A Love Song for Bobby Long

Starring:John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabriel Macht, Deborah Kara Unger, Dane Rhodes, David Jensen (II), Clayne Crawford, Sonny Shroyer, Walter Breaux, Carol Sutton, Warren Kole, Bernard Johnson (II), Gina 'Ginger' Bernal, Douglas M. Griffin, Earl Maddox, Steve Maye, Don Brady, Will Barnett, Patrick McCullough (II), Leanne Cochran
Director: Shainee Gabel
Studio: Sony Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

A misfit drama in the grand Southern (by way of Hollywood) tradition, A Love Song for Bobby Long takes its cue from Carson McCullers's The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter. Re-establishing his indie-cred, John Travolta adds Bobby Long to his gallery of colorful characters. Hobbled by an infected toe, the 50-something Bobby is a white-haired, unshaven, vodka-soaked mess. But he's also a former English professor, and the piles of books in his ramshackle house, and the authors he drunkenly quotes give him a wounded dignity. Just how wounded will be revealed over the course of this atmospheric tale of redemption and penance. Bobby lives with Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht), his former teaching assistant who is writing a book about his mentor, a project deferred by drinking, sitting around with the locals, or engaging in quotation oneupsmanship. Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation, Ghost World) holds her own against Travolta ("You are such a shameless ham," she chastises the loquacious Bobby) as Pursy, the estranged daughter of Lorraine, a recently deceased singer-songwriter in whose house Bobby and Lawson reside. A battle of wills between the two men and the headstrong young girl gives way to the formation of a tentative family unit. Pursy agrees to return to high school if Bobby and Lawson quit drinking. There will be the expected revelations, recriminations, and dramatic confrontations, but what makes this Love Songresonate are the performances by a cast that rarely hits a false note. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Quite a Love Song for Bobby Long.......2007-03-30

I loved this film! Some critics knock the movie for using some clichés and there are some aspects of New Orleans in particular that are romanticized. Romanticism aside, the cinematography is beautiful and the film features many of New Orleans great attractions such as the Café du Monde, the old mansions of the garden district, and the dreamy Audubon Park. Of course, what is New Orleans without music? The soundtrack is a wonderful mix of jazz and twangy southern blues that is nicely incorporated into the plot. If that doesn't do it the acting alone makes the film worth seeing. The script is well-written, and the actors do a good job of making it seem spontaneous and real. I never felt like they were reading from a script. John Travolta's performance as the washed-up Bobby Long, an alcoholic former English professor who reminisces about his glory days is magnificent and one of his better performances. Gabriel Macht, plays Lawson Pines, the brilliant, guilt-ridden writer who can't seem to write anything good. Macht, best known for independent films, is one of the better kept secrets of the film world. His allegiance to Bobby is touching and also leaves you wondering, "Why?" His performance is very well done. Scarlett Johansson who plays Pursy Will completes the package and is the powerhouse of the film, but does so without overshadowing the other cast members. Her portrayal of a lonely, strong-willed young woman who reminds her two has-been roommates that they are still alive and capable of much more than drunken lechery is superb and believable. Overall, I think the film is very well done and entertaining. It is a story that highlights many human frailties and struggles and it demonstrates that redemption can be found through friendship and family in the most unlikely places.

SLOW AND STEADY .......2007-03-28

I do love exciting cliff-hanger types of movies, but I also love character studies and marvelous acting. That's what A Love Song For Bobby Long is all about!

If you're an adrenilin junkie, you probably should pass. But if you like a solid cast and a quirky but solid story, try this movie!

Better than you've heard.......2007-03-26

Damaged characters in NOLA. Before Katrina. Makes it even more interesting than anticipated. Travolta works well. Worth a look.

Great New Orleans Film.......2007-03-08

This is a must-see movie if you are from New Orleans, or if you like New Orleans. It has been much underappreciated, but it is a wonderful story with interesting characters and lessons. The scenes of New Orleans stray from the typical Hollywood shots of Bourbon Street, and include many scences shot in Old Gretna on the West Bank of the Mississippi, a few French Quarter scenes, nice shots of the river and the Crescent City Connection (during the time when it was being stripped of its lead-based paint and repainted), views of New Orleans from the levee in Old Gretna, the most beautiful tree in New Orleans (the ancient sprawling oak tree in Audubon Park- the one hidden to the left of the zoo), and more. The music is great and really carries the movie from one point to the next.

Worth watching........2007-02-12

A good "slice of life" type flic. Gritty, sensitive, intelligent characters. Great photography, good audio FX, good soundtrack.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

CBS Evening News (August 11, 2004)

Pride FC 2 : DVD

Life in the Fast Lane (REGION 1) (NTSC)

DVD: Suzanne Farrell - Elusive Muse

Bis zum bitteren Ende