This listing is for Primary Colors VHS Video John Travolta, Emma Thompson.

Actors: John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Kathy Bates, Larry Hagman, Billy Bob Thornton

Directors: Mike Nichols

Writers: Elaine May, Joe Klein

Producers: Mike Nichols, Jonathan D. Krane, Michael Haley, Michele Imperato, Neil A. Machlis

Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC

Rated: R - Restricted

Number of tapes: 1

Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment

VHS Release Date: May 30, 2000

Run Time: 143 minutes  

Primary Colors was loosely based upon a book written by reporter Joe Klein about Bill Clinton’s first run for president in 1992. The film deals with the negative campaigns that have taken over American politics where candidates spend most of their time attacking and tearing down each other more than dealing with issues and what they hope to achieve. It also covers how the press will investigate every little detail of candidates looking for any signs of dirt that can get ratings and usually leads to the destruction of the politician. The film is thus a critique of what American democracy has become.

The first half of the movie covers the struggle of Governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta) who is obviously Clinton to break into the Democratic primaries against a slew of better known contenders. His wife Susan Stanton (Emma Thompson) who is Hilary Clinton is driven by a sense of making history. They hire Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) to be their campaign manager and have other advisers such as Richard (Billy Bob Thornton) and Daisy (Maura Tierney).

The middle of the film deals with how the campaign will face Stanton’s personal history. The biggest is the claim that he slept with his wife’s hairdresser and she had tapes of their conversations, which was based upon the real life Gennifer Flowers scandal who had real tapes. The campaign decides to hire an old friend Libby Holden (Kathy Bates) to protect Stanton from these types of stories. There’s a second scandal as well that feels like it was just thrown in and not very well thought out.

The last part is about whether Stanton will go negative himself when faced with a formidable candidate former Governor Fred Pickering (Larry Hagman) who appears like he will win the Democratic nomination for president. The movie poses the question about what kind of candidate did Stanton want to become. Would he be just like everyone else and tear down his opponents or would he try to stay positive? The movie does a good job talking about American politics even though there are parts that are overdone.

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