Primary Colors

Released 1998
Stars John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Adrian Lester, Billy Bob Thornton, Maura Tierney, Kathy Bates, Larry Hagman, Paul Guilfoyle
Directed by Mike Nichols

Here's the surprising thing: "Primary Colors" would seem just about as good, as tough and as smart, if there had never been a president named Bill Clinton. Of course the movie resonates with its parallels to the lives of Bill and Hillary Clinton, but it's a lot more than a disguised expose. It's a superb film--funny, insightful and very wise about the realities of political life.

The director, Mike Nichols, and the writer, his longtime collaborator Elaine May, have put an astonishing amount of information on the screen, yes, but that wasn't the hard part. Their real accomplishment is to blend so many stories and details into an observant picture that holds together. We see that Jack Stanton, the presidential candidate in the film, is a flawed charmer with a weakness for bimbos, but we also see what makes him attractive even to those who know the worst: He listens and cares, and knows how to be an effective politician.

Summary written by Roger Ebert