Sometimes truth ends up being more unbelievable than fiction, and works of art that were initially planned to be satirical end up being far more resonant than they were ever intended to be. Mike Nichols’ adaptation of the political novel Primary Colors was always supposed to be a larger-than-life satire about the Presidency of Bill Clinton, but no one involved with the film could have anticipated how quickly real-life scandals would end up mirroring what they put on screen. Primary Colors is a time capsule of a different era of American politics, and gets into the unusual tactics involved in media strategy and campaigning. Although Nichols has an incredible ensemble of talented actors, Primary Colors features a scene-stealing supporting performance from Billy Bob Thornton.
Who Does Billy Bob Thornton Play in ‘Primary Colors’?

Primary Colors offers an “inside look” into the inner circle of Governor Jack Stanton (John Travolta), the highly charismatic Governor of Arkansas who has his sights set on becoming the Democratic Party’s nominee for President of the United States. Although Stanton’s wife, Susan (Emma Thompson), watches the campaign like a hawk, it becomes clear that the Governor is trying to hide some salacious details from his past that could threaten his viability as a candidate. Thornton stars as the eccentric political strategist Richard Jemmons, who works alongside the spokeswoman Daisy Green (Maura Tierney) and the spinster Howard Ferguson (Paul Guilfoyle) to divert the public’s attention. Although the idealistic young staffer Henry Burton (Adrian Lester) joins the campaign with the hopes of making a real difference, he soon learns from Jemmons that there is an element of theatricality that is inherent to the way that elections are determined in America.

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Given that Travolta’s performance as Stanton is a very obvious parody of Clinton, it is easy to determine that Thornton’s performance as Jemmons is inspired by the real political strategist James Carville, who had recently been the subject of the award-winning documentary The War Room. Capturing Carville’s mannerisms was certainly a challenge, as Thornton had to offer his own interpretation of a man who had been almost as widely covered by the media as the President. However, Carville’s exposure to the public was only through selective media appearances in which he had control; Thornton had to offer a “behind the scenes” look at all the strange tactics involved in such an unpredictable campaign. As a result, Thornton was able to make the film even funnier, as it becomes absurd to imagine that someone as absurd as Jemmons would have such a significant influence on the future of the nation. Even when he’s chewing the scenery, Jemmons offers some straight-faced, truthful insights on what the public wants that end up shaping the way that Burton views politics.
‘Primary Colors’ Is Brilliant Political Satire

Image via Universal Pictures

Thornton was essential to the tone of Primary Colors, as the film begins to get much darker as it gets deeper into Stanton’s scandals. The film is primarily seen through the eyes of Burton, who gradually becomes more cynical as he learns that the tactics used in a political campaign are far removed from the values of a candidate. This could have ended up being a very negative message that skewed too close to reality, but Thornton was able to add enough comedic relief to remind the viewers that they were watching an exaggerated version of events. The film reaches another level of satire when Jemmons is forced to team up with the idiosyncratic private investigator Libby Holden, played by Kathy Bates in a role that earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
Thornton offers a surprising amount of depth to his performance, as the film explores the fundamental differences between Jemmons and Burton; while Burton genuinely wants to represent someone whose policies he agrees with, Jemmons is obsessed with finding a candidate that he can proclaim as a hero. Despite the fact that Jemmons is clearly quite intelligent, Thornton does end up adding a somewhat tragic quality to the role, as his lack of a moral backbone makes him politically toothless. Primary Colors has aged very well, and it is to Thornton’s credit that he was able to identify the strange nature of political campaigners who will do anything and everything to claim victory.
Primary Colors is available to rent on VOD services.

Primary Colors

Release Date

March 20, 1998

Runtime

143 minutes

Writers

Elaine May

Producers

Jonathan D. Krane