Bob Roberts (1992)

Director:

Tim Robbins

Writer:

Tim Robbins (written by)

Release Date:

4 September 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

More amazing than Watergate.

Plot:

A corrupt rightwing folksinger runs a crooked election campaign while only one independent muck-raking reporter is trying to stop him.

Plot Keywords:

Reporter | Song | News Anchor | Folk Singer | Satire

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Tim Robbins	...	Bob Roberts
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Bugs Raplin
Alan Rickman	...	Lukas Hart III
Ray Wise	...	Chet MacGregor
Brian Murray	...	Terry Manchester
Gore Vidal	...	Senator Brickley Paiste
Rebecca Jenkins	...	Delores Perrigrew
Harry Lennix	...	Franklin Dockett
John Ottavino	...	Clark Anderson
Robert Stanton	...	Bart Macklerooney
Kelly Willis	...	Clarissa Flan
Merrilee Dale	...	Polly Roberts
Tom Atkins	...	Dr. Caleb Menck
David Strathairn	...	Mack Laflin
James Spader	...	Chuck Marlin
Pamela Reed	...	Carol Cruise
Helen Hunt	...	Rose Pondell
Eva Amurri Martino	...	Child in Hospital
Jim West	...	Bus Driver
Peter Gallagher	...	Dan Riley
Lynne Thigpen	...	Kelly Noble
Bingo O'Malley	...	Robert Roberts, Sr.
Kathleen Chalfant	...	Constance Roberts
Ruth Lesko	...	School Teacher
Jack Black	...	Roger Davis
Matthew Faber	...	Calvin
Matt McGrath	...	Burt
Anita Gillette	...	Mrs. Davis
Susan Sarandon	...	Tawna Titan
Fred Ward	...	Chip Daley
Charles R. Altman	...	Debate Moderator (as Charles Altman)
Shannon Holt	...	Rita
Staci Marie Marcum	...	Miss Philadelphia (as Staci Marcum)
Shira Piven	...	Penn State Protester
Steve Pink	...	Penn State Protester
Fisher Stevens	...	Rock Bork
Gil Robbins	...	Reverend Best
Angela Hall	...	Choir Soloist
Lee Robbins	...	Organ Player
John Cusack	...	Cutting Edge Host
Bob Balaban	...	Michael Janes
Allan F. Nicholls	...	Cutting Edge Director (as Allan Nicholls)
June Stein	...	Cutting Edge Assistant Carol
Adam Simon	...	Cutting Edge Head Writer
Ned Bellamy	...	Uzi Kornhauser
Natalie Strong	...	Kala Kornhauser
Burnice Brourman	...	Nurse
Pat Logan	...	Frank Ryan, Policeman
Larry John Meyers	...	Police Spokesman (as Larry John Myers)
Robert Hegyes	...	Ernesto Galleano
Tom Tully	...	New York Reporter
Anthony Dileo Jr.	...	New York Reporter
Jane Crawford	...	New York Reporter
Ann Talman	...	New York Reporter
Lamont Arnold	...	New York Reporter
Gabrielle Robbins	...	Singing Vigilante
Adele Robbins	...	Vigilante
Brian Powell	...	Vigilante
Paul Quinn	...	Vigilante
Dean Robinson	...	Vigilante
Jeff Foster	...	Vigilante
Jeremy Piven	...	Candle Seller
Lee Arenberg	...	Religious Zealot
David Sinaiko	...	Liberal
Brent Hinkley	...	Bif, the Patriot
Hal O'Leary	...	Senator Haydn
Don Brockett	...	Chairman
Linda King	...	Washington D.C. Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tracy Generalovich	...	Miss Three Mile Island
Aaron Jackson
Julie Matthews	...	News Reporter
Sean Paul Braud	...	Extra (uncredited)
Stephen Halbert	...	Nigel the Soundman (uncredited)
Michelle Nagy	...	Pageant Contestant (uncredited)
Dave Petti	...	Debate Spectator (uncredited)
Joe Shelby	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Jeff Tackett	...	Himself (Orioles Catcher) (uncredited)
Ronald Thomas	...	Security Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Tim Robbins

Writing credits
Tim Robbins		(written by)

Produced by
Tim Bevan	....	executive producer
James Bigwood	....	associate producer
Forrest Murray	....	producer
Allan F. Nicholls	....	associate producer
Ronna B. Wallace	....	executive producer
Paul Webster	....	executive producer

Original Music by
David Robbins

Cinematography by
Jean Lépine

Film Editing by
Lisa Zeno Churgin

Casting by
Douglas Aibel

Production Design by
Richard Hoover

Art Direction by
Gary Kosko

Set Decoration by
Brian Kasch

Costume Design by
Bridget Kelly

Makeup Department
Jeannee Josefczyk	....	makeup artist
Rachel Kick	....	makeup artist
Rosalee Riggle	....	hair stylist (as Rose Bologa)
Linda Williams	....	2nd hair stylist

Production Management
James Bigwood	....	unit production manager
Susan Lazarus	....	post-production supervisor
Mark Seldis	....	unit manager
Rudd Simmons	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fred 'Fredo' Donatelli	....	second assistant director
Maria L. Melograne	....	first assistant director (as Maria Melograne)

Art Department
Paul Bucciarelli	....	scenic artist
Robert Buncher	....	carpenter
Mary Buri	....	key set dresser
Chris Call	....	property master
Thomas J. Garrigan	....	assistant property master
Craig Glaser	....	set dresser
Kenneth J. Kellers	....	set dresser
John Lindsey McCormick	....	art department coordinator
Eugene Pope	....	carpenter
Eric 'Sprocket' Uporsky	....	props assistant

Sound Department
Nancy Cabrera	....	foley artist
Michael J. Cerone	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laura Civiello	....	dialogue editor
Rick Dior	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marshall Grupp	....	supervising sound editor
Peter Halbert	....	boom operator
Stephen Halbert	....	production sound mixer
Hal Levinsohn	....	adr editor (as Hal Levinson)
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor
Bob Olari	....	sound recordist
Jac Rubenstein	....	adr editor
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr mixer

Visual Effects by
John Alagna	....	titles and opticals (as John Alagua)
Steidl Balzer	....	stage visual effects
Michael Ventresco	....	titles and opticals

Stunts
Don Hewitt	....	stunts
Jery Hewitt	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Rein Clabbers	....	grip
Jim Emswiller	....	video assist operator
Harry Greenberger	....	electrician
Larry Huston	....	first assistant camera Steadicam
Mark Jackson	....	first assistant camera (as Mark R. Jackson)
Sam J. Jones	....	still photographer
Chris Lugar	....	third electric
W. Russell McCormack	....	best boy
Don Muchoco	....	gaffer
Jean-Pierre Nutini	....	electrician
Joseph 'Bruno' Pelle	....	key grip
Rick Raphael	....	Steadicam operator
Rich Schutte	....	grip

Casting Department
Linda Carola	....	extras casting
Linda Carola	....	location casting assistant
Canice Kennedy	....	casting: Pittsburgh
Julie Matthews	....	casting
Nancy Mosser	....	extras casting
Nancy Mosser	....	location casting
April Webster	....	casting: Los Angeles

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Monte Cholmeley-Jones	....	wardrobe assistant
Diane Collins	....	wardrobe supervisor
Erin Folsey	....	wardrobe assistant
Beth Levine	....	seamstress
Thomas A. Ritchotte	....	wardrobe assistant
Marlene Speranza	....	seamstress
Thomas Stokes	....	assistant wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Mark Ginsberg	....	color timer
Donna Stern	....	associate editor

Music Department
Bob Applebaum	....	musician: mandolin
Henry Brewer	....	musician: keyboard
James Flatto	....	assistant music editor
Jeff Frickman	....	music mixer
Jeff Frickman	....	music recordist
James Gilmer	....	musician: percussion
John Hagen	....	musician: cello
Scott Jackson	....	musician: drums
Patrick Mullins	....	music editor
Novi Novog	....	musician: viola
David Robbins	....	background vocals
David Robbins	....	musician: guitars
Ernesto Salcedo	....	musician: percussion
Larry Tuttle	....	musician: bass

Transportation Department
Katie Scott	....	transportation
Marc Scott	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Rachel Aberly	....	publicist
Scott Balcerek	....	assistant production coordinator
Brian Campbell	....	video designer
George Cawthorne III	....	bodyguard: Mr. Roberts
Dennis Childer	....	bob's on-stage band
Gerard Cronin	....	bodyguard: Mr. Hart
Merrilee Dale	....	assistant accountant
Warren Davidson	....	bob's on-stage band
Pete Farquhar	....	fencing master
Amy Grove	....	assistant location manager
Amy Hughes	....	production assistant
Keith Jackson	....	production assistant
Charles Leavitt	....	fencing master
Linda H. Miller	....	post-production auditor
Howard Neustadt	....	projectionist
Kitty Olisky	....	production coordinator
Manuel Saunders	....	bodyguard: Mr. Roberts
David D. Scott	....	production assistant
Greg Sheen	....	bob's on-stage band
Leland Sklar	....	electric bass
Shawn Vashaw	....	production assistant
Brenda K. Wachel	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Miramax Films
• Live Entertainment
• PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
• Rank Organisation, The
• Working Title Films

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1992) (USA) (theatrical)
• Rank Film Organization (1992) (UK) (theatrical)
• Laurenfilm (1992) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (1993) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Film de Mexico (199?) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (199?) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Pan Européenne Distribution (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (199?) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Artisan Entertainment (2000) (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (UK) (VHS)
• Live Entertainment
• Live Home Video (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Live Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Pioneer Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc) (special edition)
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (200?) (UK) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (199?) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1994) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• Actors Casting Network  extras casting
• Balsmeyer and Everett  additional opticals
• David Sharp's Totally Looped Group  vocal effects
• Earl Hays Cinema Inserts  newspapers
• Effects House, The  titles and opticals
• Juniper Post  Music recorded at
• Mobile One  catering
• Park Place Studios  set construction
• Performance Lighting Rentals Inc.  grip and lighting equipment
• Ronald James Gardner & Associates  security provided by
• Todd-AO East  sound post-production
• Westlake Studios  music mixed at
• Witalis Burke Associates  graphics

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for momentary language

Runtime:

102 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-18 (2004) (self applied) | Australia:M | Portugal:M/12 | Germany:12 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Singapore:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Eisenhower Auditorium, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Miramax Films

Trivia:

When Tim Robbins approached his actor friends about doing the movie, he said most of them asked to play newscasters.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The film takes place in 1990, on the eve of the Persian Gulf War. In real life, neither of Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seats were up for re-election that year.

Quotes:

Cutting Edge Host:In the beginning, our great company provided appliances for the neighborhood. We heated your home, we refrigerated your food, and improved the quality of your life. We prospered, and you loved us. And we grew into a large multinational corporation. In fact, we own this very network. Our chief source of income, however, is...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: Episode #22.98" (2006)

Soundtrack:

This World Turns

Don't Miss the Point; This is Satire, not Commentary

The focus of most of these comments has been on the film's perceived political commentary on American politics.

Let's make one thing clear: This film is a satire, not a commentary; in my opinion it's not about Republicans or Democrats, or conservatives or liberals; it is about the nature of democracies.

The point that the film, "Bob Roberts", makes can be summed up very clearly. Here is the nature of democracies: Voters choose winners over losers, champions over whiners, statements of power over statements of sacrifice. The list goes on; people prefer form over function, youth over age, presentation/entertainment over substance.

This film does transcend political lines; but in it's context, lets take a look at the specifics. Bob Roberts is electable because his message is just vague and occluded enough by his presentation, that he seems likeable. His message is not unique or original; he speaks to the elements that have always appealed to the more right-wing or fascistic elements of society; marginalization of the weak (in this case, the poor), empowerment of the common man, family values, etc.

Roberts' opponent, Paiste, is a textbook liberal; but this contest is not about left vs. right. Paiste is an educated man, and a career politician. He acknowledges the challenges in the American economy. He actually has answers to the issues; whether they are politically favorable or not is not significant. Roberts, on the other hand, says nothing about the real issues; he appeals only to the emotions of the mob, and because he uses the medium of folk music, he offends the sensibilities of liberals (both in the movie, and in its audience), because he uses the authenticity of the 60's and its messages of change, and "perverts" them to express his messages of reactionism and exclusion.

And it works.

Tim Robbins has a winner here, and this film gets overlooked because it gets dragged into these conversations about Robbins' own political views, and whether the film is making a statement about Republicans or Democrats. But Robbins says something far more universal with this film; democracies are not safe from tyranny or fascism; all it takes is a charismatic reactionary who can manipulate the interests of the press and the political interests to rise to power by appealing to the worst elements of our psyche, for entertainment, glamour, and exclusionism. Please remember that Hitler came to power by appealing to the worst aspects of the people of his nation, and was quite successful in creating much evil from that. Being part of a free nation comes with a huge responsibility; to carefully consider who we elect and what we value, and to allow those debates to have meaning. "Bob Roberts" shows us how easily we can neglect that responsibility, and how easily voters can be sold an offensive, exclusionary message, when it is wrapped up in something more attractive than what's real.