 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Bobby
- Review Date: April 2, 2007
- R
- Genre: Drama
- 2006
Common Sense Media says
Moving ensemble drama, but not an RFK biopic.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
What parents need to know
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.
What's the story?
Despite its title, BOBBY isn't really about Bobby Kennedy (who appears in archival footage). Instead, it follows a loose group of characters staying at L.A.'s Ambassador Hotel on June 4, 1968, the day that Kennedy was assassinated. Using Kennedy as a symbol for what might have been -- clips from his speeches emphasize his inspiration and vitality -- the movie lays out the problems he might have solved in the lives of its troubled characters as they deal with issues of race, marriage, infidelity, politics, the Vietnam War, and the era's enlightenment via psychedelic drugs. As in Crash, separate stories overlap and occasionally collide. The star-studded cast includes Laurence Fishburne, Christian Slater, William H. Macy, Sharon Stone, Heather Graham, Elijah Wood, Lindsay Lohan, Demi Moore), Emilio Estevez, Helen Hunt), Martin Sheen), Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, Shia LeBeouf, and Ashton Kutcher.
Is it any good?
Bobby looks back with sadness and frustration, drawing clear connections to current events (the war in Iraq, troubled elections, continuing racial tensions). But it also offers resilient, even stubborn hope. If only we could remember the promise of 1968, Bobby proposes, we might find ourselves again. As the stories overlap and characters occasionally collide, director Emilio Estevez's very sincere, liberal-leaning, and occasionally flat-footed movie remembers RFK with reverence, feeling nostalgia for a promise unfulfilled.
While the many storylines vary in effectiveness and predictability, the finale -- Kennedy's arrival the hotel and the violence that follows -- is undeniably moving (even if the use of Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" is decidedly heavy-handed). As the crowd gathered in the ballroom sees all too plainly, hopes abruptly run up against disappointment.
What 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?
- Show:
- All members
- Parents
- Teens & kids
AGE
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.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
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.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
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.
Was this review useful?
|
|
AGE
inspiring
a hilarious way to tell a needed to tell story
Was this review useful?
|
|
| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Emilio Estevez |
| Cast: | Anthony Hopkins, Elijah Wood, Lindsay Lohan |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 120 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | November 16, 2006 |
| DVD release date: | April 10, 2007 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | language, drug content and a scene of violence. |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
