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| Against black background and a vivid American flag, the stars (and an unnamed black co-star) are aligned on this poster for Mike Nichols' Primary Colors |
A smart communications expert falls for Democratic presidential candidate Jack Stanton and becomes his campaign leader, but while others start to support his candidacy, several ugly stories about him also begin to emerge.
Primary Colors is written by Elaine May (Ishtar (1987)), based on Joe Klein's same-titled 1996 anonymously published novel, and directed by German-born American master filmmaker Mike Nichols (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), whose 16th feature it was.
It is a fundamentally flawed film that is obviously built around the real-world Clinton family, (John Travolta's (Get Shorty (1995)) lead performance imitates several Bill Clinton characteristics), while at the same time upholding a fictional layer (altered names), which makes the film feel like an attempted character assassination, as it connects more sins to Bill and Hillary Clinton than the filmmakers feel comfortable attaching to anything other than caricatures of the two. But the film's errors don't end with that: We never learn where the story's black hero (Adrian Lester (Hymn (2021, TV movie))) comes from, which makes him so auspicious as the campaign leader. We don't get adequate insight into what persuades him to take the job. Another flaw is a wholly ridiculous scene in which Travolta's Stanton makes a speech in a hall full of fired workers, in which he tell them that their jobs are gone for good, which they salute him for! The emotional hysteria, which is central to the film's tactic, also gets an extra elevation several times during Primary Colors, and at times goes overboard.
Primary Colors is a capital M movie, and although it has scenes that work, most episodes of The West Wing (1999-06)) are for instance better political drama, (way better.) Kathy Bates (Misery (1990)) is the film's big ace; moving and good, it is fantastical to see her lunge forward like this into what is otherwise essentially a frustrating film.
Related posts:
Mike Nichols: Closer (2004) - Nichols and Marber's intelligent film of love and infidelity
Angels in America (2003, TV-miniseries) or, Dying in the 80's, of AIDS, at L-E-N-G-T-H
Biloxi Blues (1988) or, '45 Army Camp Confidential
Heartburn (1986) - Ephron's first-rate script attains greatness with Streep, Nicholson and Nichols
Catch-22 (1970) - Nichols wages war on war with ensemble cast in absurdist satire
Watch a trailer for the film here
Cost: 65 mil. $
Box office: 52 mil. $
= Huge flop (returned 0.8 times its cost)
[Primary Colors was released 20 March (North America) and runs 143 minutes. Nichols paid 1 mil. $ for the book rights. 11 companies collaborated in the financing and making of the film. Travolta was paid 17 mil. $ for his performance in the film. Shooting took place from May - August 1997 in Louisiana, including New Orleans, New York and in California, including in Los Angeles. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Titanic, to a 12 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it spent another 2 weekends in the top 5 (#3-#5), grossing 39 mil. $ (75 % of the total gross). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Supporting Actress (Bates), lost to Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love, and Adapted Screenplay, lost to Gods and Monsters by Bill Condon. It was also nominated for 2 BAFTAs, 2 Golden Globes and a European Film award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 4 notches over this one. Nichols returned with What Planet Are You From? (2000). Travolta returned in Welcome to Hollywood (1998); Emma Thompson (Junior (1994)) in Judas Kiss (1998). Primary Colors is certified fresh at 80 % with a 7.20/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Primary Colors?
