The film's liabilities outweigh its assets.
A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted: 98
Fresh: 42
Rotten:56
Average Rating: 5.5/10
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language including some sexual references
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Dec 29, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $121,476
Synopsis: Lions Gate Films' A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG is the poignant story of a wayward girl and two men, each scarred by their pasts, who struggle to mend their broken lives and create a home together in... Lions Gate Films' A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG is the poignant story of a wayward girl and two men, each scarred by their pasts, who struggle to mend their broken lives and create a home together in a forgotten section of New Orleans. Starring John Travolta, Scarlett Johannson, Gabriel Macht and Deborah Kara Unger, A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG is the feature film directorial debut of Shainee Gabel (ANTHEM), who wrote the screenplay based on Ronald Everett Capps' soon-to-be-published novel, Off Magazine Street. The film is produced by Bob Yari, R. Paul Miller and David Lancaster. Upon hearing of her mother's death, jaded teenage loner Purslane Hominy Will (Scarlett Johansson) returns to New Orleans for the first time in years, ready to reclaim her childhood home. Expecting to find her late mother's house abandoned, Pursy is shocked to discover that it is inhabited by two of her mother's friends: Bobby Long (John Travolta), a former literature professor, and his young protégé, Lawson Pines (Gabriel Macht). These broken men, whose lives took a wrong turn years before, have been firmly rooted in the dilapidated house for years, encouraged only by Lawson's faltering ambitions to write a novel about Bobby Long's life. Having no intention of leaving, Pursy, Bobby Long and Lawson are all forced to live together. Yet as time passes, their tenuous, makeshift arrangement unearths a series of buried personal secrets that challenges their bonds, and reveals just how inextricably their lives are intertwined... A story about love and human frailty, A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG is at once a lyrical ode to the rich, decaying romanticism of New Orleans and a powerful drama about lives haunted by the past. -- © Lions Gate Films [More]
Starring: John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabriel Macht, Deborah Kara Unger
Starring: John Travolta, Scarlett Johansson, Gabriel Macht, Deborah Kara Unger
Director: Shainee Gabel, Bob Yari
Director: Shainee Gabel
Screenwriter: Shainee Gabel
Producer: Brad Krevoy, Randall Emmett, George Furla
Director: Bob Yari
Producer: R. Paul Miller, David Lancaster
Studio: Lions Gate Films
Get This Movie
Reviews for A Love Song for Bobby Long
A Love Song for Bobby Long’s trio of lead performances are surprisingly believable.
Mais um daqueles independentes norte-americanos cuja presunção de soar profundo logo revela sua verdadeira intenção: emocionar através do melodrama.
Tries the patience of sober viewers, who are likely to envy the onscreen eccentrics their ever-present plastic cups of Abita...
We should take it no more seriously than we would Bobby Long himself. Like the old professor, it talks such amusing nonsense.
The film shares many qualities with its rambling and at times honestly endearing characters: it's sloppy, decent-hearted and most often embarrassing.
It's little more than a collection of cliches about the Deep South, alcoholism and the literary arts.
Things move at a snail's pace in the humid bayou atmosphere writer-director Shainee Gabel creates, allowing Travolta to chew several yards of Cajun-spiced scenery.
This, incidentally, is one of the rare movies about authors in which the character’s writing actually seems good enough to be publishable.
John is a fine actor, he's not quite a match for this part, nor does his southern accent ring true. Perhaps Billy Bob Thornton would have made a better cast.
Traffics in nearly every trite cliche of the 'colorful' South one can think of.
An above-average independent movie that gives us an interesting version of a popular indie theme: difficult parents and the fallout for their neglected children.
The movie's climactic plot twist seems inevitable from about 10 minutes in.
Latest News for A Love Song for Bobby Long
January 06, 2005:
John Travolta and James Gandolfini Join Lonely Hearts
More...
Related Forums for A Love Song for Bobby Long
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
79% 79% |
Gran Torino |
30% 30% |
12 Rounds |
23% 23% |
Confessions of a Shopa… |
|
The Code |
39% 39% |
Inkheart |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
35% 35% |
The Edge of Love |
RT On Current TV
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- A Love Song for Bobby Long at Rotten Tomatoes
- A Love Song for Bobby Long at IGN
- A Love Song for Bobby Long at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.



Top Critic


