Drama

A Love Song for Bobby Long

Yari Film Group

United States of America

English

John Travolta

Scarlett Johansson

Gabriel Macht

Deborah Kara Unger

Dane Rhodes

David Jensen

Clayne Crawford

Sonny Shroyer

Carol Sutton

Walter Breaux

Warren Kole

Bernard Johnson

Gina 'Ginger' Bernal

Douglas M. Griffin

Earl Maddox

Steve Maye

Don Brady

Will Barnett

Patrick McCullough

Leanne Cochran

Brooke Mueller

Nick Loren

Randall Emmett

Wendy Weidman

Jill M. Ohanneson

Sig De Miguel

Brad Krevoy

Bob Yari

Ronald Everett Capps

Leonard R. Spears

R. Paul Miller

Nathan Larson

Sharon Lomofsky

Anson Downes

George Furla

Shainee Gabel

Jamie Gordon

David Lancaster

Linda Favila

Chad Marting

Amanda Mackey

Elliot Davis

Lee Percy

Cathy Sandrich Gelfond

Adele Plauche

Lisa Mae Fincannon

Lisa Fruchtman

Melanie Sloan

Alexa Sheehan

Todd Williams

Paul Beard

Cougar Easley

Betsy Mackey

Alissa M. Kantrow

Jeff Murrell

Richard Mall

Buddy Carr

Pam Fuller

Ted Caloroso

Scott August

Gordon Ard

Allen Parks

Tom Crawford

Ron Phillips

Ronald R. Koch Jr.

Rene Defrancesch

Chip Carey

Charles Franklin

Randall S. Coe

R. Scott Lebell

Jason Perlander

William Paul Clark

Daniel T. Fox

Henry Tirl

Giulio Magnolia

Bob Bates

Chris Ekstrom

Leonard Reynolds III

Don W. Wegner

John Joseph Minardi

Larry Cottrill

Daniel Coe

Michael S. Martin

Linda Gardar

Donna Chance

Robert Katz

Ann Walters

Kim Martínez

Giselle Spence

Michelle Bühler

Allison Gordin

LeDiedra Richard-Baldwin

Yolanda Toussieng

Jonathan Wales

Shelley Roden

T. Rafael Cimino

Literature-quoting lazy drama about a teen girl and two older boozers living in a hovel in New Orleans

A poor, precocious 18 year-old woman (Scarlett Johansson) returns to New Orleans after the death of her estranged mother where she inherits a dilapidated house in the low-income section with two co-heir strangers: A quirky ex-English professor (John Travolta) and his wannabe-writer mentee (Gabriel Macht), both alcoholics in a foggy melancholy. As the story progresses, the truth is slowly revealed.

“A Love Song for Bobby Long” (2004) is a sluggish, sometimes humorous drama set in The Big Easy with lotsa poetry & prose, as well as jazz, blues and folk. It’s very literature-quoting in the manner of flicks like “Dead Poets Society” (1989), “Finding Forrester” (2000), “The Squid and the Whale” (2005) and numerous Woody Allen flicks.

While the story is lethargic and lacks the drive of “Dead Poets Society,” there’s something to be said for an intelligent American film that dares to take its time and is filled with verbiage that assumes the viewer is well-read. Plus the story perks up in the final act and cutie Johansson is always a pleasure.

The movie runs 1 hour, 59 minutes and was shot in New Orleans & Gretna, Louisiana.

GRADE: B-/C+

_It was the invisible people he wanted to live with. The one that we walk past every day. The ones we sometimes become. The ones in books who live only in someone's minds eye. He was a man who was destined to go through life and not around it. A man who was sure the shortest path to heaven was straight through hell._

_A Love Song for Bobby Long_ is a straight up masterpiece. This movie isn’t some action packed sci-fi movie or an emotionally draining drama. This movie is about the lives of two alcoholic failed academics, and a young woman destined for the same path. This movie is _about_ the dull, _for_ the dull. 

The unconditional love and hatred between the characters is both relatable and terrifying. I think I see myself in Pursy more than I’d like to admit. Her lack of motivation, longing for memories of the life she never had… She’s a beautiful character, and beautifully portrayed. 

Anyone who’s known me for more than 5 minutes knows that Scarlett Johansson might be my favourite person on the entire planet. She’s an amazing actor, comedian, entrepreneur, producer etc… Even though this might be one of her least popular movies, I think it’s one of her best. 

This movie really captures the lives, and emotions of unknown people. The people who blend into the background. The nobodies, the highschool drop outs who lives rent to rent. 

Family can be found, and it will be found even if you might not be looking for it. Even though their awkward relationship, these characters lived. They didn’t have some fake life like the influencers on social media. They _lived_.

A Love Song for Bobby Long Official Trailer

Best Movies

A Love Song for Bobby Long

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

John Travolta

Scarlett Johansson

Gabriel Macht

Deborah Kara Unger

Dane Rhodes

David Jensen

Clayne Crawford

Sonny Shroyer

Carol Sutton

Walter Breaux

Box office

More Like This

Charly

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

Little Women

Shoot the Messenger

Everything's Jake

A Year Ago in Winter

The Anarchist's Wife

Clara