Customer Reviews

Primary Colors [VHS]

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I throughly enjoyed the novel by "Anonymous" when it came out in (I think) 1995. When the film premiered I braced myself for the worst. The film is never as good as the book, as anyone will tell you. But I was wrong. If anything, "Primary Colors" was *better* than the book, a thinly-veiled take-off on Bill Clinton's turbulent campaign for the Presidency in 1992.

Why is this such a fine movie? Two words- John Travolta. As Jack Stanton he captures the role perfectly- Clinton's demeanor, his passion for people, his weaknesses. I scoffed at hearing that Travolta was to play the part, and am I ever glad I was wrong. Travolta is terrific. Whoever won the Oscar for Best Actor that year must have done a great job to out-shine Travolta.

The rest of the cast is dead-on in their roles- Emma Thompson as Stanton's Hillary-esque wife, Adrian Lester as the Stephanapoulos-esque moral center to the film, Kathy Bates as Stanton's idealistic alter ego, and Larry Hagman as Stanton's opponant, Governor Freddy Picker.

I particularly liked Billy Bob Thornton as Richard Jemmons, a stand-in for Clinton's advisor James Carville. A lesser actor would have aped Carville's Cajin accent and played the part as a parody. Thornton though is smart enough to play Jemmons as a smart, cocky but utterly loyal subbordinate whose good 'ol boy demeanor masks a cunning political mind.

Director Mike Nichols has produced some wonderful performances from a really wonderful cast. The film's exploration of political idealism and how quickly it is shattered is well-done and quite timely now given the current Presidential election.

Outstanding film for political junkies and people who enjoy good drama.

When I first stumbled across a very very late night airing of Primary Colors on television, I was hesitant to sit back and enjoy the show. Political films just don't float my boat, since I find the actual politics somewhat uninteresting. However, within about forty-five seconds, I was hooked on this compelling comedy-drama. The story is superb, even though it isn't anything we haven't heard or joked about before. The acting is beyond superb, with every character given a voice and a story, so that you feel that nothing that is said or done is out of place. Although the comedic moments are great, what is really surprising is how, by the end of the film, you are deeply affected by the outcome of each character's story. And although the film is about politics, it is completely non-partisan and leaves the viewer to draw his or her own conclusions.

I feel that I cannot say enough good about Primary Colors. It is a surprisingly wonderful film that I would recommend to everyone.

"Primary Colors" is a genuinely hard-luck movie. Distributed when the real-life giant scandals of the Clinton presidency were at their height, customers were not in a mood for a cutting edge comedy on quasi-fictional smaller scandals concerning the same players. It's a shame! The movie has a superb cast, deft timing, packs a wallop, and teases the audience into some thoughtful moments.

John Travolta shines as the exuberant, larger-than-life, shrewd and sentimental presidential candidate, Jack Stanton. He is a man with over-sized appetites whether it is chitlins or chicks, and rallies or righteousness. Emma Thompson is properly steely in her resolve, but shows her aching vulnerability to Jack's massive infidelity. Billy Bob Thornton was made for the role a down-home vulgar cracker sidekick. He can cry over his mama one minute and be ruthlessly savage the next. Then there is Kathy Bates. I think it is an axiom of show biz to never co-star with a kid or a dog because they will upstage you every time. To kids and dogs, add Kathy Bates. When she blows into the movie as a wisecracking, politically savvy and highly neurotic idealist; everything else fades into the background.

This is one of the great movies of the decade. Everything about it is first class from the brilliant direction of Mike Nichols ably assisted by his old sidekick Elaine Mayes to the carefully placed cameo roles of Larry Hagman and Rob Reiner. Add this one to your DVD library.
-sweetmolly-

This review refers to the Widescreen DVD edition(Universal) of "Primary Colors"....

Leave it to the fabulous team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May to bring us a politcal satire that is funny,poignant and savvy. One that will have you laughing out loud as well as tug at your heartstrings.Based on the book by "Anonymous"(you won't get the name out of me), Elaine May's screenplay, and a brillant all star cast, under the expert direction of Mike Nichols will leave you wanting more.

Now stop me if this sounds familiar....Governor Jack Stanton, from the South, is running in the National Primary Elections for President. His opponents are tough and the politics are rough.He has believed in his causes for many years and has stood true to his ideals, his strong-willed wife always at his side.He is a man of the people. Okay, okay, so he has a bit of a problem when it comes to women, and oh yeah he managed to dodge the draft back in the 60's, but hey who's counting....The other side..that's who! At every turn his opponents are using this information against him, sometimes stooping to the lowest levels to make their point.(I am not mentioning any names here..but sound familiar yet?)The ultimate test of Stanton's ideals and career comes when he must decide whether to fight fire with fire or stay clear of the dirty politics. Can a politician win on his ideas alone? Find out in this absolutely engrossing ride on the campaign trail.

The cast doesn't get any better. John Travolta leads this terrific ensemble as go-getter Gov.Stanton. Emma Thompson, as always turns in a fine performance in her role as the chomping-at-the bit to be first lady,wife of the Governor. Billy Bob Thornton, Maury Tierney, Paul Guilfoyle, and Larry Hagman all add their special charms.Kathy Bates will steal your heart and Adrian Lester is marvelous as the fresh new idealistic member of the campaign team, who sees Stanton as the man who would be Kennedy.The wonderful music by Ry Cooder and great photography by Michael Ballhaus complete this fabulous film.

The anamorphic widescreen(2.35:1)picture of this DVD is outstanding. It is clear and bright with vivid colors.The sound in DD5.1 surround was well spaced. The background sounds, the music and the dialouge all nicely intergrated. There are cast and filmaker bios,and a theatrical trailer. The DVD includes captions in English, subtitles in Spanish and may be viewed in French(5.1) as well.

A political satire that will touch you and make you smile. Also makes a nice companion to Wag the Dog (New Line Platinum Series), another political satire that may make you say "It's deja vu all over again"...

go for it...and enjoy....Laurie

Somebody's not telling the truth about this movie. The studio emphasized that "Primary Colors" was not intentionally based on Bill and Hillary Clinton. The writer of the book it's based on was written by "Anonymous". The real author turned out to be Joe Klien, who works for The New Yorker Magazine. He says the book was, in fact, based on Clinton's first Presidential campaign.

John Travolta and Emma Thompson play Jack and Susan Stanton. Jack is Governor of an unnamed Southern State. The couple looks a whole like Bill and Hillary, both in body language and in appearance.

When the film came out last Spring, it did fairly good business. It was viewed as a political satire, which it is. In fact, it's one of the best films of its kind in a long time. Some would mention "Wag the Dog" in the same breath as "Primary Colors". The former was certainly a fine movie, but "Colors" is witty, rambunctious, smart and, well, a whole lot like the Clintons!

I suppose it has a slightly darker feel to it now, with all the bad press and publicity Mr. Clinton has lately gotten. Before all the disclosures about Clinton's private life, the movie seemed almost innocent. Now it seems prophetic. It's as though "Primary Colors" mutated into a different form. Or could it be that, after the revelations were made about The President, the nation suffered from a case of Mass Denial?

The irony is that the character of Jack Stanton is seen as an intelligent, well intentioned man, who has a bit of a problem with his fly.

Whatever its parallels with real life, it stands on its own as a good picture. The focus is on John Travolta's character, but Thompson's Susan doesn't get off lightly either. That is because, no matter how much Stanton fools around, the couple is always united in its pursuit of power. This is made clearly evident in two scenes. In the first one, Susan is sobbing and being held by Henry [Adrian Lester], a young and affable political aide. Susan has just found out about another one of Jack's affairs, and she is furious at him and at all who kept it secret from her. The film cuts straight to the second scene, where Susan is shown as all business again, throwing herself into the campaign. This sudden shift in her moods is done on purpose to underline how nothing in this world will alter her mission.

Mike Nichols is in top directing form. He really hasn't done as many movies as people might think. He's just done some of the most famous, such as "The Birdcage", "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "The Graduate".

Travolta and Thompson are so good that they are almost spooky. Emma Thompson is one of the great actresses of our times. While nobody paid much attention to him for many years, I think many are coming to realize that Travolta is one of our great actors.

As Richard, a brilliant but insane political ally, Billy Bob Thornton shines again. It never ceases to amaze me how much Thornton's physical appearance can change from role to role. For the record, he was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Kathy Bates threatens to steal the show at times in her dynamic turn as a political aide Stanton hires. She been in an asylum for the last fifteen years!

The script by Elaine May has some of the best dialog of any film released in this decade.
For example, Stanton checks into his motel at some campaign stop. He looks around and say, "What? No cable TV? What the [blank] were you thinking. of? You can't run for President of the Untied States without [blank] CNN!".

Mike Nichols and Elaine May were, many years ago, the top standup comedy team of their time. It's wonderful to see them reunited in this way - he directing, she writing. Still a team!

Kathy Bates gives her best performance since Misery. She definately should have won the Oscar for her breathtaking performance in this underrated film. Her not winning the Oscar makes us all ask, "Where's the justice?" Her character proves that there are good people who want to do good in politics, which is something that is obsolete today. She was very passionate about "Libby Holden" and beneath all the cursing lies a fragile woman. Travolta, Thompson and Thornton also are hillarios in the film and were all unrecognized.

The movie Primary Colors isn't anything special if you know (or rather willing to admit) who and what Bill Clinton is. For most people who love Clinton they have a huge blindspot for any of his negatives, much like people do for Reagan and Bush. With that said though John Travolta plays a fantastic Bill Clinton. Watching this film may seem like a comedy but it's not: this is really how it happens. I was there right smack in the middle of the Clinton campaign in 1992 and suffice to say the movie embellishes a lot, what's important is the man himself. Travolta captures Candidate Clinton like no other, from the handshake at the beginning fo the film to ...well you'll just have to watch the movie. What you won't see if Hillary. Ironically she did not become her present day self until the middle of the first term so in some ways you get a skewed image of her.

Billy Bob Thornton as the non-public side of James Carville puts in an excellent performance as does Kathy Bates (as always). What this film lacks in a way is the brutal nature of the 92 campaign. It's a satire so take it with a grain of salt but there's no doubt you're looking at the real Bill Clinton. What makes this movie great is that you're looking at politics as it it, most of the time.

I love this movie. Its so funny; I laughed all the way through it. John Travolta as Bill Clinton, Emma Thompson as Hillary, Billy Bob Thornton as James Carville...okay so those aren't the characters' names in the movie but you can figure out who they are supposed to be as the movie goes along. Kathy Bates deserved an Oscar for her moving performance. Rent it, buy it, watch it, you won't regret it. Forget about the Clinton scandals and watch it for its own worth as an excellent movie.

Although the author denies any connection between this book and the Clintons, it is quite obvious after reading it that the book is based 100% on the Clintons. Right down to Bill's indescretions with the ladies and the way 'he' approaches everything. Of course, the characters are renamed and there are a few more colorful characters thrown in to spice their life up even more. I also watched the movie version of the book and that really screamed out 'Clintons'. I have no idea why the author couldn't write a book about their actual lives. Maybe he smelled 'lawsuit'. Either way, this book follows the characters throught an election bid and the trials and tribulations that occurs mainly due to the runners life upsets. A 'lady' steps forward with tapes of the 'president' talking dirty to her on the telephone (sound familiar)? He also sleeps with a young girl of a friend. Not an intern but on the same kind of line. I do fully recommend this book and the movie too. In the movie, a plumped up John Travolta plays 'Clinton' and what a wonderful job he does. See for yourselves.

What an ensemble cast! Probably Travolta's last great performance in a movie, but he's not even the best one in this. Billy Bob Thorton is at his comic best and noone can play a better redneck in a movie (not even the great Robert Duvall, whom he idolizes). The best acting though is Kathy Bates. In her best performance since Misery (which was kind of over the top) and in just a small supporting role, she gives dimension and soul to a character other actresses may never have been able to channel. Even though the movie is longer than most comedies, every scene is well crafted in both the writing and directing that no scene is wasted. Lastly, I think that with all of the cylanders clicking at once with the acting, directing, and screen-writing, I highly recommend this movie to anyone.