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Movies / Upcoming / Primary Colors
Primary Colors

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Primary Colors (1998)

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79 %
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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

US Box Office: $0

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

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Primary Colors

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
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No review available.

comment Comment
04/02/05
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: In Film Australia | comment Comment
01/01/00
Luke Buckmaster
Luke Buckmaster
In Film Australia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Nichols and May always were a great team, and here they deliver a film with political and social implications but they do not lose sight of the main game.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A savvy and thought-provoking look at the nature of contemporary American politics.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
03/30/09
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

Travolta is amazingly Clintonesque as Stanton, a role that I never believed he could pull off.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/07/09
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
rec.arts.movies.reviews

The film owes a few doggie bones to "Wag the Dog," which came first in pointing out what Primary Colors only seconds.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/03/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Primary Colors successfully straddles the line between comedy and tragedy.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/22/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Primary Colors becomes a political morality play, and quite frankly, its mechanics cause it to crawl in across the finish line.

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
08/13/07
Gary Brown
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers

As satire, it's toothless and indulgent; as drama of conscience, it's not a patch on real life...

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

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!

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Chris Gore
Chris Gore
Film Threat

John Travolta has himself a good deal of fun with his take-off on President Clinton.

Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

an alarmingly topical comedy-drama that dredges up far more issues than it can address in its two-and-a-half hours. But give Nichols, writer Elaine May and everyone else an 'A' for effort.

Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | comment Comment
07/31/03
James Sanford
James Sanford
Kalamazoo Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
05/20/03
Susan Tavernetti
Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly

John Travolta continues to establish himself as one of the best actors of the younger generation, and this may be his best job yet.

Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
02/08/03
John R. McEwen
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online

No review available.

comment Comment
01/10/03
Nick Davis
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

No review available.

comment Comment
11/07/02
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix

Mike Nichols and screenwriter Elaine May have produced one of the smartest, funniest political movies of the past 20 years.

Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer

The film asks if it matters if a man's got a questionable personal life if he's good at his job, and God knows this is a relevant question.

Full Review Source: Montreal Film Journal | comment Comment
09/10/02
Kevin N. Laforest
Kevin N. Laforest
Montreal Film Journal

...hardly important but well-made and ultimately life-affirming

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
07/31/02
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

comment Comment
07/12/02
Globe and Mail
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
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