Political Mockumentary: The Film Bob Roberts

The Jeopardy question would be: What do Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, Kennedy social insider Gore Vidal, James Spader, John Cusack, Giancarlo Esposito, Helen Hunt, Ray Wise, Brian Murray, Alan Rickman, Peter Gallagher, Rebecca Jenkins, Harry J. Lennix, and Merrilee Dale have in common? Jeopardy answer: What is the film Bob Roberts? Ding, ding, ding-that's correct. And that's not even listing all of the first billed stars. Talk about six degrees of separation. Tim Robbins assembles all of Hollywood for his directorial debut, Bob Roberts, and I'm sure a link to Kevin Bacon can be found somewhere in there.

The film Bob Roberts, also written by Tim Robbins, asks the question-what would happen if a charismatic man ran for political office with all the charm of the boy next door, only to steal from the poor and proclaim personal gain at all costs? Though this is a scenario we've seen several times in our political history, the film, made in 1992, takes place during Bush Sr.'s administration and rings prophetically true of the last 14 years' events.

Tim Robbins plays the title character Bob Roberts, a popular folk singer/songwriter who decides to run for Pennsylvania's senatorial seat; the film is a pseudo documentary of his campaign run. Robbins plays the Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood character perfectly, with slicked back hair and smooth as butter smiles. He has a willful distaste for anyone not like him, but yet seems sincere in a childlike way-as though he means what he's saying but doesn't understand it. True to form, the public eats up his shtick believing his baby face appearance more than what he says. When he sings about tying up and killing all the lazy people without jobs the crowds respond as though he were singing Puff The Magic Dragon.