BOB ROBERTS (DVD) (SENSORMATIC) (SPECIAL EDITION/FF/ENG/2.0) DVD

Bob Roberts
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

Cast Tim Robbins as Bob Roberts Giancarlo Esposito as Bugs Raplin Alan Rickman as Lukas Hart III Ray Wise as Chet MacGregor Brian Doyle-Murray as Terry Manchester Gore Vidal as Senator Brickley Paiste Rebecca Jenkins as Delores Perrigrew Harry J. Lennix as Franklin Dockett John Ottavino as Clark Anderson Robert Stanton as Bart Macklerooney John Cusack as Cutting Edge Host (special appearance) Peter Gallagher as News Anchor Dan Riley Pamela Reed as News Anchor Carol Cruise Susan Sarandon as News Anchor Tawna Titan James Spader as News Anchor Chuck Marin David Strathairn as Bug's Attorney Mack Laflin Fred Ward as News Anchor Chip Daley Bob Balaban as Producer Michael Janes, "Cutting Edge Live" Helen Hunt as Reporter Rose Pondell Fisher Stevens as Reporter Rock Bork

Crew 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

Bob Roberts
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
 

Tim Robbins: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Com (nominated)

National Board of Review, Best Picture (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DS: Dolby Surround (4.0) Additional Features: Commentary with Tim Robbins Commentary with Tim Robbins and Gore Vidal Commentary with political editors Alex Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair Full-screen version 2.0 Dolby Surround audio Deleted scenes Theatrical trailer TV spots Photo gallery Cast and crew information Production notes Digitally mastered Scene access Interactive menus DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 102 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Bob Roberts 2. Broken Dove 3. Good Morning, Philadelphia 4. With Pride 5. The Local News 6. Reading the Stock Market 7. "Wall Street Rap" 8. Devoted Followers 9. Lucas Hart III's Past 10. "Drugs Stink" 11. The Use of Force 12. Investigative Journalist 13. Beauty Pageant 14. Pennsylvania State Campaign Debate 15. The Smoking Gun 16. Violent Protest 17. Losing Control 18. Savings and Loan Scandal 19. Cutting Edge Live 20. Assassination Attempt 21. Chaos in the Streets 22. An American Martyr 23. Election Day 24. A Winner Is Declared 25. Kind Words 26. Raplin Is Released 27. Comeback Concert 28. Bugs Raplin Is Assassinated 29. End Credits