Search

Primary Colors

1998, Movie, R, 135 mins

Primary Colors: Review

PRIMARY COLORS
starstarstarstar
A winner. Streamlined by director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Elaine May, Joe Klein's sprawling, thinly veiled roman a clef about the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign becomes an intelligent and very funny satire about the bloody game of American politics. In a media-driven world of sound bites and spin doctors, young and stubbornly idealistic Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) continues to believe in the possibility of a politician who actually cares about the American people. His hopes are pinned on Democratic Governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta), a deceptively laid-back good ol' boy from an unnamed Southern state, who's making a run for the White House alongside his equally ambitious wife, Susan (Emma Thompson). And Stanton just might make it, unless he's derailed by the storm of unsavory scandal -- adultery, draft-dodging, pregnant teenage girls -- that shadows his every step. Together with Stanton's campaign posse -- which includes a redneck-and-proud-of-it political strategist (Billy Bob Thornton), a perky media consultant (Maura Tierney) and a barely sane, turbo-powered fixer (Kathy Bates) -- Henry tries to pull his candidate through one of the strangest presidential campaigns in U.S. history without losing his own soul. The irony, of course, is that in the two years since Klein's novel was published, the sort of outrageous shenanigans that made Primary Colors a cause celebre have become real-life news. Nichols and May took the only smart approach possible: turning gossip into biting satire; focusing on the themes of honor and the price of leadership that elevated the novel above mere muckraking; and adding their own brand of humor, sophisticated but never too highbrow to snub hilariously vulgar language or a perfectly timed pratfall. And then there's that dream team of an ensemble cast: Thornton, Bates and Thompson bounce off one another and throw sparks, while Larry Hagman does a brief but surprisingly strong turn as Stanton's tragically flawed political opponent. In the center of it all is Travolta, complete with raspy drawl, steely-eyed squint and a gut that can only come from donuts and baby-back ribs. It's a spot-on Clinton impersonation, tempered with enough smarts and compassion to boost it several notches above simple caricature. leave a comment --Ken Fox
Advertisement

Shop

Primary Colors
Buy Primary Colors from Amazon.com
From Universal Studios (DVD)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarstar
Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy New: $9.99 (as of 5:51 AM EST - more info)
Primary Colors - DTS
Buy Primary Colors - DTS from Amazon.com
From Universal Studios (DVD)
Average Customer Review: nostarnostarnostarnostarstar
Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon as we have more information. Your credit card will not be charged until we ship the item.
Buy New: $9.99 (as of 5:51 AM EST - more info)

more Primary Colors products

Advertisement

Related Websites

You might be also interested in the following websites:

Most Popular TV Shows

  1. Dancing with the Stars
  2. The Game
  3. NCIS
  4. American Idol
  5. Wife Swap
more popular tv shows

Most Popular Celebrities

  1. Michelle Obama
  2. Adam Lambert
  3. Tiger Woods
  4. Kym Johnson
  5. Donny Osmond
more popular celebrities

Most Popular Movies

  1. The Twilight Saga: New Moon
  2. The Blind Side
  3. 2012
  4. Planet 51
  5. A Christmas Carol
more popular movies

Top Videos

  1. Adam Lambert
  2. #5 Adam Lambert - For Your En...
  3. #20 Adam Lambert American Mus...
  4. V
  5. Dancing with the Stars
more top videos