Bob Roberts

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Review by The Film Fan Man

Memory is a funny thing. Sometimes we remember a film as being hysterically funny, or intensely moving, or unbearably suspenseful. In some cases, when we watch it again years later, we marvel at how dry or predictable or yawn-inducing it is.

I found the exact opposite to be true of Bob Roberts, Tim Robbins’ 1992 directorial debut wherein the decidedly liberal actor portrays a right-wing folk singer who runs for a U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania in the 1990 Congressional elections. I remembered the film as sharp and satirical, but watching it again I was taken by how dead-on its barbs and insights are. And, unfortunately, how accurately it reflects the present political landscape.

The movie unfolds as a documentary, narrated by British journalist Terry Manchester (stage veteran Brian Murray) as it follows Roberts attempting to unseat incumbent Sen. Brickley Paiste (a delightfully droll Gore Vidal). Along the campaign trail, we meet Lukas Hart III (Alan Rickman, perfectly channeling Karl Rove), Bob's chief political strategist with a closetful of skeletons and an equal number of questionable connections, and Chet MacGregor (Ray Wise), who strives -- but doesn’t always succeed -- in keeping Manchester’s camera trained on exactly what the Roberts campaign wants him to see.

For the most part, Bob’s march to Congress runs smoothly. Fueled by enough dirty politics to make Dick Cheney envious, Roberts and his band of merry men play fast and loose with the facts as they keep one eye on the global money markets. They understand -- and practice -- the dictum of repeating a lie often enough until people believe it’s the truth, and Roberts never misses a chance to ratchet up emotion when it will help obscure any rational consideration of the issues. Why discuss homelessness and poverty when a smear campaign is so much more effective?

Not all is golden, however. Reporter Bugs Raplin (Giancarlo Esposito) is hot on the trail of exposing Hart and his Broken Dove organization as drug-smuggling profiteers, riding the bailout of the Savings & Loan scandal to further line their already deep pockets and put even more well-paid politicians in them. He knows that mainstream media is too corporate to produce true investigative journalism; his admonition that "If you want the truth in this country, you have to seek it out" is just as much a call to arms in 2004 as it was a dozen years ago.

In addition to the film’s keen political observations, the music is absolutely terrific. Robbins plays Roberts as the Bob Dylan of a bizarre parallel universe, right down to his album covers ("The Freewheelin’ Bob Roberts" and "The Times are Changin’ Back") and a delightful parody of "Subterranean Homesick Blues" from D.A. Pennebaker’s documentary Don’t Look Back -- complete with the singer flipping handwritten cards in an alleyway -- called "Wall Street Rap."

Bob Roberts is a who’s who of big-name stars in often brief supporting roles, many of them playing media people in one form or another. Lynne Thigpen is the co-host of a morning show who easily sees through Bob’s façade and tries to take him to task; Peter Gallagher shares the "Good Morning Philadelphia" set but not her political awareness. James Spader, Pamela Reed, Helen Hunt, Susan Sarandon and Fred Ward all play newscasters. A wide-eyed, very Republican-looking Jack Black is one of Bob’s many love-him-or-leave-town supporters, and singer Kelly Willis lends her beautiful voice as Clarissa Flan ("Miss Broken Dove 1989"), who shares the stage with the charismatic candidate. John Cusack also appears as the guest host of an SNL-like show called "Cutting Edge Live," which takes a few well-deserved jabs at mega-conglomerate GE. (Interesting bit of trivia: Robbins and Cusack co-starred in Tapeheads, a 1988 film in which Robbins contributed a song called "Repave Amerika," credited to Bob Roberts. In this film, the song is sung by Roberts and reworked as "Retake America.")

In addition to working with his pals, Bob Roberts was a family affair for Robbins. His two sisters, Gabrielle and Adele, appear onscreen, as does stepdaughter Eva Amurri. Tim and his brother David co-wrote all the songs (save the one that runs over the end credits, an unreleased Woody Guthrie tune). Even though the songs are impressively well-crafted, the brothers have never released a soundtrack; as a matter of fact, Tim specifically wrote into his contract that there would be no soundtrack album because he didn’t ever want the songs heard out of context.

And what a wonderful context Bob Roberts is. It’s said that to be truly effective in arguing any point, one should be equally as convincing taking the opposing view. The theory is that only by thoroughly understanding both sides can you be persuasive in stating your case. Robbins clearly demonstrates his grasp of this principle. By making Roberts such a suave and convincing manipulator, he shows us the depths of deceit to which such a candidate will sink in order to get elected.

A dozen years later, Bob Roberts is easily as relevant as Fahrenheit 9/11. Both deserve a place in your permanent DVD collection.

http://www.sing365.com

Complain by Bob Roberts

Some people must have.
Some people have not.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

Some people will work.
Some simply will not.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

Like this: It’s society’s fault I don’t have a job.
It’s society’s fault I am a slob.
I have potential no one can see.
Give me welfare. Let me be me!

Hey, Bud, you’re livin’ in the Land of the Free.
No one’s gonna hand you opportunity!

Some people must have.
Some never will.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.

I don’t have a house. I don’t have a car.
I spend all my money getting’ drunk in a bar.
I wanna be rich. I don’t have a brain.
Just give me a handout while I complain.

Or this: I wanna stay in bed and watch TV.
Go out weekends in a limousine
And dance all night takin’ lots of drugs
And wake up when I wanna.

Hey, Bud, you’re livin’ in the Land of the Free.
No one’s gonna hand you opportunity!

Some people will learn.
Some never do.
But they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.
Yeah, they’ll complain and complain and complain and complain and complain.