July 2, 1999

Primary Colors - THE COMMENTARY

By Joseph Planta

In 1996 the whole world was wondering who the hell this anonymous was that wrote the best selling (and revealingly real) book Primary Colors. Two years and $65 million dollars later, Primary Colors the movie opened. Mildly praised by the critics and the box office going public, its recent release into home video made me want to have a look at this film. It stars John Travolta as the, “Silver-streaked, doughnut-gobbling, bimbo-bleeding” Governor making a run at the U.S.’ highest office. Along for the ride is his faithful, independent and free willed wife Mrs. Clinton... I mean Mrs. Stanton played by the English accentless Emma Thompson, A James Carvilleian Billy Bob Thornton and Kathy Bates as a no nonsense, show stopping “Dustbuster”. Adrian Lester plays a black version of George Stephanopoulos and Dallas’ Larry Hagman has a small but important role as a Southern opponent to Travolta during the campaign.

Elaine May, the films screenwriter, does a superb and witty job in telling us their tale. The characters and the story ring so close to Clinton’s 1992 campaign, director Mike Nichols stressed before the film’s opening, “This movie is not about Clinton.” Only in Hollywood. This was really the same criticisms that were lobbed the direction of the book writer who was revealed to be former Washington Post scribe Joe Klein. The film’s worth a look and one gets the feeling that they’re watching a documentary rather than a work of fiction.

It is an interesting film that challenges the thinking parts of ourselves into how American’s choose their leaders; And it prompts us to look at this pre-Monica film and see how we in post-Monica still elect and stand behind not-so perfect people as our leaders. As Canadians, we can look at this piece of not-so fiction and thank our lucky stars Canadian politics hasn’t yet come to that. Running a nation isn’t easy, but after seeing this film, those who’ll trek out later this year for yet another road to the White House, have my utmost and sincere sympathies.

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