Bob Roberts *** (1992, Tim Robbins, Giancarlo Esposito, Alan Rickman, Ray Wise, Brian Murray, Gore Vidal) – Classic Movie Review 10,705

Writer-director Tim Robbins’s bright and always relevant 1992 comedy drama election campaign political satire plays as a mockumentary, or fake documentary. It is his directorial debut, includes several original songs co-written and performed by him, and he also stars as fictional Senatorial candidate Bob Roberts.

Bob Roberts (Robbins) is the folk-singing, fascist yuppie candidate standing for governor of Pennsylvania against wily old senator (Gore Vidal), in writer-director Robbins’s entertaining burlesque on American politics, filmed in the form of a phoney TV documentary.

Robbins plays the part with the slimy allure he does so well, and the actor’s charisma makes the character so understandable in its mix of repellence and magnetism. The film is considerable as good-hearted, liberal-minded entertainment, with Robbins as director bringing on a host of friends and family (including his common law wife Susan Sarandon and her daughter Eva Amurri Martino, and his sister Adele Robbins) to perform amusing turns in small part cameo appearances. When he asked his actor friends to do the movie, most of them asked to play reporters and news anchors.

The cast include Giancarlo Esposito, Alan Rickman, Ray Wise, Brian Murray, Gore Vidal, Rebecca Jenkins, Harry Lennix, John Ottavino, Robert Stanton, Kelly Willis, Merrilee Dale, Tom Atkins, David Strathairn, James Spader, Bob Balaban, Susan Sarandon, Helen Hunt, Fisher Stevens, Jeremy Piven and John Cusack. It is Jack Black’s feature film debut.

Ray Wise and Alan Rickman in Bob Roberts (1992).

Robbins wrote a song called ‘Revape Amerika’ for Tapeheads (1988), performed by Robbins, credited as Bob Roberts. He reworked the song into ‘Retake America’ for this film. The first three albums by Bob Roberts – The Freewheelin’ Bob Roberts, Times Are Changin’ Back, and Bob on Bob – are spoofs of Bob Dylan’s classic albums The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, The Times They Are A’Changin’ and Blonde On Blonde, including the cover photos on the first two. The scene where Bob Roberts meets the wife and children of the mayor is a spoof of Bob Dylan’s Don’t Look Back (1967), where Bob meets the wife and children of the local sheriff.

All the songs are written by Tim Robbins and his brother David Robbins, the sons of folk singer Gil Robbins of the Highwaymen. Tim Robbins sings and plays the harmonica. Jack Black sings background vocals.

Tim Robbins tried to sell the idea to the studios for six years, but it was the English production company Working Title Films that came up with much of the backing, ironically so for a film about American politics. Alan Rickman also helped Tim Robbins to fund the production with his own money.

At the end of the credits the screen is filled with the word ‘VOTE’, though obviously Robbins wants you to vote for the Democrats.

Ah the magic of the movies. When Bob gets off the bus in ‘Harrisburg’, a police barrier says ‘City of Philadelphia’.

It is produced by Miramax, Live Entertainment, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, The Rank Organisation and Working Title Films, and released by Paramount Pictures (1992) (US) and Rank Film Organization (1992) (UK).

© Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,705

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