Primary Colors (1998)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Mike Nichols

Writers (WGA):

Joe Klein (novel)
Elaine May (screenplay)

Release Date:

20 March 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

What went down on the way to the top.

Plot:

A man joins the political campaign of a smooth-operator candidate for president of the USA.

Plot Keywords:

Politician | Blackmail | Campaign Manager | Rise To Power | Cynicism

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 15 nominations

Cast

John Travolta	...	Governor Jack Stanton
Emma Thompson	...	Susan Stanton
Billy Bob Thornton	...	Richard Jemmons
Kathy Bates	...	Libby Holden
Adrian Lester	...	Henry Burton
Maura Tierney	...	Daisy Green
Larry Hagman	...	Gov. Fred Picker
Diane Ladd	...	Mamma Stanton
Paul Guilfoyle	...	Howard Ferguson
Rebecca Walker	...	March
Caroline Aaron	...	Lucille Kaufman
Tommy Hollis	...	William McCullison (Fat Willie)
Rob Reiner	...	Izzy Rosenblatt
Ben Jones	...	Arlen Sporken
J.C. Quinn	...	Uncle Charlie
Allison Janney	...	Miss Walsh
Robert Klein	...	Norman Asher
Mykelti Williamson	...	Dewayne Smith
James Denton	...	Mitch (as Jamie Denton)
Leontine Guilliard	...	Ruby
Monique Ridge	...	Tawana Carter (as Monique L. Ridge)
Ned Eisenberg	...	Brad Lieberman
Brian Markinson	...	Randy Culligan
Geraldo Rivera	...	Himself
Charlie Rose	...	Himself
Larry King	...	Himself
O'Neal Compton	...	Sailorman Shoreson
Kevin Cooney	...	Lawrence Harris
Bonnie Bartlett	...	Martha Harris
Cynthia O'Neal	...	Elegant Woman
Chelcie Ross	...	Charlie Martin
John Vargas	...	Lorenzo Delgado
Tony Shalhoub	...	Eddie Reyes
Bianca Lawson	...	Loretta
Robert Cicchini	...	Jimmy Ozio
William Stanford Davis	...	Jack Mandela Washington (as Stan Davis)
Harrison Young	...	Sam
Rolando Molina	...	Anthony Ramirez
Ross Benjamin	...	Peter Goldsmith
Stacy Edwards	...	Jennifer Rogers
Kristoffer Ryan Winters	...	Terry Hicks
Susan Kussman	...	Ella Louise
Vickilyn Reynolds	...	Amalee
Robert Symonds	...	Bart Nilson
Gia Carides	...	Cashmere McLeod
Robert Easton	...	Dr. Beauregard
Scott Burkholder	...	Danny Scanlon
Bill Maher	...	Himself
Lu Elrod	...	Chubby Woman
Michael Haley	...	Shipyard Announcer (as R.M. Haley)
Henry Woronicz	...	Pundit
Daryce Richman	...	Linda Feldstein (as Darice Richman)
Rosalie Peck	...	Retiree
Susan Forristal	...	Bugger Bugger Woman
James Earl Jones	...	CNN Voiceover (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Eric Boyd	...	Bagpiper
Tom Griffin	...	News Anchor
Noah Michael Levine	...	Airport Traveler
Dorie Neal	...	Muffin / Campaign (voice)
Pete Tittl	...	Funeral mourner
Sara Van Horn
Lesa Whittington	...	News Anchor (scenes deleted)
Anthony Winters	...	Pundit #3
Jordan Ancel	...	Muffin (uncredited)
Marian Caparros	...	News Anchor (uncredited)
Sophia Choi	...	News Anchor (uncredited)
Matt Clifford	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Barbara Conway	...	Campaign Staff (uncredited)
Kacee DeMasi	...	Voter (uncredited)
James DuMont	...	Man #1 in Airport Bar (uncredited)
Freddie Joe Farnsworth	...	Extra (uncredited)
Phil Faroudja	...	Background Extra (uncredited)
Anthony Michael Frederick	...	Detective (uncredited)
Nicholas M. Loeb	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Polli Magaro	...	Woman in Street (uncredited)
Jean Martirez	...	News Anchor (uncredited)
Greg McWhorter	...	Street Person (uncredited)
Larry Mendte	...	News Anchor (uncredited)
John Milford	...	(uncredited)
Christopher C. Murphy	...	Newsroom Crew (uncredited)
Tim Murphy	...	Union Manager (uncredited)
Msaada Nia	...	Governor Picker Supporter (uncredited)
Gary Pike	...	Partygoer (uncredited)
Kevin Richardson	...	Editor (uncredited)
Rocco	...	Secret Service Agent (uncredited)
Rocco Salata	...	News Videographer (uncredited)
Lorna Scott	...	Woman in Airport Bar (uncredited)
Steve Teamkin	...	Blue Hard Hat (uncredited)
Lynn Wanlass	...	Woman in Red (uncredited)
Charlie Weirauch	...	Muffin (uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Nichols

Writing credits (WGA)
Joe Klein		(novel) (as Anonymous)
Elaine May		(screenplay)

Produced by
Michael Haley	....	associate producer
Michele Imperato	....	co-producer
Jonathan D. Krane	....	executive producer
Neil A. Machlis	....	executive producer (as Neil Machlis)
Mike Nichols	....	producer

Original Music by
Ry Cooder

Cinematography by
Michael Ballhaus		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Arthur Schmidt

Casting by
Juel Bestrop
Ellen Lewis
Greg McKay
Juliet Taylor

Production Design by
Bo Welch

Art Direction by
Tom Duffield

Set Decoration by
Cheryl Carasik

Costume Design by
Gary Jones		(co-costume designer)
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Michelle Bühler	....	makeup artist: Mr. Travolta (as Michelle Buhler)
Lynne K. Eagan	....	key makeup artist (as Lynne Eagan)
Mindy Hall	....	makeup artist
J. Roy Helland	....	hair designer
J. Roy Helland	....	makeup designer
Susan V. Kalinowski	....	hair stylist: Mr. Travolta (as Sue Kalinowski)
Jason Joseph Sica	....	key hair stylist (as Jasen Sica)
Anthony Wilson	....	hair stylist
Vera Yurtchuk	....	makeup department head
Teresa M. Austin	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Stacy Kelly	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Michele Imperato	....	unit production manager
Paul A. Levin	....	post-production supervisor
Denise Pinckley	....	second unit manager: New York (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jan Sebastian Ballhaus	....	first assistant director: second unit
Michael Haley	....	first assistant director
Liz Radley	....	second unit director
Brent Stanton	....	dga trainee
Daniel M. Stillman	....	second assistant director (as Dan Stillman)
Mark Tobey	....	second assistant director
Roger M. Bobb	....	dga trainee (uncredited)
Ann C. Salzer	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Tim Ackers	....	stand-by painter
Steven Lee Baer	....	drapery foreman (as Steven Baer)
Christopher Casey	....	set dresser
Tony Chavez	....	propmaker
Michael Diersing	....	construction coordinator
Bryan Duff	....	props
Randy Gunter	....	assistant property master
Sean Haworth	....	set designer
Fontaine Beauchamp Hebb	....	buyer
Michael Hendrick	....	laborer
Tegan Jones	....	art department coordinator
John Kelso	....	metal foreman
David Manhan	....	lead man
Brent Regan	....	construction foreman
Bruce Richter	....	carpenter
Mark Wade	....	property master
Hap Weaver	....	stand-by greensman
Clyde Zimmerman	....	paint supervisor
Craig Zimmerman	....	set dresser
François Audouy	....	illustrator (uncredited)
Randall S. Coe	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Ryan Handt	....	construction propmaker (uncredited)
Scott E. Handt	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Frank McEldowney	....	greensperson (uncredited)
Roxanne Reaver	....	construction accountant (uncredited)
Mark D. Rodriguez	....	staging supervisor (uncredited)
Patrick M. Sullivan Jr.	....	set designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Michael Barry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ron Bochar	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ron Bochar	....	supervising sound editor
David Boulton	....	adr recordist
Kam Chan	....	foley editor
Benjamin Cheah	....	foley editor (as Ben Cheah)
Ted Clark	....	sound re-recordist
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist (as Marko Costanza)
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
Kenna Doeringer	....	assistant adr editor
Chris Fielder	....	assistant sound editor
Lewis Goldstein	....	sound effects editor
Gregg Harris	....	boom operator
Harry Higgins	....	sound re-recordist
Frank Kern	....	foley editor
Todd Milner	....	assistant sound editor
Christopher Newman	....	production sound mixer (as Chris Newman)
Mike Poppleton	....	apprentice sound editor (as Michael Poppleton)
Bruce Pross	....	foley supervisor
Jennifer Ralston	....	foley editor
Nicholas Renbeck	....	dialogue editor (as Nicholas Rebeck)
Wyatt Sprague	....	assistant sound editor
Marc-Jon Sullivan	....	boom operator
Magdaline Volaitis	....	dialogue editor
Deborah Wallach	....	adr editor
Bob Bass	....	adr mixer: Florida (uncredited)
Tim J. Carroll	....	consultant: Dolby Digital (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Alan E. Lorimer	....	special effects coordinator (as Alan Lorimer)
Byron K. Lovelace	....	special effects crew (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Ivy Agregan	....	digital effects coordinator
Carol Ashley	....	composite supervisor
Randall Bahnsen	....	data technician
James Blevins	....	data operations manager
Kristen D. Chidel	....	visual effects production manager (as Kristen Niederholzer)
Kevin Clark	....	visual effects editor (as Kevin C. Clark)
Carole Cowley	....	visual effects associate producer
Erin M. Cullen	....	roto artist
Joe Dubs	....	digital paint supervisor
Bob Fernley	....	digital scanning supervisor
Bob Fernley	....	split recording supervisor
Mike Frevert	....	digital artist
Gil Gagnon	....	executive producer: Cinesite
Tim Gibbons	....	digital artist
Mark Girard	....	engineering manager (as Mark A. Girard)
Karen Klein	....	rotoscope supervisor (as Karen D. Klein)
Brad Kuehn	....	visual effects supervisor
Anthony Lanni	....	digital artist
Vincent Lavares	....	tape operator: Cinesite Hollywood
Dan Levitan	....	digital artist
Mark Tait Lewis	....	digital artist (as Mark Lewis)
Bob Lyss	....	lead compositor
Anthony Mabin	....	lead compositor
Tom May	....	visual effects production assistant
Valerie McMahon	....	compositor (as Valerie V. McMahon)
George Oliver	....	digital artist (as George Edwin Oliver Jr.)
Lisa L. Pollaro	....	compositor
Liz Radley	....	video & computer graphics supervisor
Tony Sgueglia	....	data operations supervisor
Ruth Vasquez	....	data technician
Chris Wood	....	digital artist
Ken Dackermann	....	digital compositor (uncredited)
Charles Darby	....	digital matte supervisor (uncredited)
Cristin Pescosolido	....	match move supervisor (uncredited)
Jay Riddle	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Mark Riccardi	....	stunt coordinator
Victoria Vanderkloot	....	stunt double
Tom Bahr	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Austin B. Church	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Amy H. Abrams	....	key film loader
Jason Adams	....	digital imaging technician
Alfred Ainsworth	....	video playback operator (as Alfie Ainsworth)
Ismael Aranjo Jr.	....	grip
Craig Asato	....	first assistant camera
Floyd Burks	....	digital imaging technician (as Floyd A. Burks)
Larry Cottrill	....	electrician
J. Patrick Daily	....	key grip (as Patrick Daily)
François Duhamel	....	still photographer (as Francois Duhamel)
Anthony Gaudioz	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Tony Gaudioz)
Daniel C. Gold	....	camera operator: "a" camera (as Dan Gold)
Steve Irwin	....	computer/video engineer
Scott Johnson	....	camera technician: Wescam camera
Craig Kohlhoff	....	second assistant camera (as Craig Kolhoff)
Dwight Joseph Lavers	....	dolly grip (as Dwight Lavers)
Michael McGuire	....	rigging grip
Charlie McIntyre	....	rigging gaffer (as Charles H. McIntyre III)
Mark Emery Moore	....	Steadicam operator (as Mark E. Moore)
Matthew Nelson	....	second assistant camera
David Norris	....	camera operator: Wescam camera
John B. Pekkanen	....	grip
Bradford Ralston	....	video assist operator (as Brad Ralston)
Eric L. Roberts	....	video playback operator (as Eric Roberts)
John 'Fest' Sandau	....	assistant chief lighting technician (as John Fester Sandau)
Cricket Sloat	....	dimmer board operator
Monte Swann	....	video engineer
James R. Tynes	....	chief lighting technician (as Jim Tynes)
Johnny Walker	....	first assistant camera
Tom West	....	second company grip
Eric Whitehead	....	grip
Phil Abraham	....	camera operator: "b" camera, New York (uncredited)
George M. Chappell	....	rigging foreman (uncredited)
Jenifer Galvez	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)
Lamarr Gray	....	electrician (uncredited)
Michael Kelem	....	aerial camera operator (uncredited)
Gregory Lundsgaard	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Kevin McNeil	....	grip (uncredited)
Charles 'Chaz' Norcross	....	grip (uncredited)

Casting Department
José María Álvarez	....	extras casting assistant (as Jose-Maria Alvarez)
Michele Bancroft	....	extras casting associate
Amy Jo Berman	....	casting assistant: Los Angeles
Vivian Hasbrouk	....	casting associate: New York (as Vivian Lynn Hasbrouk)
Sondra James	....	adr casting
Sondra James	....	voice casting
Patricia Kerrigan DiCerto	....	casting associate: New York (as Patricia Kerrigan)
Barbara Klein	....	additional extras casting
John Laccetti	....	additional extras casting
Jennifer Madeloff	....	extras casting associate
Marshall Peck	....	extras casting
Brazil Joseph Grisaffi III	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)
Rocco Salata	....	extras casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cheryl Beasley Blackwell	....	costume supervisor
Sabrina Calley	....	wardrobe
James P. Cullen	....	costumer to Mr. Travolta (as Jim Cullen)
Bruce Ericksen	....	costume supervisor
Steffani Lincecum	....	costume cutter and fitter
Michelle Matland	....	assistant costume designer
Donna Chance	....	costumer (uncredited)
Tim Wilson	....	costumer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Kris Cole	....	associate editor
Angelo Corrao	....	additional editor
Amnon David	....	editor: avid
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer (as Denny McNeill)
Jeremiah O'Driscoll	....	first assistant editor
Warren Paeff	....	apprentice editor
Stephen M. Rickert Jr.	....	assistant editor
Richard J. Rossi	....	assistant editor (as Richard Rossi)
Jim Sevin	....	editor: video
Dwight Raymond	....	assistant editor: re-shoot (uncredited)

Music Department
Nancy Allen	....	assistant music editor
Bunny Andrews	....	music editor
Julian Bratolyubov	....	music preparation (as Julian Bratolubov)
Joachim Cooder	....	composer: additional music
Steve Goldstein	....	music coordinator (as Steven Goldstein)
Leslie Morris	....	music contractor
John Moses	....	musician
Robb Navrides	....	music editor: TV version
Thomas Pasatieri	....	conductor (as Tom Pasatieri)
Thomas Pasatieri	....	orchestrator (as Tom Pasatieri)
Suzana Peric	....	music editor
Nic Ratner	....	music editor
Allen Sides	....	scoring mixer
Larry Campbell	....	musician (uncredited)
Rick Fleishman	....	music coordinator (uncredited)
Christopher Guardino	....	additional music arranger (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Robert aaron Brown	....	driver: insert car
Robert K. Johnson	....	transportation captain (as Robert Johnson)
Payton J. Kirkpatrick	....	driver: Mr. Nichols (as Peyton Kirkpatrick)
Kenny Searle	....	transportation coordinator
William Hogue	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Diana Aldrich	....	political consultant
John Alfred	....	assistant accountant
Mary Bailey	....	script supervisor
Craig Bankey	....	unit publicist
Richard Bellos	....	stand-in (as Richard Bellows)
Lars Bjornlund	....	executive assistant: Mr. Nichols
Becky Brake	....	assistant location manager
Tony Brazas	....	assistant: Mr. Travolta
Marla Brodsky	....	assistant: Mr. Machlis
Angie Cervantes	....	production assistant
Lyn Clinton	....	production assistant
Lisa Cofini	....	post-production accountant
Jacqueline Cohen	....	subtitles: French dubbed version
Michael Connor	....	assistant: Ms. Thompson
Joe Dalu	....	security: Mr. Travolta
Joyce Deep	....	political consultant
Eddie De Verna	....	stand-in (as Eddie Deverna)
Nancy Eddo	....	computer consultant
Mary Frances Eglin	....	production assistant
Georgia Evangelatos	....	craft service
Peter Evangelatos	....	craft service
Mary Claude Foster	....	news consultant
Kelvin Garvanne	....	stand-in: Mr. Lester
Robbie Goldstein	....	location manager
Hannah Green	....	production assistant
Jeffrey Greenhut	....	production assistant
Kurt Greufe	....	assistant accountant
Barbara Gutman	....	production accountant
Lisa Haley	....	production assistant
Michael Hamilton	....	security: Mr. Travolta
Andrea Hand	....	stand-in
Cindy Hochman	....	production coordinator (as Cindy Price)
Teresa Jaime	....	payroll clerk
David Kaufman	....	assistant location manager
Mara Kerum	....	caterer
Tony Kerum	....	caterer
Meti Kusari	....	craft service
Brandon Lambdin	....	production assistant
Linda Larmon	....	first aid
Christopher Lee	....	assistant location manager
Jane Levy	....	assistant: Mr. Nichols
Cricky Long	....	assistant: Mr. Nichols
Kelly Malone	....	stand-in: Ms. Thompson
Bertram McCann	....	marine coordinator
David Ross McCarty	....	assistant location manager (as David McCarty)
Joe McCrackin	....	assistant: Mr. Thornton (as Joe McCracken)
Carlos Moore	....	location manager
Robert J. Morton	....	assistant: Mr. Travolta (as Rob Morton)
Ruth Mussy	....	stand-in
Chris Palzis	....	production assistant
John Pontrelli	....	production assistant
Fletcher Farrow Previn	....	production assistant (as Fletcher Previn)
Stephen Price	....	assistant location manager
Matt Ramundo	....	production assistant
Brian Relyea	....	production assistant