Despite the political milieu's rampant cynicism, the movie remains optimistic -- no mean feat.
Primary Colors (1998)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:73
Fresh:58
Rotten:15
Average Rating:7.2/10
Consensus: Well acted and suprisingly funny.
Runtime: 2 hrs 24 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: In Mike Nichols's PRIMARY COLORS, America's topsy-turvy political process is viewed through the eyes of Henry Burton (Adrian Lester), an idealistic young man who is seduced into managing the... In Mike Nichols's PRIMARY COLORS, America's topsy-turvy political process is viewed through the eyes of Henry Burton (Adrian Lester), an idealistic young man who is seduced into managing the presidential campaign of slick southern governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta). The mesmerized Burton immediately sets up campaign headquarters and meets his new political family: Susan Stanton (Emma Thompson), Jack's wife and partner; Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton), the sly, improbable political strategist who proudly describes himself as a redneck; Libby Holden (Kathy Bates), the fanatically loyal, overtly lesbian campaign troubleshooter who always has a big mouth and occasionally carries a big gun to match; and Daisy (Maura Tierney), the young, smart, and looking-for-love campaign media adviser. The film is based on the controversial best-selling novel by Anonymous (Joe Klein). Travolta's dead-on, thinly disguised Clinton impersonation alone is well worth seeing. [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates, Billy Bob Thornton
Starring: John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates, Billy Bob Thornton, Adrian Lester, Maura Tierney, Larry Hagman, Allison Janney, Paul Guilfoyle
Director: Mike Nichols
Director: Mike Nichols
Screenwriter: Elaine May
Producer: Mike Nichols
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Reviews for Primary Colors
The sad part is that while any old hack could have directed Primary Colors about as well as Nichols did, the kinds of movies that only Mike Nichols' brains and sensibility could produce hardly ever get made anymore.
Both a celebration and an indictment of the American political system.
A great cast -- led by a charming Travolta, an effectively steely Emma Thompson and a perfectly foul-mouthed Kathy Bates -- relishes the lines and bites the hand that governs them.
Director Mike Nichols never allows Primary Colors to get bogged down in a moralistic morass.
A slack, tepid picture stuck in a no man's land between satire and drama.
It used to be that we had to wait 20 years for the fictionalization of history -- now that gap seems to have closed to less than five years. Kinda sad. But also kinda entertaining!
Worth a look, but don't expect any great insights into the workings of the system ... or the workings of Clinton's mind.
Maintains a fairly deft sense of irony and emotional resourcefulness with regard to its subject, which is, most broadly, the complicated interrelations among politics, sex, ethics and the press.
This entertaining but rather peculiar movie asks extraordinary questions, and I wish it were better equipped to give the answers.
It's hard for me fully to express how deeply rotten I think Primary Colors is. Adjectives like 'glib,' 'coarse,' and 'sour' don't fully do it.
Striking an excellent balance between wry cultural critique and crisp entertainment value, the picture is as smart and funny as any comedy-drama in recent memory.
The film owes a few doggie bones to "Wag the Dog," which came first in pointing out what Primary Colors only seconds.
As satire, it's toothless and indulgent; as drama of conscience, it's not a patch on real life...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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