Main Cast: Tim Robbins, Giancarlo Esposito, Alan Rickman, Ray Wise, Brian Doyle-Murray, Gore Vidal
Release Year: 1992
Country: US/UK
Run Time: 105 minutes
Plot
In the tradition of This Is Spinal Tap, producer/ director/ star Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts is a satire disguised as a documentary. Robbins plays the titular Roberts, a wealthy, well-connected young man running for a senatorial seat in Pennsylvania. On the surface, Roberts is an ingratiating glad-hander, a sincere believer in the restoration of such intangibles as national pride, family values, etc. But the longer Roberts is followed about by documentary filmmaker Brian Murray, the more we become aware that the candidate is a textbook case of cynicism and contempt. Only Giancarlo Esposito, a reporter for an underground newspaper, is willing to dig beneath Roberts' veneer--a habit that leads to the film's ironic conclusion. Several well-known actors make cameo appearances as TV commentators, notably Tim Robbins' longtime partner Susan Sarandon. Bob Roberts started out as a Tim Robbins-directed short subject for the TV series Saturday Night Live, then was expanded into a $4 million feature. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Review
Released just before the start of the Clinton presidency, Bob Roberts was a prescient pseudo-documentary take on the corruption of American politics by the media-savvy celebrity culture. As the second-term Clinton scandals broke, Wag the Dog, Primary Colors, and Bulworth took art-imitating-current-events irony even further, but Bob Roberts paved the way. The first writing/directing effort of actor Tim Robbins, the film stars Robbins as a self-promoting folk-singer who lauches a cynical, dirty senatorial campaign against an aging liberal incumbent played by Gore Vidal. Robbins wrote the script, directed the film, and even wrote the songs that his character performs. Something of a homage to Robert Altman's Nashville and Tanner '88, Bob Roberts is pure acid in its take on postmodern image-making, media manipulation, and political scheming. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
Rebecca Jenkins - Delores Perrigrew; Harry J. Lennix - Franklin Dockett; John Ottavino - Clark Anderson; Robert Stanton - Bart Macklerooney; John Cusack - Cutting Edge Host (special appearance); Peter Gallagher - News Anchor Dan Riley; Pamela Reed - News Anchor Carol Cruise; Susan Sarandon - News Anchor Tawna Titan; James Spader - News Anchor Chuck Marin; David Strathairn - Bug's Attorney Mack Laflin; Fred Ward - News Anchor Chip Daley; Bob Balaban - Producer Michael Janes, "Cutting Edge Live"; Helen Hunt - Reporter Rose Pondell; Fisher Stevens - Reporter Rock Bork; Rhonda Aldrich; Charles R. Altman - Debate Moderator; Lee Arenberg - Religious Zealot; Lamont Arnold - Reporter; Tom Atkins - Dr. Caleb Menck; Ned Bellamy - Uzi Kornhauser, "Cutting Edge Live"; Don Brockett - Chairman; Kathleen Chalfant - Constance Roberts; Anthony di Leo, Jr. - Reporter; Anita Gillette - Mrs. Davis; Angela Hall - Choir Soloist; Brent Hinkley - Bif the Patriot; Shannon Holt - Rita the Obsessive Fan; Ruth Lesko - School Teacher; Pat Logan - Policeman; Matt McGrath - Burt; Larry John Meyers - Police Spokesman; Allan Nicholls - Director, "Cutting Edge Live"; Bingo O'Malley - Robert Roberts Sr.; Jeremy Piven - Candle Seller; Paul Quinn - Vigilante; June Stein - Carol, "Cutting Edge Live"; Natalie Strong - Kala Kornhauser, "Cutting Edge Live"; Lynne Thigpen - Kelly Noble; Robert Hegyes - Reporter Ernesto Galleano; Don Hewitt, Sr. - Stunts #1; Adele Robbins - Vigilante; Adam Simon - Head Writer, "Cutting Edge Live"; Steve Pink - Penn State Protester; Dean Robinson - Vigilante; Ann Talman - Reporter; Jack Black - Roger; Matthew Faber - Calvin; Merrilee Dale - Polly Roberts; Jerry Hewitt - Stunts #2; Susan Shaw - Dancer; Tom Tully - Reporter; Linda King - DC Reporter
Credit
Gary Kosko - Art Director, Allan Nicholls - Associate Producer, James Bigwood - Associate Producer, Bridget Kelly - Costume Designer, Tim Robbins - Director, Lisa Churgin - Editor, Tim Bevan - Executive Producer, Ronna Wallace - Executive Producer, Paul Webster - Executive Producer, David Robbins - Composer (Music Score), Tim Robbins - Songwriter, Jeannee Josefczyk - Makeup, Richard Hoover - Production Designer, Jean Lepine - Cinematographer, Forrest Murray - Producer, Brian Kasch - Set Designer, Mark Seldis - Unit Production Manager, Tim Robbins - Screenwriter
