FamilyFans Movies
☼☼☼
BOBBY
(R)
Plot Summary: A lot happened the day that Bobby Kennedy was killed....
Reason for the Rating: Language, drug content, and a scene of violence.
I’m not sure I’ve ever gone to see a movie and felt like I walked away a better person for having seen it. After Bobby, though, I think I might have.
That may sound like a bit of an exaggeration, I know, but through this movie I learned new facts, felt a little more compassion for different people around me, and I remembered why love and peace are important. And I did all this without feeling manipulated or preached to by the movie at all. I suppose if all that doesn’t make me a little bit better of a person, at least for the time being, no matter. I’m still so glad I sat in that theatre.
In case you can’t already tell, I loved this movie. I absolutely loved it. Part of it may be that I’m a sucker for any historical drama that takes place in America in the late 1960’s. But beyond that, Bobby is simply a beautiful film. It doesn’t have much of a central plot; instead it has more of a central location and event that ties all the stories and characters together, even if they never meet.
The whole movie takes place on June 6, 1968, at the Ambassador Hotel, the place where Bobby Kennedy was assassinated on that day. Bobby features an all-star ensemble cast, each playing a character connected to the hotel in some way and therefore present during the assassination. As the hours and scenes go by, you get to know each of the characters in individually, learning what life is like for each one. Whether it be the members of the hotel’s kitchen staff (played by Christian Slater and Laurence Fishburne among other very talented actors), members of Kennedy’s campaign team (Nick Cannon, Joshua Jackson), or simply a young couple getting married in the hotel that evening (Lindsay Lohan and Elijah Wood), each character is interesting to watch. Some have bigger parts, some are simply there to provide laughs. Not all of the characters are even concerned with Kennedy or the reception that will be held in his honor that night. They are simply there, living life, and their lives are their stories.
This
is actually a very unique tactic, and I think writer/director Emilio Estevez did
a great job. In most ensemble dramas, each character or group of characters is
living through a personal drama, and all these life-changing situations somehow
intersect in an even more intense climax. In Bobby, not every character
has a personal tragedy or milestone. But each person is alive, and therefore
each storyline is important in its own right. And although these people’s lives
are connected at the end when the assassination occurs, this doesn’t necessarily
tie them together or speak to some unifying message. It simply makes the
audience think about life and what we as humans do with our lives. It makes each
person’s day more meaningful, certainly, but I think what it does best is show
how a tragedy like Bobby Kennedy’s assassination is sometimes best understood
when it is depicted in contrast with the lives lived around it. Bobby
does this wonderfully. It’s a beautiful movie, and one that is certain to affect
each viewer in a unique way.
The only thing I didn’t love about Bobby was the occasional bit of awkward dialogue. For the most part, things are worded well, but at times a few of the characters have an unnatural way of speaking. This can make it seem like the acting in these particular scenes is sub par also, but considering the caliber of the cast, I think it’s safe to say it’s just the dialogue. However, by no means is this true for the majority of the movie. The only other aspect of Bobby that some people may not like is the adult content. This movie contains profanity, an assassination scene, and also some fairly graphic scenes depicting drug use and partial nudity.
I’ll
say it one last time: I loved this movie. It made me laugh, and it made me cry.
It is poignant without being preachy. It portrays human emotions and human
stories and makes you feel like you were touched by these emotions and stories,
but it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why you were touched. This movie is so
understated and so real that it affects you before you even realize you’ve been
affected. Nothing about this movie shouts at the audience to pay attention or to
adhere to a particular political or social value, but somehow a point comes
across. Its art is in its subtlety. And for a historical event as politically,
culturally, and socially charged as the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, a
subtle movie is no small feat.
FAMILYFANS RECOMMENDS:
Although not appropriate for children, Bobby is an excellent film that's well worth watching - and talking about afterward.
AFTER THE SHOW:
• What did you learn about American history from watching this film? How much of that do you think is true history and how much is artistic license on the part of the filmmakers?
• Which characters do you think were the best examples of being Christ-like? What did they do to make you choose them?
• What does this film say to you about loving your neighbor—even if he or she is different from you?
AT
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