Bobby (2006)

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, California, and twenty-two people in the hotel, whose lives were never the same.

Director:

Emilio Estevez

Writer:

Emilio Estevez

Stars:

Anthony Hopkins, Demi Moore, Sharon Stone

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 7 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harry Belafonte	...	Nelson
Joy Bryant	...	Patricia
Nick Cannon	...	Dwayne
Emilio Estevez	...	Tim
Laurence Fishburne	...	Edward
Brian Geraghty	...	Jimmy
Heather Graham	...	Angela
Anthony Hopkins	...	John
Helen Hunt	...	Samantha
Joshua Jackson	...	Wade
David Krumholtz	...	Agent Phil
Ashton Kutcher	...	Fisher
Shia LaBeouf	...	Cooper
Lindsay Lohan	...	Diane
William H. Macy	...	Paul

Storyline

Tuesday, June 4, 1968: the California Presidential primary. As day breaks, Robert F. Kennedy arrives at the Ambassador Hotel. He'll campaign, then speak to supporters at midnight. To capture the texture of the late 1960s, we see vignettes at the hotel: a couple marries so he can avoid Vietnam, kitchen staff discuss race and baseball, a man cheats on his wife, another is fired for racism, a retired hotel doorman plays chess in the lobby with an old friend, a campaign strategist's wife needs a pair of black shoes, two campaign staff trip on LSD, a lounge singer is on the downhill slide. Through it all, we see and hear R.F.K. calling for a better society and a better nation.

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Plot Keywords:

robert f. kennedy character | robert f. kennedy assassination | american history | helicopter | u.s. history | 

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Taglines:

22 lives linked by a moment the world would never forget

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, drug content and a scene of violence

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

23 November 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

El día que mataron a Kennedy

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Budget:

$14,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$69,039, 19 November 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$11,242,801

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,597,806, 31 December 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Weinstein Company, Bold Films, Bobby

Technical Specs

Runtime:

117 min 112 min 112 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color Color (archive footage) Black and White (archive footage)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A character in this movie that played a major role was the Ambassador Hotel, whose hallways, ballrooms, hair salon, back offices, and kitchen connect the characters of this movie to one another. It was always clear to Writer and Director Emilio Estevez that the hotel would be a vital location for this movie, but unfortunately, just as production was kicking into gear, the hotel where his entire story took place was slated to be demolished. So, Estevez was only able to film there for a week.

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Goofs

In the scene where Samantha and Jack are playing tennis, if you look behind the ivy in the background you can see present day traffic. The movie takes place in 1968.

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Quotes

Fisher: Why do you want to get stoned?
Jimmy: We want to get stoned, because it feels good, man.
Fisher: Bingo, because it feels good! You want to get stoned, because it feels good! Right?
Cooper: Right!
Fisher: Wrong!
Cooper: Why is that wrong?
Fisher: Because it's a cop out...
Jimmy: Ok, then can you explain to us why for what other reason than the fact it feels good, do we want to get stoned, man?
Fisher: Because it's our way, of getting closer, to god.
Fisher: That is what you're looking for; except for you didn't know it, until this minute.

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Connections

References The Graduate (1967)

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Soundtracks

Never Gonna Break My Faith
Written by Bryan Adams, Eliot Kennedy and Andrea Remanda
Performed by Aretha Franklin and Mary J. Blige featuring The Boys Choir of Harlem (as The Harlem Boys Choir)
Produced by Harvey Mason Jr. of The Underdogs and Bryan Adams
Aretha Franklin appears courtesy of J Records
Mary J. Blige appears courtesy of Geffen Records

User Reviews

An interesting, if somewhat cluttered, Altman-esquire film...

This movie suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder... I feel like I missed out on the details of each character.

You may not have suspected that this film is one of the biggest mysteries of 2006. I mean, how on earth did Emilio "Might Duck" Estevez command enough clout to assemble this stunning cast??? I am stumped. Nevertheless...

"Bobby" feels very much like a stylistic copy of Robert Altman's work -- perhaps a lighter version of Paul Thomas Anderson's operatic ensembles. You know the types of films I am referring to -- "Nashville", "Magnolia", "Short Cuts", Boogie Nights" -- the huge casts, varying story lines, interconnectivity, etc.

The events in this film all take place at Los Angeles' famed Ambassador Hotel in the moments leading up to the assassination of Robert Kennedy in 1968. There is the story of the nostalgic doorman who plays chess in the lobby. There is the story of the wasted night club singer. There is the story of a young girl who agrees to marry her friend so he doesn't have to go to Vietnam. There is the story of the racist food and beverage manager. There is the story of the bored married couple. There is the story of the political aides tripping on LSD. There is the story of the hairdresser... the cook.. the thief... his wife... and her lover -- Okay, fine... that's another film. There may even be a partridge in a pear tree somewhere along the way. "Bobby" is a sprawling film that may have jammed a little too much in between the credits.

That being said, the film is a model of professionalism. There are some fine performances. The costuming and make-up is so colorful and vivid as to become a character in and of itself. The editing is the film's highlight, cleverly blending original footage with fictional scenes.

The best performances come from William H. Macy, Anthony Hopkins, Lindsay Lohan & Svetlana Metkina. Hopkins plays wistful better than anyone ever has. Lohan has been called the "heart of the film" by Estevez himself. She gives the film an emotional connection and displays a level of acting talent that will surprise many audiences. Metkina has a few moments that will amuse you.

A few performances stray a little over the top -- Demi Moore is a prime example of that. She breaks the understated tone of the film. Also, the entire trippy scene with Ashton Kutcher struck me as entirely wasted.

The film winds down to the fateful event in the kitchen when Sirhan Sirhan ends the dream of many Americans. The film hints that this particular event may have been even more significant than the assassinations of either JFK or MLK. It hints that the course of the country shifted drastically that night. It hints, somewhat overtly, at the present situation we find ourselves in with world politics. And the words of Robert Kennedy echo sadly in the final chapter of the film.

There is so much crammed into this movie that it almost demands a second viewing. It is not that one can't keep up, but that each character gets so little screen time that it feels necessary to visit them again in order to get their full effect. I think that Estevez shows great promise here, but he may have overloaded his buffet plate -- and who can blame him with so much talent at his disposal.

© Written by TC Candler IndependentCritics.com