gamay9 When I first selected this film on the Encore package I knew it would be a good one because John Travolta has emerged as one of the great actors of our time. He has come a long way since his dancing days in 'Saturday Night Fevor.' I was not disappointed, as the entire cast was outstanding and the screenplay writer put up one out of the south as it is today.The music was terrific and, although the film may be slow to some, why don't you watch a movie with an aging Bruce Willis or Sylvestor Stallone trying to act like a stud? Clint Estwood as least acts his age, ex's: 'Heartbreak Ridge' and 'Gran Torino.' Travolta was made up to look older; no problem, I am 71 and I don't care if people think I'm old.At first, I thought the film was set in Mississippi, the 'fattest' state in the USA. Let me reiterate, I have been to every state and most countries and no people are kinder than Missippippi's or Louisiananites. If fat people are jolly and caring, I'd like to live there in a New York minute. The food is great! Is the 'Cock of the Walk' restaurant near Jackson still operating? That was a great experience; also, riding on 'Desire' and sitting in the back of the bus in Jackson, a white guy in a grey flannel suit.

Desertman84 A Love Song for Bobby Long is a drama film that stars John Travolta,Scarlett Johansson and Gabriel Macht.It was written and directed by Shainee Gabel. The screenplay is based on the novel Off Magazine Street by Ronald Everett Capps.The story focuses on eighteen- year-old Purslane Hominy Will, who leaves the Florida trailer park where she lives with her abusive boyfriend to return to her hometown of New Orleans following the drug overdose death of her jazz singer mother Lorraine, a free spirit she had not seen for several years.Bobby Long (Travolta) is a washed up former literature professor with a voracious drinking habit. He lives in a rundown house in New Orleans with Lawson Pines (Macht), his former star pupil, also an alcoholic. Lawson is allegedly writing a novel about Bobby. Their depressive little corner of the world is disrupted when Lorraine, the beloved eccentric singer who owns their house, dies. Her teenage daughter, Pursy (Johansson), who hasn't seen her mother in years, arrives in town too late for the funeral, and crashes at the house. Afraid of being thrown out on the street, Bobby convinces Lawson to tell Pursy that the house has been left to all three of them. Pursy, having little else to do, decides to move in, and starts cleaning up the place, making it her own. Lawson is involved with Georgianna, who works at the local bar, but he quickly develops a crush on the comely Pursy. The cantankerous Bobby seems determined to drive the girl away. As Pursy settles into the diverse little community, all of Lorraine's old friends tell her how much she looks like her mother, and she begins to uncover some startling truths about her family history.This is an above-average independent movie that gives us an interesting version of a popular independent film theme: difficult parents and the fallout for their neglected children.Also,the trio of lead performances of Travelota,Johansson and Macht are surprisingly believable.And most of all,the story seems a lot more like a true story than a work of fiction in many ways.

Brian Wright The reason I bring up my lack of familiarity with Southern expression is that watching Love Song for Bobby Long I imagine the movie is how the quintessential Southern novel would transmute itself onto the screen. Recognizing that New Orleans is sui generis, even as a Southern setting, one sees in Love Song all that one associates with the slower, warmer, deeply floral, musically textured way of living down there. One also sees the haven for lost souls, where regardless of the particular life's flailing that knocked you down, people gather 'round you in a mutual effort at restoration... or not. Whether you go back to the fight or stick around, you belong here, here in the tender, familial embrace of New Orleans. When the character Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht)—the words above are read as narrative text from his novel about Bobby, to close the movie—"sees what is invisible and knows what to write," he's pointing out that this is not only a place for getting restored, it's a destination for those who crave the reality of life... the emotional—sometimes stark, always honest—reality. This movie is Pines' narrative poetry, presumably from the real author (Ronald Everett Capps), in motion. ...For my complete review of this movie and for other movie and book reviews, please visit my site TheCoffeeCoaster.com.Brian Wright Copyright 2009

Chrivhec ...to wonder where the Oscars were when this film was released. They sure are weird things, those prestigious Academy Awards. Sometimes great pictures are left unrewarded, although they deserve at least one or multiple nominations. But they just don't get them. This happened many times, for instance in 1996 with the film Heat. What a movie that was, without a doubt one of the best movies of the nineties. Still it didn't get any Oscars, not even nominations. According to myself and many others, Heat definitely should've been nominated for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Writing, and maybe for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Pacino or De Niro, both are equally good). Apparently this wasn't the case for the Academy.The same thing happened in 2005, with this film. At some point I can understand why A Love Song for Bobby Long wasn't nominated for the Best Picture Award, because I too have some mixed feelings about the ending of the film. The film ended rather sad, and personally I think that another more positive ending would have been more appropriate for this film. If it was me, I wouldn't have let Bobby die. Not because I don't like bad endings, just because the storyline requires a hopeful ending, without taking out one of the lead characters. I would have given him the opportunity to build a future with his daughter, to experience what it's like to live with a goal again, especially because he lost his family before. But that's just me.Besides the less appropriate ending, the entire movie was just phenomenal and unforgettable. And that's mostly because of the amazing performances of the cast. You can't fool me that the performances in this movie weren't good enough to be nominated for the Oscars. There were lots of great performances in this movie and every single one deserves to be mentioned. And although I thought I knew what he was capable of, John Travolta blew me away with his incredible performance as Bobby Long. Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, Face/Off, Hairspray, … the characters of these films don't really have anything in common; still Travolta is able to play these characters as well as possible. No one could have performed better. Is there anything the man can't do? With this movie he sure proves that he is definitely still one of the best actors of his generation. As always he puts his heart into this film, making it as good as it can be. And I've got the feeling that he will surprise us even more in the future. This is a man with unknown talents, with maybe the best yet to come. As said, all performances in this movie deserve to be mentioned. And because I don't want to copy the list of the cast, here's my opinion of what Oscar nominations this film should've gotten:Best Actor in a Leading Role: John Travolta. Best Actress in a Leading Role: Scarlett Johansson. Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Gabriel Macht.Unfortunately I'm no Academy. But it doesn't take an experienced movie maker to say that this film goes beyond the average drama/comedy. It will never be forgotten.