What went down on the way to the top.
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.
Primary Colors (1998) is a drama and comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, released on March 20, 1998 with a runtime of 2h 23m. It stars John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton and Adrian Lester. Viewers rate it 6.3 out of 10 across 356 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Primary Colors before you stream it.
Official trailers, teasers, clips and featurettes for Primary Colors.
Trailer
Trailer
John Travolta
as Jack Stanton
Emma Thompson
as Susan Stanton
Billy Bob Thornton
as Richard Jemmons
Adrian Lester
as Henry Burton
Maura Tierney
as Daisy Green
Paul Guilfoyle
as Howard Ferguson
Larry Hagman
as Gov. Fred Picker
Kathy Bates
as Libby Holden
Diane Ladd
as Mamma Stanton
Rebecca Walker
as March
Caroline Aaron
as Lucille Kaufman
Tommy Hollis
as Fat Willie
Directed by Mike Nichols, written by Elaine May and Joe Klein, produced by Mike Nichols.
Average viewer score of 6.3/10 from 356 ratings.
There is something quite worrying about this depiction of an American Presidential nomination campaign - it is plausible... John Travolta ("Jack Stanton") positively oozes charisma - in all it's guises - as he schmoozes, charms, cheats and lies his way through a campaign that simultaneously sees him pat babies on their heads whilst stealing their lollipops... Adrian Lester is the enthusiastic, but naive, campaign…
Reviewed on August 28, 2023
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Primary Colors (1998) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of Primary Colors (1998) includes John Travolta, Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Adrian Lester and Maura Tierney. The film was directed by Mike Nichols. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Primary Colors was released on March 20, 1998 and runs for 2h 23m.
Primary Colors (1998) holds an average rating of 6.3 out of 10 from 356 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy drama and comedy films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Primary Colors trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
