SeattleGirl reviews "Bobby"

[SeattleGirl]

(with apologies to Radio_Lady for stealing her movie review subject line).

I got to see an advanced screening for this movie tonight. The movie will be released on Thanksgiving.

"Bobby", written and directed by Emilio Estevez. Starring Harry Belafonte, Joy Bryant, Nick Cannon, Emilio Estevez, Laurence Fishburne, Brian Geraghty, Heather Graham, Anthony Hopkins, Helen Hunt, Joshua Jackson, Ashton Kutcher, Shia LeBeouf, Lindsay Lohan, William H. Macy, Svetlana Metkina, Demi Moore, Freddy Rodgriguez, Martin Sheen, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone, Jacob Vargas, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Elijah Wood.

The movie is about the last day in Robert F. Kennedy's life, and also about many of the people who worked at, or were guests at, the Ambassador Hotel in California. What I liked the most about the movie was that while they did have an actor playing Bobby Kennedy, it was only for distance shots, and his face was mostly obscured. Instead, they used clips of RFK campaigning, and clips of him at the Ambassador after the win in California. It was so good to hear and see him again, even if only in old clips.

Most of the movie focuses on the people at the Ambassador prior to Kennedy's appearance. Some parts are funny, as when two Kennedy campaign workers meet up with Ashton Kutcher's character (and I won't go into detail except to say that the part with the litter box was hysterical......). Other parts are kind of sad, such as what happens between William H. Macy's character and Sharon Stone's character. Ordinary people, going through some ordinary, and some extraordinary, things during this day. What I kept thinking was that none of these people had any idea of the horrendous juggernaut headed their way that night.

One of the striking things about the movie, given the times we live in, are the parallels to today: voter suppression primarily based on race, including such things as police roadblocks, missing voting machines, "new" electronic machines, and warnings about hanging chads. Also, there was a very unpopular war (Vietnam), war protests, and an unpopular president (Johnson). There are issues between characters about racism and misogyny. And woven throughout the movie are the words and the voice of RFK, talking about equality, talking about reaching out to those who have less than others, speaking of how he would make those issues the focus of his presidential campaign, a campaign that was cut short.

Most of the main characters end up at the rally with RFK that night, and/or in the kitchen of the Ambassador. The affect that RFK's assassination had on them was evident in their reactions to what happened. Again, Emilio Estevez interspersed shots of the actors with footage from that night. Regardless of what had happened in their lives prior to that moment, regardless of any problems different characters may have had with each other, that moment in time brought them all together.

Two of my favorite characters in the movie are William H. Macy's and Sharon Stone's. He plays the Manager of the Ambassador; she plays the head of the hotel's beauty salon. They don't interact with each other a lot until the second half of the movie, but I liked the characters, especially Sharon Stone's. I liked Laurence Fishburne's character too. Heck, I liked them all -- that is, I liked how the actors played their characters, even if some of the characters themselves were less than good and honorable. In other words, they were human beings.

For those of us who were alive in 1968 and were old enough to remember, it was a somewhat difficult movie to watch, especially the end of it. While you know what is going to happen, it still hits like a brick when it does; at least, it hit me that. And I'm not the only one -- there were a lot of people in that theater, men and women alike, who had tears in their eyes during the last part of the movie. For those of you who weren't' alive in 1968, or who were too young to remember that day, I would encourage you to go see it. In part, to see what it was like that year, that horrible year, but also, to hear the words of that great man, Robert Francis Kennedy.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear SeattleGirl!

Wow, you should become a movie reviewer! That was an excellent, and detailed review.....

Sounds like it's definitely worth seeing........

I remember those days pretty vividly........and how horrified I was at the news....

He was so young, and full of promise......

What a great president he would have made........:cry:

Thanks for this ...:loveya: :hug: :loveya:

[SeattleGirl]

2. I know, Peggy. I think that he would have been a great President.

I think that is why so many of us had tears in our eyes at the end of it -- because of the unfulfilled promise that RFK could have brought to our country.

[speedoo]

3. I remember it like it was last night.

I was living on the east coast, but I was up late to check on the primary results. I had shaken RFK 's hand at a speech he gave in Philly a few months before and I had grown to become a big supporter.... he was picking up JFK's mantle in my eyes.

So when the news broke, I was just stunned, and later heartbroken. He was a great man.

Thanks for the excellent review, SG. I really don't know if I'll be able to see it.

[SeattleGirl]

4. Thanks speedo. I actually wasn't awake when it happened.

But I remember getting up the next morning, and my sister and my mom were sitting in the living room, TV on, tears running down their faces. I asked what was wrong, and my mom said, "Bobby Kennedy is dead." I literally sank to the floor; it was just a few months after MLK was killed. I just kept saying, "No he's not, no he's not." Mom said, "Yes, he is." She told me what happened. I didn't go to school that day. I just sat there with my mom and my sister, watching TV, crying, and knowing in my heart that what had happened was a horrible thing for this country. And indeed, it was.

[Nicole]

5. I want to see this

Even more so now that I've read your review. Fantastic job! :thumbsup:

I don't remember seeing any of the coverage on t.v. which is strange. I remember watching JFK's funeral & later MLK's so it wasn't that I was too young. For some reason I have blocked memories of RFK's death out.

[SeattleGirl]

8. Maybe, like me, you were already asleep when it happened.

It wasn't until the next morning that I heard about it, and then saw the footage of him at the Ambassador from the night before. I remember sitting all day in the living room with my mom and sister, watching TV and crying. I knew something had gone horrendously wrong.

[Nicole]

11. Probably so

However I don't remember anything about the days that followed either. No news coverage, no one speaking about it, nothing. I learned in history class, 4-5 years later, about what was significant current event in my life. It's bizarre I know.

[SeattleGirl]

12. That is kind of strange.

I wonder if there was something else going on in your life at that time that superceeded it.

[Nicole]

13. Well duh!

I never even thought of that until I read your post. Boy do I feel dumb. :blush:

[SeattleGirl]

14. No need to feel dumb. After all, it was 38 years ago.

:hug:

[Nicole]

15. Thanks

:hug:

[Robeson]

6. Thanks for the review. I can't wait to see it!....

...:thumbsup:

[SeattleGirl]

9. It's a good movie.

Thanks, Robeson.

[MrScorpio]

7. Great sounding movie

Cacn't wait to see it

[SeattleGirl]

10. It is great, if one can say that about a terrible, horrible event.

But again, the best part of the movie was seeing and hearing RFK again. I still miss him, even after all this time. Miss JFK too, and MLK.