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Starring John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Adrian Lester, Kathy Bates, Billy Bob Thornton,
Maura Tierney, Larry Hagman, Stacey Edwards. Written by Elaine May. Directed by Mike Nichols.
Primary Colors is based on the book of the same name written by Anonymous, who turned out to be Newsweek reporter Joe Klein. Despite denials, the book is based on Bill Clinton's campaign to become President in 1992, before he was famous, and trashy scandals that threatened to derail his presidential bid before it got started. The film features Jack Stanton, governor of a small, southern backwater state, trying to gain visibility in the presidential race. He flies into northern U.S. to look into an adult literacy program. And early on we see his greatest strength and weakness - charm and sex. He wins over the adult readers with loads of charm, and an ability to empathize with their plight. He also seduces the programs librarian for a little horizontal tango before he flies off to his next campaign stop. Soon, a big-haired hairdresser for Jack's wife Susan (Thompson) comes out with tapes linking Jack and her to an affair. The trouble is the tapes are bogus, using Jack's unrelated cell-phone conversations. So "dustbuster" Libby Holden (Bates) is called in to contain the "bimbo eruption". She is assisted by idealistic aide Henry Burton (Lester), who reluctantly is dragged on board, but stays when he feels Jack may be the candidate he can believe in. He learns very soon into the campaign that much of his work will be damage control, led by emotional good-ole boy Richard Jemmons (Thornton), and assisted by slightly cynical aide Daisy (Tierney), plus bright eyed staffer Jennifer (Edwards), who develops a very, very close working relationship with Libby. And there's plenty to spin-control. Jack's draft dodger status comes out, courtesy of Henry's former, somewhat bitter girlfriend out for some revenge. And Jack is linked to a 17-year old claiming to be pregant with Jack's child. But through luck and some very fine spin, Jack survives these scandals. The campaign seems to be moving in a good direction, when all of a sudden his main opponent suffers a massive heart attack. In the sympathy of the moment, a retired governor Fred Picker (Hagman) enters the race and takes a large lead in the polls by trying to run an honourable and gracious campaign. After Libby and Henry find some potentially damaging dirt on Picker, the campaign team struggles with whether they should go negative on a decent man who had troubles two decades ago, being as they had experienced trash being directed their way. What they decide has dramatic ramifications on their road to the White House. The cast is excellent, and is well served by an often humourous script, saving its best lines for the Thompson and Bates characters. Thompson, devoid of an British accent, is solid as the overly ambitious wife who responds to a male apologizing for talking politics in front of her with "Oh, but how else will I learn?". She stands by her man, but vividly reveals the anger she feels when she takes her hand from his after the cameras stop rolling after an interview. Thornton illustrates the heart and intelligence behind the redneck banter his character constantly sputters. And Lester, a British newcomer to Hollywood, is sympathetic and believeable as the reluctant aide with principles. But the highlight of the film is Bates, who steals every scene she gets near. She is alternatingly funny, strong, profane, and moving in her plea for morality in politics. Travolta does an excellent Clinton, dying his hair gray, putting on twenty pounds and mastering a pretty good southern drawl. He pounds back the fried chicken, beer and donuts with gusto. But the movie's own spindoctor's have been insisting Travolta is not trying to be Clinton, just as Thompson is not Hillary, Thornton is not attack dog James Carville, Bates is not damage controller Betsy Wright, and Lester is not former Clinton aide George Stephanopoulos. Director Mike Nichols is a friend of the president, and therein lies the problem. The film goes out of its way to emphasize the desire of the Governor to help people, to makes their lives better, and to show the scandals to be the fault of an over-zealous press and enemies out to get him. I have not read the book, but a friend who saw the movie with me who had read it, said a lot of the juicier, and negative, parts have been left out. Like an expunged scene alleging several affairs involving the Hillary character. The movie is often funny, and occasionally moving, but it is a bit too soft, and could have been a much harder hitting expose of life in hardball presidential campaigning.   |