Primary Colors (1998)

Date	User	Rating
Dec 26, 2022	doyler29	80 _64th
It's a much smarter and deeper film than you'd expect (or rather, it's as smart and deep as you should expect from a Elaine May screenplay). It raises questions about how much compromise one should be willing to accept in order to get the best real world results available to you, and then doesn't provide easy answers.
Jun 09, 2021	overrated	49 _46th
It's decent and cynical, but with the Clinton administration 20 years in the past and Hillary's career dead and buried Primary Colors exists as a time capsule more than anything. Probably would make a decent double bill with Wag the Dog.
Dec 03, 2016	INDYATMN	75 _41st
The inner turmoil experienced by 2 experienced political aides in the second half over whether or not to get rid of the opposition by exposing their scandalous lies surely seemed implausible in '98, but after 2016 it seems like pure fantasy. However, the film's final speech about being forced to choose between 2 shady liars w/ only one sincerely wanting to help (bizarrely, Travolta's tears early on - which seem particularly false - mark him as the genuine article) is especially resonant now.
Jan 20, 2016	Groovy_Souls	55 _35th
Besides an amazing performance by Kathy Bates, Primary Colors is a weird, little politics movie that never catches its mark. While obviously trying to be funny, very few of the jokes land, and the cast is never funny aside from them acting like The Clintons. I'm not this movie's number one fan, but it could be a lot worse, too.
Jul 08, 2015	Icarus	81 _66th
Sharply written and well-performed. I'm not sure this is saying anything particularly new about life in the political world, but how the movie says it really sets it apart. Nichols blends a broadly comic tone with an accompanying heaviness over the cost of living in this world. For this reason, I'm mystified by those who believe this is lionizing the Clintons. Everything that occurs with the magnificent Kathy Bates character seems to fly in the face of that conclusion.
Mar 11, 2015	lumpnboy	35 _25th
Mike Nichols and Elaine May should have been able to create something less dully conformist and unadventurous. Or not do it. Anyone who thought this was a cynical or even realistic portrayal of US politics or any kind of satire wasn't paying attention to either US politics or this movie.
Apr 02, 2013	disconnected	68 _47th
Becomes bizarrely and inexplicably schmaltzy toward the end, but is, until then, remarkably entertaining.
Aug 03, 2012	wayofthegun	80 _66th
Primary Colors is a fairly long movie, but I didn't find it particularly dull at any point. The acting and writing are strong, particularly with a great turn from Bates.
Oct 12, 2011	hellboy76	66 _51st
A tad on the slow side, Bates is great though.
Feb 22, 2011	Dogubomb	60 _79th
This film is as strange in tone as Mike Nichols' filmography.
Jan 26, 2011	drawkward86	78 _51st
Underrated. Nichols has a unique knack for making films that feel authentically American. A bleak, near-great meditation on the different ways idealism can destroy itself. Sharp screenplay, tons of great acting; I promise that if you can get past the horrible accent Thompson is pretty damn good. She, Travolta, Hagman, and Thornton are all fantastic. But Bates, a few missteps aside, gives the performance of the film and acts as its heartbreaking moral center. She probably deserved the Oscar.
Oct 09, 2010	timmo	95 _88th
Brilliant. The only thing keeping this from being perfect is Thompson's poor accent. It's easily one of the best screenplays ever written, and does not talk down to an audience about politics. It is a comment on leadership, on heroism, on masculinity, and America. It's great.
May 25, 2010	Pman	70 _45th
Gee, I wonder who JT is playing?? But it's not based on a "real" politician! OKAY! That aside, not a bad movie.
May 23, 2010	GordonBombay	88 _82nd
As a political buff I love this movie. It doesn't have any wild car chases, dirty sex scenes or people doing drugs. The movie is all talk like real politics. And like real politics all the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll is behind the scenes. Politics is like hotdogs. Nobody wants to know how the sausage is made, they just want to eat it.
Feb 06, 2010	freqflyer	75 _36th
Meh. I hate politicians and find most politics to be simultaneously disgusting and banal, so the subject of this movie was not terribly appealing to me. From a strictly technical and cinematic point of view, though, this was a decent (if predictable) movie
Aug 01, 2009	Okkervil	42 _31st
Not great, but not awful. Put it this way; I didn't mind sitting though it, but I won't be watching it again.
Apr 24, 2009	telf58	74 _43rd
Funny and well put together; I miss the days when Billy Bob Thornton was a decent character actor. Slash Emma Thompson makes an excellent Hillary.
Apr 21, 2009	Ryanscoomer	80 _79th
Travolta plays a pretty good Clinton.
Dec 26, 2008	Isobelmoon	59 _51st
A not-so-bad satyr of politics.
Aug 03, 2008	cheeseclark	87 _75th
Very good
Apr 22, 2008	Stain	80 _68th
Yes, it's John Travolta as Bill Clinton. Entertaining look at American politics. Kathy Bates is great, as usual
Apr 18, 2008	geohawk	85 _57th
Gonzo acting. And yeah, Travolta kind of looks like Bill Clinton as if portrayed by Bill Kristol, but the acting is great and the behind-the-scenes shenanigans and the weird mix of sincerity and cutthroat tactics of the campaign is fascinating.
Mar 31, 2008	yilb	20 _7th
I saw a rough cut of this months ago, i know, I've been holding out on you. Some interesting stuff sprinkled liberally in three hours of boredom. To be sure it may play better now, but I'm not plowing through it again to find out. Avoid.
Feb 10, 2008	caocao	73 _76th
It gets a little melo dramatic in places but for the most part it's a fairly well balanced and well paced flick.
Oct 27, 2007	BudLeonard	95 _70th
This is probably one of the more underrated films of Mike Nichols' career and worth owning for the performances alone. It reminds me of Noah Wyle describing the cast's reaction to Nicholson after the first table read for "A Few Good Men": "Oh, we're playing pro ball?" Travolta, Thompson, Thornton, Bates...these guys came to play.
Sep 16, 2007	Dustyd	75 _79th
Very good movie.
Aug 22, 2007	st_fly	80 _80th
Very Good
Aug 14, 2007	sushiwriter	72 _27th
Long-winded.
Aug 14, 2007	citysqwirl	32 _0th
Wretched. I adore Emma Thompson, but in this movie she puts on the worst accent I've ever heard. Just a stupid, boring movie all-around. I thought the book was fascinating, and this just abandons all the interesting bits. Only watchable moments involve Kathy Bates.
Aug 14, 2007	lachapelle	43 _13th
An okay movie, a better book. The movie really loses a lot of the teeth of the book. Quite a disappointment really.
Aug 14, 2007	lrampartl	16 _2nd
I finally managed to finish this the 23rd time they showed it on TBS. Whew.

Average Percentile 48.92% from 853 Ratings