-like figure? -Which reminds me of the saying `he without sin throws the first stone'-)?

The theme is sensitive, so this easily could have been a mean-spirited satire, picking on an easy target, but it doesn't. There are no bad guys or gals here. This movie isn't about `Good' or `Bad'. Hell, WE invented those terms, but it's never that clear cut, is it? Everyone in this picture is flawed. Humans are more complex than being either good or bad. These terms aren't mutually exclusive...I'm think I'm gonna stop right here, because this review is starting to sound like a rather shallow first day at a philosophy 101 course, but what I'm trying to say boils down to the fact that Nichols, May, and the actors have gone through quite an effort to create believable, 3-dimensional characters, not just shallow stereotypes. They are asking (and trying to answer) real questions. Important questions. A bombastic, mean-spirited satire might have worked on a certain level (try to imagine the result if Oliver Stone would have directed this film) but the more you exaggerate, the more it will keep the viewers emotionally detached (like David Fincher's `Fight Club' which didn't completely work for me). Nichols has a history of being (also) a great visual director, but this time he lets the strong material do the work. No artificials. He had the guts to rely on great source material. This movie slows down, pulls us in and dares us to think. Not about the leaders we choose, but about ourselves, too.

*** ½ out of ****