Primary Colors


2h 23m 1998

Brief Synopsis

The fictional story of a presidential run by Jack Stanton, a womanizing, idealistic Southern governor who battles other Democratic candidates in a primary run in 1992. As seen through the eyes of his African-American campaign manager, the Stanton campaign is filled with enthusiastic young Democrats all of whom have dreams that their man is going to win. The story behind the scenes, however, is a little more bawdy and involves Jack Stanton's politically astute wife; an attempt to blackmail the candidate with doctored audiotapes detailing a past sexual encounter; an alleged bastard child of Stanton's from a black teenager; a possibly illegal real estate deal known as Tidewater Estates; the uncovering of a candidate's past as a cocaine-addicted homosexual by Stanton's campaign; and the suicide of one of Stanton's longtime friends.

Film Details

Also Known As
Perfect Couple, Spelets regler
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Comedy
Drama
Political
Satire
Release Date
1998
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures
Location
Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York City, New York, USA; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
2h 23m

Synopsis

The fictional story of a presidential run by Jack Stanton, a womanizing, idealistic Southern governor who battles other Democratic candidates in a primary run in 1992. As seen through the eyes of his African-American campaign manager, the Stanton campaign is filled with enthusiastic young Democrats all of whom have dreams that their man is going to win. The story behind the scenes, however, is a little more bawdy and involves Jack Stanton's politically astute wife; an attempt to blackmail the candidate with doctored audiotapes detailing a past sexual encounter; an alleged bastard child of Stanton's from a black teenager; a possibly illegal real estate deal known as Tidewater Estates; the uncovering of a candidate's past as a cocaine-addicted homosexual by Stanton's campaign; and the suicide of one of Stanton's longtime friends.

Crew

Joseph Accrington

Song

Milton Ager

Song

Ivy Agregan

Effects Coordinator

Diana Aldrich

Consultant

Bunny Andrews

Music Editor

Mary Bailey

Script Supervisor

Michael Ballhaus

Dp/Cinematographer

Michael Ballhaus

Director Of Photography

Michael Barry

Rerecording

Cheryl Beasley-blackwell

Costume Supervisor

Amy Berman

Casting Assistant

Juel Bestrop

Casting

Ron Bochar

Rerecording

Ron Bochar

Sound Editor

David Boulton

Adr

Bobby Braddock

Song

George Callender

Song

Sabrina Calley

Wardrobe

Cheryl Carasik

Set Decorator

Kam Chan

Foley Editor

Ben Cheah

Foley Editor

Kevin C Clark

Editor

Ted Clark

Other

George M. Cohan

Song

Kris Cole

Associate Editor

Nat King Cole

Song Performer

Joachim Cooder

Music

Ry Cooder

Song

Ry Cooder

Music

Angelo Corrao

Editing

Marko Costanzo

Foley Artist

Carole Cowley

Visual Effects

Jimmie Davis

Song

Ronnie Dawson

Song Performer

Joyce Deep

Consultant

Patricia Kerrigan Dicerto

Casting Associate

Lee Dichter

Rerecording

Tom Duffield

Art Director

Lynne Eagan

Makeup

Nancy Eddo

Consultant

Ernie Erdman

Song

Bruce Ericksen

Costume Supervisor

Ted Fio Rito

Song

Mary Claude Foster

Consultant

Mike Frevert

Visual Effects

Gil Gagnon

Executive Producer

Tony Gaudioz

Camera Operator

Tim Gibbons

Visual Effects

Daniel C Gold

Camera Operator

Lewis Goldstein

Sound Effects Editor

Robert J Goldstein

Location Manager

Steve Goldstein

Music Coordinator

Irving Gordon

Song

Michael Haley

Associate Producer

Michael Haley

Assistant Director

Johanna Hall

Song

John Hall

Song

Vivian Lynn Hasbrouk

Casting Associate

Jon Hassell

Song Performer

Jon Hassell

Song

Sean Haworth

Set Designer

J. Roy Helland

Hair

Harry Higgins

Other

Michele Imperato-stabile

Coproducer

Michele Imperato-stabile

Unit Production Manager

Sondra James

Adr Voice Casting

Gary Jones

Other

Gus Kahn

Song

Frank Kern

Foley Editor

Pee Wee King

Song

Joe Klein

Source Material (From Novel)

Jonathan D Krane

Executive Producer

Brad Kuehn

Visual Effects Supervisor

Anthony Lanni

Visual Effects

Paul A Levin

Post-Production Supervisor

Dan Levitan

Visual Effects

Ellen Lewis

Casting

Mark Lewis

Visual Effects

Alan E Lorimer

Special Effects Coordinator

Bob Lyss

Visual Effects

Anthony Mabin

Visual Effects

Neil A Machlis

Executive Producer

Ronu Majumdar

Song

Elaine May

Screenplay

Bob Mcdill

Song

Valerie Mcmahon

Visual Effects

Charles Mitchell

Song

Carlos Moore

Location Manager

Mark Emery Moore

Steadicam Operator

Willie Nelson

Song

Willie Nelson

Song Performer

Chris Newman

Sound Mixer

Olivia Newton-john

Song Performer

Mike Nichols

Producer

Kristen Niederholzer

Production Manager

David Norris

Camera Operator

George Oliver Jr.

Visual Effects

Thomas Pasatieri

Music Conductor

Suzana Peric

Music Editor

Lisa L Pollaro

Visual Effects

Perez Prado

Song Performer

Cindy Price

Production Coordinator

Bruce Pross

Foley

Claude Putnam

Song

Liz Radley

Video

Jennifer Ralston

Foley Editor

Nic Ratner

Music Editor

Nicholas Rebeck

Dialogue Editor

Mark Riccardi

Stunt Coordinator

Deborah Ricketts

Researcher

Eric Rogers

Song

John Rostill

Song

Ann Roth

Costume Designer

Arthur P Schmidt

Editor

Jim Sevin

Video

Wayne Shanklin

Song

Jasen Joseph Sica

Hair Stylist

Allen Sides

Other

Redd Stewart

Song

Daniel M Stillman

Assistant Director

Juliet Taylor

Casting

Sam Tedesco

Location Manager

Mark Tobey

Assistant Director

Magdaline Volaitis

Dialogue Editor

Deborah Wallach

Adr Editor

David Watkinson

Graphics

Bo Welch

Production Designer

Bruce Welch

Song

Chris Wood

Visual Effects

Tammy Wynette

Song Performer

Jack Yellen

Song

Victor Young

Song

Film Details

Also Known As
Perfect Couple, Spelets regler
MPAA Rating
Genre
Adaptation
Comedy
Drama
Political
Satire
Release Date
1998
Distribution Company
Universal Pictures
Location
Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York City, New York, USA; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
2h 23m

Award Nominations

Best Supporting Actress

1999
Kathy Bates

Best Writing

1999

Best Performace Actor

1999
Kathy Bates

Best Performace Actor

1999
John Travolta

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Nominated for the 1998 award for Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published from the Writers Guild of America.

Nominated for two 1998 awards, including Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates) and Most Promising Actor (Adrian Lester) from the Chicago Film Critics Association.

Winner of the 1998 award for Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates) from the Chicago Film Critics Association. Nominated for a further award for Most Promising Actor (Adrian Lester).

Winner of two 1998 Broadcast Critics Association awards, including Best Supporting Actor (Billy Bob Thornton) and Best Supporting Actress (Kathy Bates, tied with Joan Allen for "Pleasantville").

Released in United States May 1998

Released in United States on Video August 8, 1998

Released in United States on Video September 8, 1998

Released in United States Spring March 20, 1998

Shown at Cannes Film Festival (Opening Night - out of competition) May 13-24, 1998.

The controversial, anonymously written roman-a-clef "Primary Colors: A Novel of Politics" was published by Random House in 1996. In mid-July 1996, Newsweek columnist Joe Klein admitted that he was the book's author.

Director Mike Nichols purchased the motion picture rights to the novel for a reported $1.5 million.

John Travolta reportedly received $20 million for this project.

Universal Pictures has reportedly paid Mike Nichols $6.5 for the motion picture rights to the book, and an additional $8.5 million to direct and produce this project.

John Travolta reportedly received $20 million for this project.

Began shooting May 5, 1997.

Completed shooting August 4, 1997.

Icarus is Mike Nichols' production company.

Released in United States Spring March 20, 1998

Released in United States May 1998 (Shown at Cannes Film Festival (Opening Night - out of competition) May 13-24, 1998.)

Released in United States on Video August 8, 1998

Released in United States on Video September 8, 1998