Bobby (2006)

Director:

Emilio Estevez

Writer (WGA):

Emilio Estevez (written by)

Release Date:

23 November 2006 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

He saw wrong and tried to right it. He saw suffering and tried to heal it. He saw war and tried to stop it.

Plot:

The story of the assassination of U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy who was shot in the early morning hours of June 5, 1968 in the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, and 22 people in the hotel whose lives were never the same.

Plot Keywords:

1968 | LSD | Los Angeles California | Vietnam | Husband Wife Relationship

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 3 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Harry Belafonte	...	Nelson
Joy Bryant	...	Patricia
Nick Cannon	...	Dwayne
Emilio Estevez	...	Tim Fallon
Laurence Fishburne	...	Edward Robinson
Brian Geraghty	...	Jimmy
Heather Graham	...	Angela
Anthony Hopkins	...	John Casey
Helen Hunt	...	Samantha Stevens
Joshua Jackson	...	Wade Buckley
David Krumholtz	...	Agent Phil
Ashton Kutcher	...	Fisher
Shia LaBeouf	...	Cooper
Lindsay Lohan	...	Diane
William H. Macy	...	Paul Ebbers

Runtime:

120 min | Italy:112 min (Venice Film Festival) | Canada:112 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Brazil:14 | Australia:M | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | USA:R (certificate #43067) | Germany:12 | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-11 | Ireland:15A | Malaysia:(Banned) | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Weinstein Company, The

Trivia:

While the rest of the cast is made up of actors, the central role of Robert F. Kennedy is portrayed almost entirely in actual footage of the senator.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The film, set in 1968, indicates that getting married would provide a draft deferment and keep Elijah Wood's character from going to Vietnam; however, Selective Service eliminated deferments for married men without children in October, 1965.

Quotes:

Jack: Samantha. You're more than the shoes on your feet or the designer dress on your back. You're more than the purse you carry or the money inside. You and I are more than the stuff, more than the things in our lives. Somewhere between our things and our stuff is us. I don't wanna lose us.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "History in Focus: Bobby" (2006)

Soundtrack:

Come See About Me

Admirable, moving effort

It's easy to get caught up in the "too many characters" argument or that there are too many stories left unfinished or incomplete. IMO, it's important to remember this is a snapshot of just ONE day. How much are we expected to know about any of the characters in that time period? How much do you learn about the guy sitting next to you on the plane with whom you visit during a three hour flight? I admit that at first I was thinking, "Okay Emilio, where are you going with this and why do I care about all these people?" It seemed a little disjointed to me. But then I found myself going with it and appreciating the idea that we were getting a glimpse into the lives of a few of the people at the Ambassador hotel that day. I thought the performances by all were very strong, although I'll admit it was next to impossible to get beyond the all-star cast, simply because the plot isn't structured to bring you close enough to the characters to lose sight of who is playing the role. But again, in the end it didn't matter because the artistry of it all--the music, the camera shots, the inclusion of film and audio footage of Bobby Kennedy, the significance of these characters we've been following throughout... it just worked for me. It is also hard to ignore how much RFK's message resonates in our political climate today. As the credits rolled, at least half of the audience remained in their seats, from those sitting in stunned silence to others almost sobbing. Complete strangers were gathered outside the theater, talking about the movie or their own memories of Kennedy. It is clearly a labor of love for Emilio but I think he did a fabulous job.