- Review: John Wick 3 (C)
Scott Sycamore - Weekend Box Office
May 17 - 19 - Crowd Reports
Avengers: Endgame - Us
Box office comparisons - Review: Justice League (C)
Craig Younkin
Movie Review
A Love Song for Bobby Long
By Lee Tistaert Published December 25, 2004
US Release: December 29, 2004
Directed by: Shainee Gabel
Starring: Scarlett Johansson , John Travolta , Gabriel Macht
R
Running Time: 119 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $159,171
Directed by: Shainee Gabel
Starring: Scarlett Johansson , John Travolta , Gabriel Macht
R
Running Time: 119 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $159,171
C+
I was willing to go along with the story for the first act, but the more that the film progressed I was less and less involved with its ambition.
A Love Song for Bobby Long is a perfect setup for an independent film; it has low-key settings that are film-friendly, contains mostly dialogue, and has a slow pace to allow for character development (although, what independent film isn?t like that?). I was hoping that John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson being on board would be a promising aspect, figuring they do their bigger salary movies in order to afford small treasures like this. And considering what Lost in Translation did for Johansson, I was hoping for another nice performance, and her Golden Globe nomination for this role surely helped my attitude.
Unfortunately, despite a promising start, the film never amounts to much. The film that this reminded me of the most was The Station Agent (B+). The first five or ten minutes (amongst other segments) are very similar to the opening of that quirky film, especially in the cinematography (and the type of situations). But when it comes to having interesting characters to pay attention to, Bobby Long falls short. I was willing to go along with the story for the first act, but the more that the film progressed I was less and less involved with its ambition.
Scarlett Johansson stars as Pursy Will, an 18-year old Southerner who gets the news that her estranged mother has passed away, and she returns home to New Orleans for the funeral (I am now just realizing how similar that is to Garden State as well). But when she gets back home she finds Bobby Long (John Travolta) and Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht) living there. Her mother gave the house over to them, having known them well. Pursy decides to move in with them and the two alcoholics push her back to high school for an education, concerned for her well being. In the process, the three develop a bond and Pursy learns more about her mother.
The film became more of a rip-off of The Station Agent as it progressed. That film involved three characters who were depressed in a very boring New Jersey locale, and they found comfort in each other?s presence. The film is mainly a drama about loneliness but it?s also a comedy; it also offered very believable performances and the characters? issues were easy to identify with. There are a few scene setups throughout Bobby Long that are very reminiscent of scenes in Station Agent, even to the extent of the dialogue.
Bobby Long tries to play similar notes, but what it lacks is an appealing story. We never know Pursy?s mother because she has already passed away. That ingredient worked in Garden State (B) because of the details that were mentioned about the mother, but here we?re informed of very little other than that she was supposedly some wonderful woman. Could we have seen flashbacks of her? Could we have been given some kind of glimpse at what kind of person she was? That might have helped my emotional involvement.
Simply putting the camera on Southerners who live dirty and without any goals amounts to very little reward. But that is supposed to be what is quirky about this feature ? Travolta plays a scruffy loser, and Johansson?s character has an accent and no apparent future, and Macht plays a struggling, low-life novelist who half-the-time barely has a shirt on. Part of the time I couldn?t help but see through Travolta?s performance. While it is pretty good at times, it is only decent at others, and there is a shed of ?I want that Oscar so badly it hurts? within his effort. He delivers monologues about the heartaches of life, and does so with a cute little grin while he?s drunk. His character in general isn?t that likable and Travolta?s performance was a bit transparent to me.
While Johansson is the most interesting character, the experience was just like stepping into a broken household and listening to a family bicker about nonsense. While her delivery is better than in the comedy, In Good Company (C+), I was still not that impressed. She does her best with this material, but the material just isn?t that engaging. The story relies on your interest in Pursy?s mother, and if that doesn?t hook you then you are probably screwed.
Lost in Translation might have given her the performance she got off with due to the material; she played a depressed young woman who didn?t understand her position in life and was emotionally lost. Scarlett was at an age when she had probably felt these emotions at one point or another. And in Bobby Long the story just doesn?t have much to say, leaving her with the challenge of making the material stronger, but it?s just too much of an obstacle to overcome.
A Love Song for Bobby Long is blessed, at times, with skillful direction by Shainee Gabel, who (most of the time) knows where to put the camera and how to fill the frame nicely. But, like I?ve said before with other films, I want a story that intrigues me and captures my sympathy. A film?s style (though here it is mostly low-key) usually only does so much to give a feature an attitude.
This film is opening at Oscar season and Scarlett Johansson?s already being considered for Best Actress at the Golden Globes. I?m not really counting on her being recognized at the Oscars, nor am I counting on this film making much of a wave with audiences (but it might with some critics). And while the material isn?t as broad as In Good Company, Bobby Long still suffers from storytelling issues and is only recommended if you are really curious about it.
Unfortunately, despite a promising start, the film never amounts to much. The film that this reminded me of the most was The Station Agent (B+). The first five or ten minutes (amongst other segments) are very similar to the opening of that quirky film, especially in the cinematography (and the type of situations). But when it comes to having interesting characters to pay attention to, Bobby Long falls short. I was willing to go along with the story for the first act, but the more that the film progressed I was less and less involved with its ambition.
Scarlett Johansson stars as Pursy Will, an 18-year old Southerner who gets the news that her estranged mother has passed away, and she returns home to New Orleans for the funeral (I am now just realizing how similar that is to Garden State as well). But when she gets back home she finds Bobby Long (John Travolta) and Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht) living there. Her mother gave the house over to them, having known them well. Pursy decides to move in with them and the two alcoholics push her back to high school for an education, concerned for her well being. In the process, the three develop a bond and Pursy learns more about her mother.
The film became more of a rip-off of The Station Agent as it progressed. That film involved three characters who were depressed in a very boring New Jersey locale, and they found comfort in each other?s presence. The film is mainly a drama about loneliness but it?s also a comedy; it also offered very believable performances and the characters? issues were easy to identify with. There are a few scene setups throughout Bobby Long that are very reminiscent of scenes in Station Agent, even to the extent of the dialogue.
Bobby Long tries to play similar notes, but what it lacks is an appealing story. We never know Pursy?s mother because she has already passed away. That ingredient worked in Garden State (B) because of the details that were mentioned about the mother, but here we?re informed of very little other than that she was supposedly some wonderful woman. Could we have seen flashbacks of her? Could we have been given some kind of glimpse at what kind of person she was? That might have helped my emotional involvement.
Simply putting the camera on Southerners who live dirty and without any goals amounts to very little reward. But that is supposed to be what is quirky about this feature ? Travolta plays a scruffy loser, and Johansson?s character has an accent and no apparent future, and Macht plays a struggling, low-life novelist who half-the-time barely has a shirt on. Part of the time I couldn?t help but see through Travolta?s performance. While it is pretty good at times, it is only decent at others, and there is a shed of ?I want that Oscar so badly it hurts? within his effort. He delivers monologues about the heartaches of life, and does so with a cute little grin while he?s drunk. His character in general isn?t that likable and Travolta?s performance was a bit transparent to me.
While Johansson is the most interesting character, the experience was just like stepping into a broken household and listening to a family bicker about nonsense. While her delivery is better than in the comedy, In Good Company (C+), I was still not that impressed. She does her best with this material, but the material just isn?t that engaging. The story relies on your interest in Pursy?s mother, and if that doesn?t hook you then you are probably screwed.
Lost in Translation might have given her the performance she got off with due to the material; she played a depressed young woman who didn?t understand her position in life and was emotionally lost. Scarlett was at an age when she had probably felt these emotions at one point or another. And in Bobby Long the story just doesn?t have much to say, leaving her with the challenge of making the material stronger, but it?s just too much of an obstacle to overcome.
A Love Song for Bobby Long is blessed, at times, with skillful direction by Shainee Gabel, who (most of the time) knows where to put the camera and how to fill the frame nicely. But, like I?ve said before with other films, I want a story that intrigues me and captures my sympathy. A film?s style (though here it is mostly low-key) usually only does so much to give a feature an attitude.
This film is opening at Oscar season and Scarlett Johansson?s already being considered for Best Actress at the Golden Globes. I?m not really counting on her being recognized at the Oscars, nor am I counting on this film making much of a wave with audiences (but it might with some critics). And while the material isn?t as broad as In Good Company, Bobby Long still suffers from storytelling issues and is only recommended if you are really curious about it.
Lee's Grade: C+
Lee's Overall Grading: 3025 graded movies
| A | 0.4% | |
| B | 30.0% | |
| C | 61.7% | |
| D | 8.0% | |
| F | 0.0% |
