Bob Roberts

Stars: Tim Robbins (The Player, Jacob's Ladder, Bull Durham), Alan Rickman (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Truly, Madly, Deeply), Giancarlo Esposito (Do the Right Thing, Night on Earth), Gore Vidal (author Lincoln, Myra Breckinridge). Writer, director, star, and singer/songwriter Tim Robbins pulls off the finest political satire since 1972's The Candidate in this story of a rich fascist yuppie who makes a bid for a Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Shot as a mock documentary, the camera follows Roberts as he rolls on down the campaign trail in his ultra-technologically decked-out super Winnebago, boldly emblazoned with the exhortation to "Vote Bob." Modeled as the flip side of Bob Dylan, Bob Roberts sings such caustic hits as "Drugs Stink" and "I'm a Bleeding Heart" while racking up the popular vote. Novelist Gore Vidal, in a wonderfully droll performance, plays Roberts' opponent, incumbent Senator Brickley Paiste. In true modern political fashion, Roberts is not above running a smear campaign, nor are his own sheets particularly clean (most of Alan Rickman's scenes as Roberts' campaign manager are spent denying allegations that Roberts' "Broken Dove Foundation" was diverting money earmarked for the homeless to a drug-running operation). A kind of This is Spinal Tap on a political plane, Bob Roberts is a wonderful (though miserably accurate) satire on contemporary American politics. And, for added fun, there are numerous cameos, including: Susan Sarandon (Robbin's real life love interest), James Spader, John Cusack, Helen Hunt, Pamela Reed, David Straitharn, Peter Gallagher, and Bob Balaban. Audience: A rare bird which should appeal to liberals and conservatives alike.