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Movie
Poster for Primary Colors

Primary Colors

1998 · 143 min

A sharp, insider's look at political idealism and moral compromise, mixing wit with disillusionment as it follows a campaign's messy human cost.

Tagline
What went down on the way to the top.
Overview
In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef about Bill Clinton's 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Governor Jack Stanton. Burton is pulled into the politician's colorful world and looks on as Stanton -- who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall -- contends with his ambitious wife, Susan, and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons.

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In the UKNo streaming, rental or purchase options known.
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • satiricalstrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • politics
  • corruption
  • ambition
  • betrayal
  • morality
Places
  • workplace
  • big city
  • road trip
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror1
Humour5
Realism8
Romance2
Tension6
Darkness6
Complexity7
Emotional weight7

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Where to watch in the UK

No UK streaming, rental or purchase options are known.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, comedy
Directed by
Mike Nichols
Written by
Elaine May
Starring
John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Adrian Lester, Maura Tierney, Paul Guilfoyle, Larry Hagman, Kathy Bates
Music
Ry Cooder
Cinematography
Michael Ballhaus
Runtime
143 min
Country
France, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages
English

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