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Erstwhile brat packer Emilio Estevez ventured behind the camera for Bobby, a "heartfelt" drama about the hours leading up to the assassination of Robert F Kennedy on th 5th of June, 1968. He assembled a glittering cast, including Anthony Hopkins, William H Macy, Sharon Stone and Demi Moore. Their performances rose above the patchy script but in the end, the festival buzz didn't translate at the box office.
The Seat Of Power
"I've been preparing for this movie my entire life," insists Estevez in the grandly titled featurette The Making Of An American Epic. He goes on to recall shaking Kennedy's hand when he was five-years-old and how his murder resonated with him even at such a young age. Certainly this featurette isn't short on bombast and sentiment, fitting in excerpts of RFK on the campaign trail next to interviews with the cast, who talk about "the great hope" he represented in a volatile political climate. According to Demi Moore "the message is love..."
In between all the rose-tinted memories, Estevez talks about the nitty-gritty of building fictional characters from small grains of truth. For instance, a bit of graffiti found on the kitchen wall of The Ambassador Hotel inspired him to write a part for Laurence Fishburne as a philosophising chef. Later on, there's a behind-the-scenes look at the composing of the soundtrack. Bryan Adams strums his guitar as he writes the lyrics for Never Gonna Break My Faith, and then is blown away as Aretha Franklin steps up to record it.
Echoes Of The Past
Bolstering Estevez's fictional take on the events of that day is a half-hour panel discussion with eyewitnesses present at The Ambassador Hotel on that day. Political journalist Ruth Ashton Taylor reflects on the immediate aftermath of the shooting, remembering how "quiet" it was despite the hordes of people. She also talks about RFK's legacy and union official Paul Schrade explains why he is determined to carry on his good work. As a supporter of the campaign, he stood close by Kennedy on that fateful night and was injured in the crossfire.
Although this DVD is overly sentimental at times, the eyewitness testimonies do lend credence and a proper analysis of how Kennedy's death changed the collective consciousness. In days when freedom is threatened by fear, it's worth taking note.
EXTRA FEATURES
Bobby DVD is released on Monday 4th June 2007.
