True Colors (1990) is a film written by Kevin Wade and directed by Herbert Ross. The cast included John Cusack, James Spader and Richard Widmark in his final movie role.
Plot summary
The movie opens with Peter Burton (Cusack) and his best friend Tim Garrity (Spader) nervously awaiting the results of Peter's congressional election. The two men met seven years earlier after getting into a fistfight over a fender bender in the parking lot at law school. After discovering that they are to be roommates, the men quickly put their differences aside and become close friends. Tim, who comes from an affluent family, is an idealistic person who wants to do what is right. He plans a career with the Department of Justice, a fact that doesn't sit well with his girlfriend, Diana (Imogen Stubbs), the daughter of Senator Stiles (Widmark). Peter, who is embarrassed by his lower-class roots, is willing to use and manipulate anyone to get ahead. He plans a career in politics, eventually manipulating his way into a job on a congressman's campaign staff.
Despite his disapproval of Peter's lies and scheming, Tim loves Peter like a brother. However, the friendship between the two men is severely tested when Peter confesses to Tim during a ski vacation that he and Diana have been carrying on an affair behind Tim's back. He adds that he plans to ask Diana to marry him.
Tim, angry at the betrayal, speeds off down a hazardous ski trail. The less experienced Peter follows him down. Tim leads Peter to the edge of a steep cliff. Peter, unable to stop in time, hurdles down to the bottom breaking his leg and cracking two ribs. Tim, out of guilt, forgives Peter and even agrees to be the best man at Peter and Diana's wedding.
Shortly after marrying Diana, Peter falls under the influence of John Palmieri (Mandy Patinkin), a malevolent man with ties to organized crime and political corruption. He bribes Peter into going along with an influence peddling scheme. Meanwhile, things have begun to spiral out of control in Peter's extended family. Earlier in the film, Senator Stiles is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease, something that will end his political career. Peter seizes the opportunity to manipulate his father-in-law into supporting his run for Congress. When the older man refuses, Peter threatens to leak news of the illness to the press. The senator reluctantly acquiesces.
Tim, who by this time has risen through the ranks of the Department of Justice, launches an investigation into political corruption that will eventually lead back to Palmieri. When Palmieri discovers Peter's ties to Tim, he bullies Peter into setting Tim up by putting him in touch with a bogus tipster. Tim runs with the false information. He creates a public embarrassment for the DOJ as well as compromises the investigation; Tim is suspended for his actions. Peter then hires Tim to work for him on his upcoming campaign.
Senator Stiles reveals the conversation that he had with Peter to Diana. Diana angrily confronts Peter, slapping his face and threatening divorce. Shortly thereafter, Tim then discovers Peter's role in getting him suspended from his job. Tim, still upset with Peter's attempt to blackmail the Senator, agrees to help the DOJ work to bring Peter down.
Tim works diligently to gather evidence of Peter's wrongdoings and dealing with Palmieri all the while pretending to be Peter's most loyal supporter. After compiling as much evidence as he possibly can, he convinces his superiors at the DOJ to set up surveillance in a hotel room. After Peter wins the election, Tim gets Peter into the hotel room upstairs and to own up to everything on camera. Peter becomes suspicious shortly thereafter; Tim admits to trying to bring Peter down, revealing the presence of the surveillance camera. He also tells Peter that Palmieri is being arraigned at that very moment. Peter then viciously attacks Tim, throwing him into furniture and choking him.
After Peter gives his victory speech, he is arrested and charged with political corruption. Despite having gotten even with Peter over his many betrayals, Tim leaves the scene feeling disillusioned and bitter. The movie ends a few months later when Peter drops by Tim's apartment to drop off a bottle of champagne. Peter reveals that he will not be sworn into office. He also tells Tim that he has been offered immunity in exchange for testimony against Palmieri and that he is fearful of reprisals from Palmieri and his crew. Tim then tells Peter that he will be forced to testify against him if he does not accept the plea deal. The two men then exchange a few more words before Peter departs.
Much of the filming occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the nightclub scene was at TRAX, the storied venue once run by Coran Capshaw, who would launch and manage the Dave Matthews Band.
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Movie about friendship and betrayal
John Cusack and James Spader are the leading men in this 1991
Petri Pelkonen (petri_pelkonen@hotmail.com) from Finland - 11 March 2008drama.True Colors tells about two friends Peter Burton (Cusack) and Tim
Garrity (Spader).The movie starts with them waiting for the results of
the congressional election.Then the movie goes seven years back to the
year 1983 at the law school and shows us how they became friends.Then
we learn how Peter betrays his best friend when he enters the world of
politics.This Herbert Ross movie is fairly good law movie.John Cusack
at his younger years gets to show his talent.It's pretty unbelievable
to watch his speech at the end.And James Spader is just as good.Another
great scene is where these two are skiing down the hill and Peter hurts
himself.Imogen Stubbs plays Diana Stiles who talks about marriage with
Tim but ends up marrying Peter.Mandy Patinkin plays the true crook John
Palmeri.Richard Widmark is Senator James Stiles.Dina Merrill is Joan
Stiles.Philip Bosco is Senator Frank Steubens.True Colors is a good
movie.It's not a great movie, but it's a good movie.
A Nutshell Review: (DVD) True Colors (1991)
This should be my "John Cusack" holiday weekend, with 2 DVDs rented
DICK STEEL from Singapore - 2 January 2006starring the actor. Earlier, I had reviewed one of his earlier works
when he was a teenager - Better Off Dead, and here, I’d think it
probably is his first role as a slimeball.John Cusack and James Spader (Sex, Lies and Videotape) play two
friends, Peter Burton and Tim Gerrity, from Law School, and chronicles
their friendship. They hit it off from a small automobile accident
(pardon the pun), and progressed from minor adversaries, to best of
friends. Until Peter’s ambition gets the better of him, as he aims to
become Congressman in 10 years.From the start, we see a flip side to Peter’s goody-two-shoes
character. He always has something to hide, and has an ulterior motive
to things that he does. He tells little white lies to get his way, and
has a siege mentality that it’s always him versus Them. He gets envious
of Tim’s seemingly good life, and coverts Tim’s girlfriend Diana, who
is the daughter of a Senator. And thus begins the Kane and Abel like
story, of betrayals, and counter betrayals between the two men.Peter gets involved with the mob in his bid to become elected, while
Tim, working for the Justice Department, volunteers himself to get the
dirt on Peter. It’s always about the girl, or is it? And as Tim puts it
aptly, only somebody close to you, can do the most damage. They know
your secrets, and best of all, they have your trust. It’s true though,
if you think carefully about it, the best person to ruin you
(reputation, etc), is none other than the person you trust the most.
Again, looking at the two characters, there is no right or wrong, it
all depends on the methods one uses to achieve one’s goals.It’s also an interesting look at the shady dealings of politics, of
allegiances made because of donations or help to campaign funding, of
owing favors to those who voted in favor of you. Things are never that
simple, and the mantra shared by both characters are, so long as you
don’t get caught.John Cusack has got this charismatic charm, and in this film, uses it
well as he seeks to become a politician (you have to have charisma as
you deliver those speeches). James Spader too holds his own, as the
naive Tim, who slowly discovers betrayal, and decides to turn the
tables against the hunter. Fans of John Cusack, you must catch this!
Code 1 DVD is the bare bones version, aside from the usual audio and
scene selections.
Friends Put to the Test
This is one of the finest political movies ever done. And if he doesn't
bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York - 23 February 2005decide to return to the screen post his 90th birthday, it is a fitting
swan song to the career of Richard Widmark.James Spader's Tim Gerrity and John Cusack's Peter Burton meet on the
first day of law school and get assigned to be roommates. The film
follows the career paths each take, the same woman they both are
involved with and the values each takes from his background and
develops along the way.Spader is the idealistic upper middle class kid who is born to a
tradition of public service and attracted by the idealism of it. He's
good in his part, but it's John Cusack's portrayal that really drives
this film.Driven is the word for it, that is exactly what Peter Burton is. He's
from a lower middle class background and he's desperate to escape. In
fact, he's invented a background for himself that's phony and the scene
where that is revealed is one of the movie's high points. I will not
say any more.I've known a few Peter Burtons in my time too. Desperate to succeed at
any price, willing to sacrifice friends and family to do it. It's what
makes John Cusack's performance so real for me. I think it is the
finest thing he's ever done on film.Richard Widmark plays United States Senator Joseph Stiles, a Yankee
blue blood type to the manor born. Harry Carey, Jr., in his memoir, In
the Company of Heroes described Widmark as one of the smartest and most
literate men he's ever encountered, a man able to talk intelligently on
a variety of subjects. Because of that, I have to believe that this
role must have been a personal favorite.The best scene in the movie is when Cusack, who Widmark has made a
protégé of, essentially blackmails Widmark into supporting Cusack for
an open Congressional seat. Widmark is a politician and one who has he
himself describes can play hardball if needed. But he's also there to
try and do some good. He has to give into the blackmail for reasons I
won't go into, but he does rip open the character of Cusack in some
unforgettable dialog.I would also commend to other actors in this. Mandy Patinkin who plays
an unscrupulous businessman/racketeer with an understated malevolence
and Paul Guilfoyle who is Widmark's chief of staff, who has Cusack's
number, but is unable to do anything about it.I'm surprised that no Oscar nods came with this film, especially for
Widmark as a supporting actor. I couldn't give this film a higher
recommendation.
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