Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef about Bill Clinton's 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Governor Jack Stanton. Burton is pulled into the politician's colorful world and looks on as Stanton -- who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall -- contends with his ambitious wife, Susan, and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons.
Primary Colors benefits enormously from its source material and a superb cast — John Travolta's charismatic Clinton-esque performance and Emma Thompson's steely Susan Stanton are standouts, with strong supporting work from Kathy Bates earning an Oscar nomination. The script (by Elaine May) is sharp and captures the moral ambiguity of political idealism vs. cynicism with genuine intelligence. However, the film is somewhat visually flat — Mike Nichols shoots it functionally rather than distinctively, with little cinematic ambition beyond serving the actors. The story, while well-told, is essentially a fictionalized account of well-documented real events, limiting its novelty. The ending, while thematically coherent in its disillusionment, feels a bit drawn-out and deflating rather than powerfully conclusive. Overall a solid, actor-driven political drama elevated well above its TV-movie peers by the caliber of its performances.