Primary Colors

John Travolta and Emma Thompson were superb in "Primary Colors."I especially love Kathy Bates part.
Along with most of the reviewers,I would like to know if most of the movie is fact or fiction.
If its true,Man,what an adventure it was for Bill Clinton's team to get him in the White House.
If you love politics like I do,you will really enjoy this film.

Based on a novel by Anonymous (later revealed to be Joe Klein, New York and Washington D.C. journalist and columnist), Primary Colors is roman à clef portraying Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign up to the Primary. It is both flattering and unflattering--from the minute you first hear John Travolta as Governor Jack Stanton, you know he is supposed to be Bill Clinton. He has the voice down, and as the movie goes on, you see that he has the man and all his mannerisms down pat. Though Klein shows Stanton to be a man of tremendous powers of persuasion, he also has numerous flaws and failings. Travolta did a tremendous job capturing both aspects of Clinton. It is a fictionalized story, so not all the events that transpire are to be taken as literal truth. Still, even if Bill Clinton never did some of the exact things depicted, the intent was clearly to point out the larger truth. I have heard a definition of fiction in literature that it is a form of lying that tells the truth. What is the truth? If Primary Colors couldn't really answer that, it at least posed the question in an interesting way.

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Gov. Jack Stanton: I'm going to tell you something really outrageous. I'm going to tell you the truth.
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One wonders how Bill Clinton himself felt about the film. Interestingly enough, Clinton was a huge fan of the film and threw a party and invited Travolta to attend on one condition: that he be in character as Governor Jack Stanton. Travolta declined the invitation. On a side note, Tom Hanks was offered the part of Governor Stanton but had to recuse himself due to a personal and friendly relationship with Bill Clinton.

Travolta is the rare actor with enough stage presence and charisma to portray a born politician like Bill Clinton (or since this is a roman à clef, Jack Stanton). Lots of actors working today could probably mimic the Clinton voice, but he managed to capture onscreen the way that Clinton/Stanton seduced and bonded with people. The opening scene is brilliant; with Henry analyzing the way Gov. Stanton shakes hands, touching them each in a different way, instinctively knowing what would have the most impact. Though Gov. Stanton sometimes invented anecdotes about his Uncle Charlie that were not entirely true, he did it to connect with people, to 'feel their pain,' to make them feel better, like he 'really got them'. Travolta was able to show Stanton using that empathy as the main weapon in his political arsenal.

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Jack Stanton: We can do incredible things. We can change this country. I'm gonna win this thing. Look me in the eye, Henry, and tell me that you don't want to be a part of it.
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The story is told through the eyes of Henry Burton (Adrian Lester), a Black idealistic campaign worker who is tired of working for nice guys who finish last. Governor Stanton works his magic charm on him until he reluctantly agrees to work for him. This character, as I understand it, was supposed to represent George Stephanopoulos. Just as Nick Carraway judges Jay Gatsby, or Joshua judges Ruth, Henry is supposed to be judging Stanton; but though he ultimately quits the campaign, his final decree is ambiguous. Was Governor Stanton truly committed to win the election so he could do what was right for America, or was he just a sleazy politician--a glorified used car salesman? I guess to really find out what Joe Klein thought of Clinton you'll have to read 'The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton.'

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[Watching the final scene of "Shane" on television]
Henry Burton: Come back, Shane! Run for president!
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Adrian Lester does a capable job in his role as Henry. He looked familiar, and I thought he was the guy you saw on 'West Wing' but I had really seen him on "Girlfriends," a show about 4 Black women who are friends in Los Angeles. He played Elliot, an actor who was dating Joan, a lawyer. Though he wasn't on 'West Wing' (that would be Dulé Hill) there was another actor in this who WAS on 'West Wing.' In fact, Aaron Sorkin saw her in Primary Colors and decided to cast Allison Janney as Press Secretary Claudia Jean 'C.J.' Cregg in 'West Wing'. Here in Primary Colors land she plays a teacher who succumbs to the charms of the dashing/sleazy Governor Stanton.

Primary Colors also features a performance by Billy Bob Thornton as a James Carvillesque character, Emma Thompson in an uncanny portrayal of Hillary Clinton/Susan Stanton, and Kathy Bates as an over-the-top/larger-than-life political operative called Libby Holden. I don't know who in the Clinton camp she is supposed to be--a composite character, no doubt--but she charges onto the scene, struts and frets her hour on the stage, and nearly manages to steal the whole darn show.

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Libby Holden: From now on you can call me the "Dust Buster." I'm stronger than dirt.
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Honorable Mention goes to Larry Hagman as Governor Fred Picker, a wild card candidate who threatens to derail Team Stanton's Primary objectives.

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Susan Stanton: Isn't that the thing experience teaches you? Not to get burned?
Henry Burton: Does anyone ever learn that?
Susan Stanton: Not the best people.
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Joe Klein, Author ... Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics (1996)
The Natural: The Misunderstood Presidency of Bill Clinton (2003)

John Travolta ... Governor Jack Stanton
Battlefield Earth - A Saga of the Year 3000 (2000) .... Terl
Face/Off (1997) .... Sean Archer / Castor Troy
Pulp Fiction (1994) .... Vincent Vega
Blow Out (1981) .... Jack Terry
Saturday Night Fever (1977) .... Tony Manero
"Welcome Back, Kotter" .... Vinnie Barbarino (66 episodes, 1975-1979)

Emma Thompson ... Susan Stanton
Love Actually (2003) .... Karen
Sense and Sensibility (1995) .... Elinor Dashwood
In the Name of the Father (1993) .... Gareth Peirce
The Remains of the Day (Special Edition) (1993) .... Mary Kenton
Much Ado About Nothing (1993) .... Beatrice
Howards End (1992) .... Margaret J. 'Meg' Schlegel


Billy Bob Thornton ... Richard Jemmons
Bad Santa (2003) .... Willie
Love Actually (2003) .... The US President
Intolerable Cruelty (2003) .... Howard D. Doyle
Monster's Ball (2001) .... Hank Grotowski
Sling Blade (1996) .... Karl Childers
Chopper Chicks in Zombietown (1991) .... Tommy


Kathy Bates ... Libby Holden
About Schmidt (2002) .... Roberta Hertzel
The Waterboy (1998) .... Helen 'Mama' Boucher
Titanic (1997) .... Molly Brown
Diabolique (1996) .... Det. Shirley Vogel
Fried Green Tomatoes (Widescreen Collector's Edition) (1991) .... Evelyn Couch
Misery (1990) .... Annie Wilkes

Adrian Lester ... Henry Burton
"Girlfriends" .... Ellis Carter (8 episodes, 2002-2003)

Maura Tierney ... Daisy Green
"ER" .... Nurse Abby Lockhart / ... (187 episodes, 1999-2008)
"NewsRadio" .... Lisa Miller (97 episodes, 1995-1999)

Larry Hagman ... Gov. Fred Picker
Nixon - The Election Year Edition (1995) .... 'Jack Jones'
"Dallas" .... John Ross 'J.R.' Ewing, Jr. (357 episodes, 1978-1991)
"Knots Landing" .... J.R. Ewing (5 episodes, 1980-1982)
S.O.B. (1981) .... Dick Benson
Fail-Safe (1964) .... Buck
"I Dream of Jeannie" .... Major Anthony Nelson / ... (139 episodes, 1965-1970)

Diane Ladd ... Mamma Stanton
Inland Empire (2006) .... Marilyn Levens
The World's Fastest Indian (2005) .... Ada
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) .... Grandma Caroline Moore
Citizen Ruth (1996) (uncredited) .... Ruth's Mother
Wild At Heart (1990) .... Marietta Fortune
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) .... Flo
Chinatown (1974) .... Ida Sessions

Rob Reiner ... Izzy Rosenblatt
The First Wives Club (1996) .... Dr. Morris Packman
For Better or Worse (1995) .... Dr. Plosner
Bye Bye Love (1995) .... Dr. David Townsend
Mixed Nuts (1994) .... Dr. Marshall Kinsky
Bullets Over Broadway (1994) .... Sheldon Flender
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) .... Jay
Misery (1990) (uncredited) .... Helicopter Pilot
The Spirit of '76 (1990) .... Dr. Cash
Postcards from the Edge (1990) .... Joe Pierce
Throw Momma from the Train (1987) .... Joel
This Is Spinal Tap (1984) .... Marty DiBergi
The Jerk (1979) (uncredited) .... Truck Driver Picking Up Navin
"All in the Family" .... Michael 'Meathead' Stivic / ... (172 episodes, 1971-1978)
Enter Laughing (1967) .... Clark Baxter
The Big Mouth (1967) (uncredited) .... Bit part
"The Andy Griffith Show" .... Joe, the Printer's Apprentice (1 episode, 1967)
"Hey, Landlord" .... Big Guy / ... (3 episodes, 1966-1967)
"Batman" .... Delivery Boy (1 episode, 1967)
"77 Sunset Strip" .... Son (1 episode, 1959)

Allison Janney ... Miss Walsh
Juno (2007) .... Bren MacGuff
Hairspray (2007) .... Prudy Pingleton
"Two and a Half Men" .... Beverly (1 episode, 2007)
"The West Wing" .... Claudia Jean 'C.J.' Cregg (155 episodes, 1999-2006)
The Chumscrubber (2005) .... Allie Stiffle
... aka Glück in kleinen Dosen (Germany)
American Beauty (1999) .... Barbara Fitts
Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) .... Loretta
... aka Gnadenlos schön (Germany)
10 Things I Hate About You (1999) .... Ms. Perky
"LateLine" .... Helen Marschant (1 episode, 1999)
Celebrity (1998) .... Evelyn Isaacs
Julian Po (1997) .... Lilah Leech
The Ice Storm (1997) .... Dot Halford
Private Parts (1997) .... Dee Dee
... aka Howard Stern's Private Parts
Anita Liberty (1997) .... Gynecologist
The Associate (1996) .... Sandy

James Denton ... Mitch (as Jamie Denton)
"Desperate Housewives" .... Mike Delfino (88 episodes, 2004-2008)

Mike Nichols ... Director
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
Closer (2004/I)
What Planet Are You From? (2000)
Primary Colors (1998)
The Birdcage (1996)
Wolf (1994)
Regarding Henry (1991)
Postcards from the Edge (1990)
Working Girl (1988)
Biloxi Blues (1988)
Heartburn (1986)
Silkwood (1983)
Gilda Live (1980)
The Fortune (1975)
The Day of the Dolphin (1973)
Carnal Knowledge (1971)
Catch-22 (1970)
Teach Me! (1968)
The Graduate (1967)
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)

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Susan Stanton: The only shot we have here is to be perfect.
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This was a great movie; I bought it as a gift for someone who wanted to see John Travolta doing President Clinton & my friend enjoyed it too.

When I saw this film for the first time my Mom and I both busted out laughing hysterically and after getting the DVD and watching it with an opened mind from start to finish, I have to say that this film is definitely relevant for today especially, with the coming election this November. "Primary Colors" is a film that showcases one Senator's long road to the White House and the many pros and cons behind an unforgettable campaign. Based on the Novel that chronicles the bitter secrets of the Bill Clinton era and what happens on the campaign trail, you begin to see just how far people will go to paint the perfect picture of a presidential candidate. As well as, those who will stop at nothing and risk everything to expose the truth behind the dark facade of an aspiring leader of the free world. From tapping cell phone conversations, digging up the dirt on inappropriate relationships to proving that a presidential candidate is not the father of his babysitter's child. These are the kinds of ill moral issues that often go unnoticed by the public when choosing a truly respectable person for president.
Aside from all the dirt and outrageous ploys that go on behind the scenes with desperate and sometimes unorthodox campaign managers and volunteers, the film's actors serve to tell a very compelling story about what lies beneath the deceptively clean cut and celebrity persona of a willing presidential candidate. John Travolta gives an Academy Award winning performance as a cocky and narcissistic smooth operating Bill Clinton AKA "Governor Jack Stanton." And Billy Bob Thornton has his memorable moments on camera using insanely funny metaphors behind closed doors to protect his boss's eroding credibility in the mist of public scandals and other political calamities that often plague the campaign. Amongst everyone else who is involved in cleaning up after a sloppy Governor's mess, Kathy Bates on the other hand will go to any lengths to expose the truth about why someone like Governor Stanton should not become president. Even if it means threatening to blow a man's family jules off with an unloaded gun.
With all the dark humor and political nonsense aside, this film's story serves to shed light behind a very powerful man's political veil and the kind of desperate measures that people will take to ensure the success of a political victory even if it means destroying one's reputation to get at the truth behind an entire curtain of lies and deception. In the end, before you go to the polls and vote for the next president, "Primary Colors" leaves you with one important message about a presidential candidate, as Rupert Thorne in "Batman the animated series" once said, "The Brighter the picture, the darker the Negative."

Great product and great service. Love the movie. It should be right up there with the classics.