Primary Colors (film)

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Primary Colors

Promotional film poster
Directed by Mike Nichols[1]
Produced by Mike Nichols, Jonathan Krane, Neil Machlis
Screenplay by Elaine May
Based on Primary Colors by
Joe Klein
Starring John Travolta
Emma Thompson
Music by Ry Cooder
Cinematography Michael Ballhaus
Editing by Arthur Schmidt
Distributed by Universal Studios
Release date(s) March 20, 1998 (1998-03-20)
Running time 143 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $65 million[2]
Box office $52,090,187[3]
This article is about the film. For the book, see Primary Colors (novel). For the actual colors, see Primary color.

Primary Colors is a 1998 comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols and starring John Travolta based on the popular book of the same name (a success fueled in part by speculation over the identity of the then-anonymous author, Joe Klein).[4][5] The film also starred Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Larry Hagman, and Adrian Lester. Bates was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance, and the film itself was nominated for an Academy Award for Adapted Screenplay.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Jack Stanton (Travolta) is the charismatic governor of a southern state who decides to run for President. The film follows Stanton's bumbling, philandering and plotting as he rises to the top of American politics. The movie is loosely based on aspects of President Bill Clinton's life during his first run for President in 1992.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Production

[icon] This section requires expansion.

Following the publication of the book in 1996, director Mike Nichols paid more than $1 million for the screen rights.[6] At the Cannes Festival, Thompson said she did not base her film character on Hillary Clinton while Travolta said he based his on several presidents, but mostly on Bill Clinton.[1]

Director Nichols was criticized for cutting an interracial love scene from the final version of the film. He responded that he had removed the scene because of unfavorable reactions from a preview audience.[1]

The film also generated controversy, partly for its depiction of a Clinton-like character as it was also released close to the Lewinsky scandal.[4][7][8][9][10]

[edit] Reception

The movie received a mixed reception from critics. Variety's reviewer called it a "film à clef" and said that the American public was likely to accept it as a factual account because it so closely mirrored real life characters and events.[11] The Los Angeles Times gave high marks to the movie, noting Travolta's close mirroring of Bill Clinton, but describing Thompson's character as actually not based on Hillary Clinton.[12] Entertainment Weekly called Travolta "Clintonian".[13] The Cincinnati Enquirer gave accolades to the character portrayals of Bill and Hillary Clinton.[14] Syndicated reviewer Roger Ebert said the movie was "insightful and very wise about the realities of political life"[15] and the Cincinnati Enquirer said the movie was a "nuanced dissection of how real American politics work".[14] According to a review in The Deseret News, the last half of the movie dragged, Travolta's performance seemed more like an impersonation than actual acting, the movie lacked subtlety or depth, and it was loaded with cheap and obvious jokes.[16]

[edit] Box office

[icon] This section requires expansion.

The film earned a disappointing box office[17][18], only taking $39,001,187 domestically and $13,089,000 in foreign markets, for a worldwide total gross of $52,090,187 against a budget of $65 million.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c David Lister (May 14, 1998). "Travolta reveals Clinton's prime sense of humour". Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/travolta-reveals-clintons-prime-sense-of-humour-1159912.html. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  2. ^ Bernard Weinraub (March 23, 1998). "Don't You Wish You Could Get Buttered Popcorn in Civics Class?". The New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F20F15FC395C0C708EDDAA0894D0494D81. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  3. ^ a b "Primary Colors". Box Office Mojo. http://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=primarycolors.htm. Retrieved 2011-06-29. 
  4. ^ a b David Lauter (March 15, 1998). "What the Movie Gets --and What It Doesn't". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/15/entertainment/ca-28949. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  5. ^ Faye Fiore (March 2, 1998). "Just What He Didn't Need Right Now; Movies: Will 'Primary Colors,' a thinly veiled slice of presidential life, hurt or help Bill Clinton?". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/02/entertainment/ca-24508. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  6. ^ Richard K. Thompson (April 1996). "Primary Colors: A Nover of Politics". Contemporary Review. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_n1563_v268/ai_18395598/. Retrieved January 25, 2011. 
  7. ^ Mark Saylor (May 16, 1998). "With Its American Themes, Can 'Primary Colors' Cash In Abroad?". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/may/16/entertainment/ca-50153. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  8. ^ Patrick Goldstein (March 15, 1998). "They All Have a Secret". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/15/entertainment/ca-28947. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  9. ^ Richard Corliss and Jeffrey Ressner (March 16, 1998). "Cinema: True Colors". Time. 
  10. ^ Eric Pooley (March 16, 1998). "Cinema: Tale Of Two Bills". Time. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,987986,00.html. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  11. ^ Todd McCarthy (March 12, 1998). "Primary Colors". Variety. http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117906781?refcatid=31. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  12. ^ Kenneth Turan (March 20, 1998). "Inspired Insinuation". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/20/entertainment/ca-30676. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  13. ^ Lisa Schwarzbaum (March 27, 1998). "Primary Colors". Entertainment Weekly. http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,282380,00.html. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  14. ^ a b Margaret A. McGurk (1998 The Cincinnati Enquirer). "Primary by a landslide". The Cincinnati Enquirer. http://cincinnati.com/freetime/movies/mcgurk/primarycolors.html. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  15. ^ Roger Ebert (March 20, 1998). "Primary Colors". Chicago Sun Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19980320/REVIEWS/803200304. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  16. ^ Jeff Vice (March 20, 1998). "Primary Colors". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700001460/Primary-Colors.html. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  17. ^ Robin Rauzi (March 30, 1998). "'Grease' Beats 'Primary' but Doesn't Rock the Boat; Box office: Revived musical enjoys a $13-million opening, but Oscar-winner 'Titanic' is No. 1 for the 15th straight weekend.". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/30/entertainment/ca-34154. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 
  18. ^ Robert W. Welkos (March 31, 1998). "Travolta Films Tail 'Titanic'". The Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/1998/mar/31/entertainment/ca-34372. Retrieved January 24, 2011. 

[edit] Further reading

  • Palmer, William J. (2009). "The American President". The Films of the Nineties: The Decade of Spin. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 84–92. ISBN 0230613446. 

[edit] External links

Films directed by Mike Nichols
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