Cinema: Tale Of Two Bills

Blurring fact and fiction is old hat, but when Travolta and Clinton face off in Primary Colors, the film reflects our times

If you had any doubt that the country has arrived at an uncanny cultural and political moment, consider this: John Travolta can do a better Bill Clinton than Clinton can. The President's performances these days are often subdued--seven weeks of stalling and refusing to explain his relationship with Monica Lewinsky seem to have shorted out his emotional connection to America. And now comes Travolta in Primary Colors, the Mike Nichols movie based on Joe Klein's novel about the 1992 campaign, with a portrayal so deeply and exuberantly Clintonian that it reminds you of everything you've ever loved and hated about the...

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