Bob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is a satirical mockumentary, chronicling the rise of Bob Roberts, a Conservative politican who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election. Roberts is well financed, due mainly to past business dealings, and is well known for his music, which presents conservative ideas as rebellious. The film portrays the U.S. political process in a less than favourable light, suggesting that shady deals, hypocrisy and deceit are mainstays of U.S. politics. Image File history File links Bob Roberts Promotional Image File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Tim Robbins at Cannes, 2001 Height: 6 ft 4 in / 1. ... Tim Robbins at Cannes, 2001 Height: 6 ft 4 in / 1. ... Tim Robbins at Cannes, 2001 Height: 6 ft 4 in / 1. ... Giancarlo Esposito (b. ... Frederick Ward (born December 30, 1942) is an American actor. ... Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (born February 21, 1946) is an acclaimed, award-winning English film, television and stage actor. ... Ray Wise (born 29 August 1947) is an American actor, known for his roles in Twin Peaks as Leland Palmer, and as Leon Nash, right-hand henchmen to villain Clarence Boddicker in the sci-fi classic Robocop. ... This article should belong in one or more categories. ... Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) (pronounced and , ) is an American author of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and the scion of a prominent political family. ... Rebecca Jenkins (born 1959 in Innisfail, Alberta) is a Canadian actress and singer. ... Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis in the last scene of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). ... Jack Black (born Thomas J. Black, Jr. ... David Robbins (born 1957 in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, USA) is an artist best known for his exhibition entitled Talent. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Miramax Films is a film production and distribution brand that was a Big Ten film motion picture distribution and production company headquartered in New York City before being bought out by The Walt Disney Company. ... PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (PFE) was a London-based film studio, founded in 1991 as a European competitor to Hollywood, but eventually sold and merged with Universal Pictures in 1999. ... Current company logo, introduced in 1999. ... is the 247th day of the year (248th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about motion pictures. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Tim Robbins at Cannes, 2001 Height: 6 ft 4 in / 1. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Type Upper House President of the Senate Richard B. Cheney, R since January 20, 2001 President pro tempore Robert C. Byrd, D since January 4, 2007 Members 100 Political groups Democratic Party Republican Party Last elections November 7, 2006 Meeting place Senate Chamber United States Capitol Washington, DC United States... For other uses, see Music (disambiguation). ...

The film is based on a short segment, also named Bob Roberts and featuring the same character, that Robbins did for the television sketch comedy program Saturday Night Live on December 13, 1986, and is the first film in which Robbins takes on the role of director. This article is about the American television series. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

Plot overview

A young Jack Black plays a role in the movie Bob Roberts.

Bob Roberts takes place in Pennsylvania during the Gulf War. It depicts a fictitious senatorial race between conservative folk singer, Bob Roberts (Tim Robbins) and the incumbent Democrat, Brickley Paiste (Gore Vidal). The film is shot through the perspective of Terry Manchester (Brian Murray), a British documentary filmmaker who is following the Roberts campaign. Through his lens we see Roberts travel across the state, performing songs about drug users, lazy people and the triumph of traditional family values over the rebelliousness of the 1960s. As the campaign continues, Paiste remains in the lead until a scandal arises involving him and a young woman who was seen emerging from a car with him. Paiste claims that she was a friend of his granddaughter who he was driving home, but he cannot shake the accusations. Image File history File links Bob Roberts Movie image File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Bob Roberts Movie image File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Jack Black (born Thomas J. Black, Jr. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... For other uses, see Iraq war (disambiguation). ... Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Tim Robbins at Cannes, 2001 Height: 6 ft 4 in / 1. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) (pronounced and , ) is an American author of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and the scion of a prominent political family. ... This article should belong in one or more categories. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ...

Throughout the campaign the reporter Bugs Raplin (Giancarlo Esposito) attempt to use the documentary being made about Roberts as a way to expose him to the public as a fraud. Raplin claims that Roberts’ anti-drug charity, Broken Dove, is connected to an old Central Intelligence Agency drug trafficking scheme. As the election approaches, Roberts is asked to appear on a network’s sketch comedy show. When Roberts announces that he will not be playing the song he had originally proposed, a dispute breaks out between the cast and producers of the show. This new song turns out to be nothing more than a blatant campaign endorsement, and an angry staff member of the network pulls the plug mid-performance. As Roberts is leaving the studio, someone attempts to assassinate him. The reporter Bugs Raplin, who has been causing problems for the campaign, is initially linked to the shooting, but he is later cleared when it is found that due to cerebral palsy in his right hand he physically could not have fired the gun. Following the incident, Raplin contests that Roberts was never actually shot and that the gun was fired into the ground. Giancarlo Esposito (b. ... “CIA” redirects here. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

The campaign is boosted by public support following the assassination attempt, and Roberts wins the election with 52% of the vote. Although Roberts claims that his wounds have paralysed him from the waist down, he is seen tapping his feet at a celebration party. While Terry Manchester is interviewing Roberts’ supporters outside the new Senator’s hotel, a boy runs up shouting, ‘He’s dead, he’s dead, they got him!’ When Manchester asks him who’s dead, the boy shouts, ‘Bugs Raplin! He’s dead! They got him!’ A joyful celebration breaks out among Roberts’ supporters, the shot changes to an image of his hotel room, and a shadow walks past the window before the lights go out. The film ends with a radio news report about Raplin’s death at the hands of a right-wing fanatic and a shot of Manchester standing in the Jefferson memorial, looking at the words inscribed there. Paralysed redirects here. ... “Right wing” redirects here. ...

Style

The style of Bob Roberts is drawn from a number of real and mock documentaries, and its shots are carefully crafted to create this effect, in many cases through the use of hand-held cameras. Not only does Roberts’ character draw from 60’s era iconography of Bob Dylan, it also contains scenes inspired by the 1967 documentary, Dont Look Back (sic), made about the singer, employing a similar (although consciously constructed) cinema verité style^[1][2]. The film also draws from the mock-documentary This Is Spinal Tap (Rob Reiner, 1984) which Robbins states to be a favorite film of his^[3], and directly references this during the scene in which Roberts gets lost in an auditorium attempting to find the stage before his performance. Another technique which Robbins takes from Reiner is the use of improvisation, which he encouraged the cast to use. In the case of Gore Vidal’s character, the majority of the lines were not scripted, and instead Vidal based his role upon his own political beliefs, and his real life positions on many of the fictional election topics^[4][5]. Robbins artfully borrows from a wide range of films and historical campaign events. The movie has elements of Nashville by Robert Altman as well as The Candidate, starring Robert Redford. This article is about the recording artist. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Dont Look Back (sic) is a 1967 documentary film by D.A. Pennebaker that covers Bob Dylans 1965 concert tour of England. ... Cinéma vérité is a style of documentary. ... This Is Spin̈al Tap (which is officially spelled with a non-functional umlaut symbol over the N) is a 1984 mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner and starring members of the semi-fictional heavy-metal glam rock band Spinal Tap. ... Robert Rob Reiner (born March 6, 1945) is an American actor, director, producer, writer, childrens advocate and political activist. ... This article is about the year. ... Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) (pronounced and , ) is an American author of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and the scion of a prominent political family. ... Nashville is a 1975 film which mixes themes of U.S. presidential politics with those of the country music and gospel music businesses in Nashville, Tennessee. ... For other persons named Robert Altman, see Robert Altman (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see The Candidate (disambiguation). ... Robert Redford (born Charles Robert Redford, Jr. ...

Response

While critics and audiences have responded to this film by connecting Roberts’ character to various political figures, such as George H. W. Bush and Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum (due to the similarity in conservative values), Robbins’ intentions for the film seem to be less partisan, and more about the political system in general^[6]. In the film Robbins does not clearly identify either candidate's partisan alliance (although we do see Senator Paiste identified on TV as a Democrat, so we are left to assume that Roberts is almost definitely a Republican, due to that party's more right-wing political stance), and presents neither Roberts nor Paiste as particularly appealing, both having significant shortcomings in terms of being popular candidates for office. While the satire of the film is assumed by some to be based on Robbins’ own political beliefs, he is not overly supportive of the left, portraying the democratic candidate as rather earnest, but not very in tune with the political system or the best ways to get in touch with the public. It seems that much of Robbins' commentary is addressed at the role of the media in election campaigns, and around the fact that politicians’ success is due in large part to their ability to market themselves in a manner that is appealing to the public^[7]. In the film this comes across as being based much more around the candidates’ value as entertainers than the value of their words, for Roberts’ image as a 60’s era motorcycle riding, guitar playing rebel sells much better than Paiste’s as a hapless career politician. While some have critiqued Robbins for failing to make an effective political satire, stating that his references to Reagan-era politics and the rebelliousness of the 1960’s are simply too anachronistic in the context of the 1990s^[8][9], others have praised it as a triumph for its ability to articulate political commentary as an entertaining Hollywood piece^[10]. In the end, it seems that this is meant to be the primary intention of the film. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ... “Santorum” redirects here. ... Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... The Republican Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States of America, along with the Democratic Party. ... 1867 edition of the satirical magazine Punch, a British satirical magazine, ground-breaking on popular literature satire. ... This article is about the political process. ... There are several common types of campaign: For organized efforts, each toward specific political goals, see political campaign. ... Reagan redirects here. ... Year 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1990 (MCMXC) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar). ... ...

Cast

• Robert "Bob" Roberts, Jr. (Tim Robbins) is the protagonist of the film and a 1990 Senatorial candidate for the state of Pennsylvania. Roberts creates an image of himself as some kind of a rebel and uses it to push his un-rebellious Christian values.
• John Alijah "Bugs" Raplin (Giancarlo Esposito) is a journalist for Troubled Times magazine who is determined to expose Bob Roberts as a fraud. Raplin is accused of being responsible for Bob's assassination attempt.
• Lukas Hart III (Alan Rickman) is on the Campaign Chairman for Bob Roberts. Hart set up an organization called Broken Dove which supplied transport planes involved in transporting drugs to U.S. government operatives. Roberts and Hart claim that Broken Dove is a program that helps to keep children off of drugs.
• Chet MacGregor (Ray Wise)
• Terry Manchester (Brian Murray) is a British film documentarian who follows Roberts with a camera for the duration of his campaign. This movie is seen as being his finished documentary of the campaign
• Senator Brickley Paiste (Gore Vidal) is the incumbent Senator whom Bob Roberts campaigns against. Paiste ends up losing the election after a rumor emerges about him sleeping with an under-aged member of his campaign staff, and after Bob Roberts's assassination attempt.
• Delores Perrigrew (Rebecca Jenkins) is a member of Bob's campaign who leaves shortly after the assassination attempt.
• Franklin Dockett (Harry J. Lennix)
• Clark Anderson (John Ottavino)
• Bart Macklerooney (Robert Stanton)
• Clarissa Flan (Kelly Willis) is another folk musician whom Bob Roberts sometimes performs with in concerts, she is voted Miss Broken Dove in the Miss Independence beauty contest for the state of Pennsylvania. The Roberts campaign supports the beauty contest and Bob sings at the ceremony.
• Polly Roberts (Merrilee Dale) is Bob Roberts soft-spoken, picture-perfect wife.
• Dr. Caleb Menck (Tom Atkins) is Bob Roberts's personal doctor, who speaks to a press conference after the assassination attempt.
• Mack Laflin (David Strathairn)
• Chuck Marlin (James Spader) is a local news anchor for the station WLNO.
• Carol Cruise (Pamela Reed) is Chuck Martin's co-anchor at WLNO.
• Rose Pondell (Helen Hunt) is a field reporter at WLNO.
• Dan Riley (Peter Gallagher) is the host of Good Morning, Philadelphia.
• Kelly Noble (Lynne Thigpen) is an interviewer on Good Morning, Philadelphia who is extremely critical of Roberts, and even goes as far as to say that "[she] wouldn't vote for him if [her] life depended on it", gives him the title of "Rebel Conservative", and compares him to Nixon (but "a little more witty").
• Robert Roberts, Sr. (Bingo O'Malley) is Bob Roberts's hippie father. Bob Roberts rebels against his parents' hippie lifestyle with his conservative agenda.
• Constance Roberts (Kathleen Chalfant) is Bob Roberts's hippie mother.
• Roger Davis (Jack Black) is a young man who is a big fan of Bob Roberts's music and politics. He is introduced to Roberts by his mother, the wife of a mayor of an unnamed town. He states that he and his two friends are all guitar players in a band that covers Roberts' songs.
• Calvin (Matthew Faber) is a young man who is a friend of Roger Davis and a fan of Bob's.
• Burt (Matt McGrath) is another young man who is also Roger's friend and Bob's fan.
• Mrs. Davis (Anita Gillette) is the wife of the mayor of an unspecified Pennsylvania town, and the mother of Roger Davis. She is responsible for introducing Roger and his friends Burt and Calvin to Bob Roberts.
• Tawna Titan (Susan Sarandon) is a local news anchor for WFAC-TV News.
• Chip Daley (Fred Ward) is the co-anchor of Tawna Titan at WFAC-TV News.
• Rock Bork (Fisher Stevens) is a field reporter at WFAC-TV News.
• Reverend Best (Gil Robbins) is a right wing minister who supports Bob Roberts's campaign.
• Carol (June Stein) is an assistant on the program Cutting Edge Live, who is extremely critical of Roberts. She pulls the plug on Bob Roberts's performance on the show.
• Michael Janes (Bob Balaban) is the producer of the television program, Cutting Edge Live. He is a parody of Lorne Michaels.
• Cutting Edge Live host (John Cusack)
• Ernesto Galleano (Robert Hegyes) is a reporter who covers Roberts's "assassination attempt".

Tim Robbins at Cannes, 2001 Height: 6 ft 4 in / 1. ... Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... For other uses, see Christian (disambiguation). ... Giancarlo Esposito (b. ... Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (born February 21, 1946) is an acclaimed, award-winning English film, television and stage actor. ... Ray Wise (born 29 August 1947) is an American actor, known for his roles in Twin Peaks as Leland Palmer, and as Leon Nash, right-hand henchmen to villain Clarence Boddicker in the sci-fi classic Robocop. ... This article should belong in one or more categories. ... Documentary film is a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to document reality. ... Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) (pronounced and , ) is an American author of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and the scion of a prominent political family. ... Rebecca Jenkins (born 1959 in Innisfail, Alberta) is a Canadian actress and singer. ... Harry Joseph Lennix (born November 16, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor. ... Kelly Willis from the insert to her début album, Well Travelled Love (1990). ... Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis in the last scene of Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982). ... David Russell Strathairn (born on January 26, 1949) is an Academy Award-nominated American film and television actor. ... James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960, in Boston, Massachusetts), who is known to prefer being called Jimmy,[1] is a three-time Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated[2] American actor who is best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Sex, Lies, and Videotape (for which... Pamela Reed (born April 2, 1949 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American actress. ... Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an Emmy, Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning American actress, perhaps most widely known for her role in the television sitcom Mad About You. ... Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is a Golden Globe-winning American actor. ... Lynne Thigpen (December 22, 1948 – March 12, 2003) was a Tony Award-winning, Image Award-nominated American stage and television actress. ... Singer of a modern Hippie movement in Russia The hippie subculture was a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread around the world. ... Kathleen Chalfant (born January 14, 1945) is an American actor. ... Jack Black (born Thomas J. Black, Jr. ... Matthew J. “Matt” McGrath (December 18, 1878 – January 29 1941) was an Irish-American policeman, thrower and Olympic gold medalist. ... Anita Gillette (Born August 16, 1936), is a Tony nominated American actress. ... Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Frederick Ward (born December 30, 1942) is an American actor. ... Fisher Stevens, born Steven Fisher, (November 27, 1963) in Chicago, Illinois is an American actor, living in New York City. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Bob Balaban (born August 16, 1945) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and director, best known for his collaborations with Christopher Guest. ... Lorne Michaels (born Lorne Michael Lipowitz on November 17, 1944) is an Emmy-winning Canadian-born television producer, writer and comedian best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live and producing the various film and TV projects that spun off from it. ... This article is about the actor. ... Robert Hegyes (b. ...

Music career

Albums

• The Freewheelin' Bob Roberts - Bob Roberts's first album, which was not met with much critical acclaim but became successful anyway. The album is clearly a parody of the 1963 Bob Dylan album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.
• The Times Are Changin' Back - Bob Robert's second album, which was a bigger hit. The album was clearly a parody of the 1964 Bob Dylan album The Times They Are a-Changin'. The album features the title song "The Times Are Changin' Back".
• Bob on Bob - Bob's album, which was released on the day as his Senatorial election. The album title is parody of the 1966 Bob Dylan album Blonde on Blonde. The album featured the song and music video, "I Want to Live", which was released after Bob's assassination attempt but supposedly filmed beforehand. The album debuted at #2.

See also: 1962 in music, other events of 1963, 1964 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // January 1 - The Beatles start a 5 day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, Love Me Do. January 4 - At Cortina dAmpezzo... This article is about the recording artist. ... The Freewheelin Bob Dylan, released May 27, 1963, was folk musician Bob Dylans second LP. This release established him as a songwriter of premier importance. ... See also: 1963 in music, other events of 1964, 1965 in music, 1960s in music and the list of years in music // Events January 1 - Top of the Pops premieres on BBC television. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... // January 3 - Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out. January 8 - Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who January 14 - Young singer David Jones changes his last name to Bowie to avoid... This article is about the recording artist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Songs

All of the following songs were Produced and Arranged by David Robbins, with Music and Lyrics by David Robbins and Tim Robbins unless specifically mentioned. Many of them contain lyrical references or title similarities to well-known protest/topical songs, mostly from the 1960s: David Robbins (born 1957 in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, USA) is an artist best known for his exhibition entitled Talent. ...

• "What Did The Teacher Tell You" - a song that Bob Roberts performs for some school children. Reminiscent of "What Did you Learn in School Today" by Tom Paxton.
• "Complain" - a song in which Bob mocks the liberal agenda and supporting the poor and needy.
• "My Land" - a song about Bob's perception of America. Contrast to "This Land is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie.
• "Times Are Changing' Back" - a song about America's return to morality from 1960s hippie values. An obvious reference to "The times they are 'a changin'" by Bob Dylan.
• "Wall Street Rap" - a song and music video reminiscent of Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues.
• "Retake America" - another song about America's return to right wing values.
• "Prevailing Tides"
• "I Want To Live" - a song and music video released with Bob's album Bob on Bob. It was supposedly written and filmed before the assassination attempt, but released afterward.
• "Drugs Stink" - an anti-drug song often performed by Roberts.
• "This World Turns" - a song written about supporting God.
• "Beautiful Girl" - a slow, sleazy song that Bob sings to Clarissa Flan at the Miss Independence beauty contest.
• "We Are Marching"--Compare to "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" by Phil Ochs.
• "The Voting Song" - a song that Roberts wrote to encourage people to vote.

• "I've Got To Know" - a song that plays during the film's closing credits that is the only song in the film not produced and arranged by David Robbins, and without Music and Lyrics by David and Tim Robbins. The song was originally performed and written by folk singer Woody Guthrie

Thomas R. Paxton was born October 31, 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest child of Burton and Esther Paxton. ... Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912–October 3, 1967) was a prolific American songwriter and folk musician. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969. ... Singer of a modern Hippie movement in Russia The hippie subculture was a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread around the world. ... This article is about the recording artist. ... Subterranean Homesick Blues is a song written by Bob Dylan originally released on the album Bringing It All Back Home in 1965. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Philip David Ochs (December 19, 1940–April 9, 1976) was a U.S. protest singer (or, as he preferred, a topical singer), songwriter, musician and recording artist who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice. ... Woodrow Wilson Guthrie (July 14, 1912–October 3, 1967) was a prolific American songwriter and folk musician. ...

Notes

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Robbins made the film on a budget of only $4 million by enlisting many of his friends as cast members including Gore Vidal portraying Roberts' incumbent Democratic opponent, as well as Giancarlo Esposito, Alan Rickman, Harry J. Lennix, David Strathairn, James Spader, Helen Hunt, Peter Gallagher, a very young Jack Black, Robbins' longtime companion Susan Sarandon, Fred Ward, Fisher Stevens, John Cusack, Bob Balaban and Jeremy Piven, with some in only brief cameo appearances.

• The film was originally released at Cannes where it was well received.

• The song "Retake America" written by Robbins was originally titled "Repave America" and first appeared in the 1988 movie Tapeheads. It was credited as "Bob Roberts" in Tapeheads, four years before Bob Roberts was released.

• Bob Roberts was also Robbins' punk rock cover band during the Vote for Change tour in 2004. After the announcement of the tour, Robbins' band joined the bill with Pearl Jam and Death Cab for Cutie to trek across swing states. At each of these shows, a minor skit with the help of Eddie Vedder portrayed Robbins as a Republican senator. On every night of the tour, Robbins joined Pearl Jam to play a cover of "The New World" by X.

• A soundtrack album was never released, because Robbins feared that the songs might be played out of context. However, the Californian punk rock band The Vandals covered the song Complain on their album Play Really Bad Original Country Tunes.

• The Saturday Night Live short segment film from December 13, 1986, that was the precursor of the 1992 movie, shows a Bob Roberts almost identical to the 1992 version (except that the 1986 Bob Roberts was an impolite anti-smoking advocate).

• Though not overt, there are veiled references in the film to Bob Roberts, a Yale graduate, being a member of the secret society of Skull and Bones, best known for practicing occult rituals and being highly secretive. The members of skull and bones consist of many prominent public figures including presidents and other elected officials

• When Bob attempted to play his song “Retake America” on Cutting Edge he claims it is a song he wrote just now, but the song was mentioned earlier in the film by one of the mayor’s sons when they first met him.

• The Simpsons episode "Sideshow Bob Roberts" is a loose parody of the film.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (born October 3, 1925) (pronounced and , ) is an American author of novels, stage plays, screenplays, and essays, and the scion of a prominent political family. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... Giancarlo Esposito (b. ... Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (born February 21, 1946) is an acclaimed, award-winning English film, television and stage actor. ... Harry Joseph Lennix (born November 16, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor. ... David Russell Strathairn (born on January 26, 1949) is an Academy Award-nominated American film and television actor. ... James Todd Spader (born February 7, 1960, in Boston, Massachusetts), who is known to prefer being called Jimmy,[1] is a three-time Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-nominated[2] American actor who is best known for his eccentric roles in movies such as Sex, Lies, and Videotape (for which... Helen Elizabeth Hunt (born June 15, 1963) is an Emmy, Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning American actress, perhaps most widely known for her role in the television sitcom Mad About You. ... Peter Killian Gallagher (born August 19, 1955) is a Golden Globe-winning American actor. ... Jack Black (born Thomas J. Black, Jr. ... Susan Sarandon (born October 4, 1946) is an Academy Award-winning American actress. ... Frederick Ward (born December 30, 1942) is an American actor. ... Fisher Stevens, born Steven Fisher, (November 27, 1963) in Chicago, Illinois is an American actor, living in New York City. ... This article is about the actor. ... Bob Balaban (born August 16, 1945) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor and director, best known for his collaborations with Christopher Guest. ... Jeremy Samuel Piven (born July 26, 1965)[1] is a two-time Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated American actor. ... A cameo role or cameo appearance (often shortened to just cameo) is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television. ... The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1939, is one of the worlds oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... Tapeheads is a 1988 comedy film directed by Bill Fishman. ... Concept Vote for Change was a politically motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the rock group. ... Death Cab for Cutie is an American band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. ... Eddie Vedder (born Edward Louis Severson III on December 23, 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is the lead singer and one of three guitarists for the rock band Pearl Jam. ... For other bands named X, see X (band). ... This article is about the American television series. ... For the pirate flag, see Jolly Roger. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... Sideshow Bob Roberts is an episode of The Simpsons. ...

References

1. ^ Ansen, D. (1992) Rattling the Political Cage. Newsweek. 120(10)
2. ^ Canby, V. (1992) Bob Roberts; A Singing Candidate, A Happy Trail of Hait. New York Times Friday September 2
3. ^ Roberge, C. (1992) Tim Robbins campaigns for Bob Roberts and political change (interview). The Tech. 112(44) Page 8
4. ^ Johnson, B. (1992) The Stars and Snipes. Maclean's. 105(37)
5. ^ Kauffman, S. (1992) Ballotomanes. New Republic. 207(15) pp. 34-35
6. ^ Roberge, C. (1992) Tim Robbins campaigns for Bob Roberts and political change (interview). The Tech. 112(44) Page 8
7. ^ Roberge, C. (1992) Tim Robbins campaigns for Bob Roberts and political change (interview). The Tech. 112(44) Page 8
8. ^ Troy, G. (1993) Bob Roberts. The American Historical Review. 98(4) pp.
9. ^ Wattenberg, D. (2001) No Nukes. National Review. 53(5) p55-57
10. ^ Ansen, D. (1992) Rattling the Political Cage. Newsweek. 120(10)

External links

• Bob Roberts at the Internet Movie Database