Bob Roberts

Bob Roberts tells the story of a right-wing folk singer-turned senatorial candidate, and his entourage, during his run for office. Sort of a, "What would happen if a right-wing Bob Dylan ran for office during the Reagan Administration?" While there are some funny moments (other than the over arching satirical motif) mostly it is a serious mockumentary meant to enlighten and frighten us about our society and government. Common Sense has rated this the same as A Clockwork Orange and Fight Club. I have no idea why. I watched this at about 18 and have owned it for years. There is no sex and the violence, compared to Mission Impossible or many, many other action films like Transformers, consists of a Bobby Kennedy-like assassination-by-pistol in a crowd so no gun is actually seen. It is enlightening and, I suppose if taken seriously, might impart the wrong values or be interpreted as intellectually damaging. The only drinking that I can think of would be Gore Vidal sipping a whiskey at his desk or something like that. This is a great film for people interested in politics or society in the United States. I would think it would be boring to most kids but could provide great talking points concerning you and your family's values versus those on screen.