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Bobby

(2006, Rated R, Drama, Starring Anthony Hopkins, Elijah Wood, Lindsay Lohan)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 16; suggested age 15.
  • Is it any good?

    4.0
  • Common Sense says

    Moving ensemble drama, but not an RFK biopic.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–16

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    RFK is remembered as a moral beacon; fictionalized characters deal drugs, commit adultery, argue over race/class inequities, racism, and politics; references to political "dirty tricks" an assassin shoots and kills RFK.
  • Violence:

    Bobby Kennedy's assassination is re-enacted, with bloody results; other characters are also shot and collapse, gasping and bleed.
  • Sex:

    An adulterous liaison in a hotel room (embracing and kissing, then the door shuts); post-sex scene shows a man apologetic (presumably for his "performance") and a woman upset; brief, romantic sex scene between a young couple; characters (male and female) appear in their underwear; a young man appears naked during LSD trip (bottom visible).
  • Language:

    Several uses of "f--k" (15+), plus the n-word and other language ("s--t," "hell," "son of a bitch," "damn," "ass," "Steppin Fetchit motherf--er").
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Lots of cigarette smoking and liquor drinking (several characters are drunk), also drug use (marijuana and LSD, which results in a "trip" represented in comic images of driving, flying, laughing).
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Bobby

Parents need to know that although this drama might spark some good conversations with older kids, it's probably not all that likely to interest them. A nostalgic recollection of 1968, its ensemble cast and "social problems" theme have earned it comparisons to Crash. It culminates in a distressing reenactment of Robert Kennedy's assassination, incorporating archival footage as well as graphic images of other shooting victims and the chaos caused by the event. A brief sex scene alludes to an adulterous affair; a second sex scene represents young, idealistic romance. Frequent smoking and drinking throughout the film, plus drug use (one character appears naked during an LSD trip). Language includes several uses of "f--k," plus the "N" word and discussion of racism against black and Latino communities.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the film's premise -- that Bobby Kennedy represented a (lost) hope for change in the United States in 1968. Why did people think he was the answer to so many problems (such as Vietnam and the Civil Rights movement)? Is it fair to pin those kinds of expectations on any one person, even a possible president? How does the movie use archival TV images of RFK to draw parallels between his promises and the characters' activities? How does the inclusion of actual footage impact the viewer? What particular issues divide the characters, and how do they come together?

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Virginia
    I rate this title on for age 8 and give it 5.0

    inspiring

    a hilarious way to tell a needed to tell story

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 3.0

  3. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in New Mexico
    I rate this title iffy for age 13 and give it 2.0

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 17
    Lives in Kentucky
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

  5. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in Washington
    I rate this title on for age 17 and give it 5.0

    Respect

    One of the first movies I have gone to where the audiance showed respect by staying seated all the way through the credits. This was a great movie for those of us that lived through that time period - it captured what was really going on. The important part however is that this country under the current (but not for long administration) is going down the same dreadfull path. We need a change in this coutry and this movie shows us why. I highly recommend it.

  6. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in California
    I rate this title on for age 13 and give it 5.0

    Very powerful movie - ok for younger with support

    This movie is about Bobby Kennedy's assassination in 1968. If you read the comments on imdb, it's as though everyone had a different ending to the sentence, "but obviously the best part was..." This is an extraordinarily well-done period piece on a very difficult time in US history. I think it's important for students to see, but the themes touch on real issues of the time: there's drug use, and swearing, and extramarital affairs, and alcoholism, and everyone smokes, and racial violence....But the message is AWAY from those, not towards them. Political conservatives might feel it's politically oriented, though I think the vast majority of religious conservatives will enjoy the social messages delivered through speeches. Mature or urban teenagers will "get" the themes, but might be confused by the context. Luckily the movie is so good that parents can see it twice. The other thing - adults cry, a lot, at this movie. If your teen will be freaked out in a room full of crying adults - wait until it's on DVD.

  7. Teen Reviewer Age 16
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 4.0

    A Great Movie!

    This was a great movie! Although it was more about the other people in the hotel, there was some about Bobby Kennedy. I expected Kennedy to be the focus, but the vignettes of the other people were really interesting. The language is pretty bad, and not great for younegr kids, but I wasn't too bothered by it. Overall, this was a great movie and I would definately recommend it.

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