Despite a Golden Globe nomination in the "Best Movie" category and a stellar cast, the movie "Bobby" hasn't been talked about much, its theatrical and DVD releases failing to attract many audiences. It's a pity, though, as "Bobby" is one of the year's best, blending emotional, historical and artistic value in its 120 minutes without any problems.
The movie follows a (big) number of characters and their problems during the day Robert Kennedy was assassined. The stories of these characters are all equally engaging, each reflecting either an issue of the era, or a universal problem, which ultimately leads to the profound, yet non-preachy conclusion that the key to a better world is human kindness and honesty. Paul (William H. Macy), the owner of the AmbassadorHotel where the bloodshed will take place is trying love both his wife (Sharon Stone) and his affair (Angela). A fading singer (Demi Moore) finds comfort in alcohol instead of in her loving, significant other (Emilio Estevez). A young girl (Lindsay Lohan) is marrying a man she doesn't love (Elijah Wood) in order to save him from going to Iraq. A well-to-do couple (Martin Sheen and Helen Hunt) are trying to make sense of their lives. Two friends (Brian Geraghty and Shia LaBeouf) are introduced to the wonders of LSD by a hippie drug dealer (Ashton Kutcher). The ethnically-diverse kitchen staff (including Laurence Fishburne) confront racial prejudices. John Casey (Anthony Hopkins) is an aging doorman dealing with the aging process. The list goes on and on, but none of this numerous cast members ever loses momentum, and never is a plot line sacrificed for the sake of another (a miracle in a 22-lead cast). Finally, as the movie comes to its inevitable climax, one is overwhelmed by the emotional, political and cultural messages tastefully planted between the lines, and it takes a second viewing to truly appreciate what both Bobby the person and "Bobby" the movie tried to do - provide answers for not just the American society, but also for humanity.