Bobby
for language, drug content and a scene of violence.
Reviewed by: Maggie Hays
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Average |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
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| Primary Audience: | Adults |
| Genre: | Political Drama |
| Length: | 2 hr. |
| Year of Release: | 2006 |
| USA Release: |
November 17, 2006 (limited) November 23, 2006 (wider) |
What does the Bible say about adultery? Answer
A single man or woman can help change the world. Read about some who did with faith and God’s help…
Jesus Christ, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and David
| Featuring | Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Emilio Estevez, Elijah Wood, Sharon Stone, Freddy Rodriguez, Nick Cannon, Lindsay Lohan, Shia LaBeouf, Brian Geraghty, William H. Macy, Helen Hunt, Christian Slater, Martin Sheen, Heather Graham, Laurence Fishburne, Jacob Vargas, Joy Bryant, Kip Pardue, David Krumholtz, Harry Belafonte, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Svetlana Metkina |
| Director |
Emilio Estevez |
| Producer | Gary Walters, Dan Grodnik, Anthony Hopkins |
| Distributor |
“He saw wrong and tried to right it. He saw suffering and tried to heal it. He saw war and tried to stop it.”
If you see BOBBY, you will hear profanity—several F-words, and God’s name profaned. You will view adultery. You will see nudity—male, from behind. The adultery is shown for the sad thing that it is, and how it hurts people. The nudity is a result of tripping out on LSD. The profanity is not dumped on us by the gallons, as it is in some movies. Nevertheless, if you are offended by crude language and profanity, you will cringe several times. There are many crude bodily terms used, and racial slurs.
Having said the negatives about this movie, I have to also give credit to several thought-provoking lines: “Real men stay in a marriage,” “somewhere between our ‘things’ and our ‘stuff’ is us.” There are many references to prayer in this intriguing story, a girl asked two friends to pray for her as she goes to an audition, a young couple about to get married so that the boy won’t have to go to Vietnam, pray in a chapel together, and a Hippie tells two young campaign workers they want to get high so that they will have a closer relationship to God. None of this makes this a Spiritual movie or a religiously-redeeming one, nevertheless I was surprised by the prayer references and enjoyed the decent remarks.
This is the fictionalized story of 22 people living their lives at the time Bobby Kennedy had his eye on the Presidency. The entire movie takes place during the hours before he is shot. Some actual news film footage from that time is included showing the unrest of the 60’s, and the actual shooting and confusion that followed. If you like your movies full of action—this is not the film for you. This is not science fiction, horror, romantic comedy, or anything of the sort. It is voyeurism—peeking through the curtain at people as they deal with their inadequacies, fears, trials, and hopes. You watch them go about their day, not knowing the tragedy that will come that night. I abhor the language Hollywood trashes films with, however, despite the language here, I loved this movie. For anyone who remembers the 60’s, as I do, you will see many familiar images.
Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, son of actor Martin Sheen and brother of Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen, it’s obvious to me that Estevez has the lion’s share of talent in the family. The cast is very impressive—credentialed by many movie successes, and their characters are believable and many quite likeable—Estevez himself along with his father Martin Sheern, Lindsay Lohan, Harry Belafonte, William H. Macy, Sharon Stone, Helen Hunt, Demi Moore, Elijah Wood and many others. Shall I go out on a limb here? I predict an Oscar (more than one) for this film when the awards are handed out.
Violence: Mild / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Moderate
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
Better than Average / 4½
Average / 3
Average / 3
Many people did not understand the reason we were in Vietnam and this film plays on that and makes it so easy to believe that there was no need for what we did there. However, life to me doesn’t seem that simple. There was no oil in Vietnam so why did we go there? And they say we are in Iraq for the Oil and why is oil over $3/gallon? Anyhow, look at the all-star cast, many can be seen at Democratic banquets. Very biased film.
Offensive / 2
Average / 4
“BOBBY” is a riveting film in and of itself, Emilio Estevez has hit the mark—the spirit—of the times 100%!! But it is the Special Features on the DVD that really got to me. The bonus footage should be watched right after viewing the film because it holds the true heart of the story. For someone as young as Emilio to feel that and be able to weave that into the guts of this film is striking!
I never did drugs in High School. I can relate the best with the girl in the coffee shop mixed with the “Diane” character. I wanted so desperately to see Bobby Kennedy save us from ourselves. To kick segregation and the senseless hate of our fellow man out! To bring our boys home from the war, without making it look like a defeat! To be proud of being an American!
We were all following that reality. Now it looks like we were following a dream, but then it was the real, electric truth! The way History portrays that time we may seem to look like drugged out dreamers who needed to find our way, but when Bobby Kennedy spoke to us, we knew the way! It was only after he was assassinated, that the line connected to our reality was severed. It was only then that the dream state began. I believe we have been trying to “wake up” ever since.
Bobby Kennedy was the last true politician for the people. He dealt with truth in it’s purest form. He did not have an agenda. He went out of his way to stand in the gap for all Americans, for true civil rights—no man was a color to him and no man was less than another. Everyone deserved and had the right to a life laced with opportunity. For all his faults in other areas of his personal life, he was the last “honest” crusader of and for all the people. He wanted to get America right. He knew that if we were going to “fix” anything else in the world, we had to “fix” us first.
Listen to the words of people who were there and knew him, heard him, touched him, like Harry Belefonte (what a gifted speaker he is, too. A very eloquent man.) and Martin Sheen. Even though this film does have some objectionable parts, like foul language, drug use and adultery—it is real. I cannot condone the way it was—but without God, that is human life. No wonder that generation was looking for “god,” we were loosing our grip on every part of life we held dear. As some people have so aptly put it—it DID feel as if the rug had been pulled out from under us!
I recall watching in horror as the news played out the events at the Embassador Hotel. From that event forward I sensed our country would either sink or swim. I absolutely could not fathom why that young Palestinian had done such a cruel and ruthless thing! If hind sight is 20/20, then my heart aches today, for I now know why. America knows how to swim—perhaps it has taken the life line from the wrong ship. The devil would like us all to sink. The life preserver he has thrown out tells us to embrace all gods, that History can be re written. That we can cut out The Holocaust and the Christian ideals this Country was founded on. Cutting God out of our lives is no way to save it. Cutting God in is our only hope!
But for the language and other unchristian themes—I wish “BOBBY” could be shown to all High School seniors today, so that they will know where we have come from and what we must do to go forward! The message is so strong and one needed to hear—hope.
My Ratings: Offensive / 5