The Michigan Review

Colorful Politics

by Matt Buckley

Political campaigning creates conflict for Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) in Mike Nichol's screen adaptation of Joe Klein's Primary Colors. Burton is a smart politico who is tired of viewing victory in terms of forcing the other side to veto he wants to make real changes in policy right now. In short, he decides, he wants to win.

With a job offer from Southern governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta), Burton finds himself whisked away semi­voluntarily into the Stanton campaign. In the early primary stages, nobody gives Stanton or his wife Susan (Emma Thompson) much of a chance, but as little victory by little victory mounts up, Burton finds himself hooked. Jack's almost bone­headed optimism and penchant for caring (or, at least, providing the illusion that he cares) seem endearing to a weary public. Susan's hard­nosed political skills seem to be paying dividends.

But of course, this is America, and the primaries are focused not on substance but style not on issues but mud. But the mud­slinging works both ways, and Stanton always seems about to be soiled. He's a draft­dodger. He apparently slept with a hairdresser back in his old Southern haunts. And when an unexpected pregnancy pops up, Stanton's candidacy looks set to derail. The revelation of such scandals and the campaign's responses is the heart and soul of Primary Colors.

While this story is nominally about the lives of the Stantons, we see it more through the eyes of their campaign staff. Richard Jemmons (Billy Bob Thornton) is the wacky political strategist with a knack for tactics. Daisy (Maura Tierney, News Radio) handles the press. Burton finds himself in charge of political organization. Last but not least is the dustbuster Libby Holden (Oscar­winner Kathy Bates, Misery), a foul­mouthed longtime friend of the Stantons, charged with digging up the dirt on the Stanton's political foes.

The movie's obvious point is that Jack Stanton is Bill Clinton. Susan is Hillary. The real life analogy extends to some of the campaign staff: Richard Jemmons is James Carville, for example. Amusingly, several of the actors involved, notably Travolta and Thompson, have spoken as if this was just another movie.

The facts of Colors belie this argument. Klein wrote the book as a spoof on the Clinton campaign, and it got its status as a #1 bestseller because of that. Travolta is on the cover of Time because of the similarities. In fact, the biggest plot departure of the movie (it comes at the very end I wont spoil it any further) makes the parallel between Stanton and Clinton even more explicit.

There is a lot to be said here about the film's portrayal of political primaries they are issue­free and dominated by smears. But even beyond that, Primary Colors is a fascinating story about political campaigns, the people that live them, and the moral dilemmas they face.

Many movies try to raise such problems, but few have done it this well. Director Mike Nichols does a great job working with his actors and bringing a scene to life, and it must have helped to have perhaps the finest ensemble cast we will see this year. Primary Colors responds to last year's L.A. Confidential with Travolta, Thompson, Bates, and Thornton, and an excellent performance by relative newcomer Adrian Lester. Thompson and Bates in particular look like decent shots for next years Oscar bids. The only poor casting was Stacy Edwards, (amazing as the deaf victim of In the Company of Men), in an essentially throwaway role as a Stanton campaign lackey.

Primary Colors is a movie about America's politics, its promise and its excesses, all handled intelligently and thoughtfully. I confess to being a political junkie, so perhaps the movie was just aimed at people like myself. However, I suspect otherwise the film moves you to thinking without yanking you around. Its the sort of movie we ought to appreciate. MR

This article was published in the 1 April 1998 edition of The Michigan Review (Volume 16, Number 9).
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