Lovesong for Bobby Long

Movie
German title	Lovesong for Bobby Long
Original title	A Love Song for Bobby Long
Country of production	United States
original language	English
Publishing year	2004
length	120 minutes
Age rating	FSK 6 ; JMK 10
Rod
Director	Shainee fork
script	Shainee fork
production	Shainee Gabel, ; David Lancaster , ; R. Paul Miller , ; Bob Yari
music	Nathan Larson
camera	Elliot Davis
cut	Lisa Fruchtman , ; Lee Percy
occupation
	John Travolta : Bobby Long; Scarlett Johansson : Pursy Will; Gabriel Macht : Lawson Pines; Deborah Kara Unger : Georgianna; Dane Rhodes : Cecil; David Jensen : Junior; Clayne Crawford : Lee; Sonny Shroyer : Earl; Walter Breaux : Ray; Carol Sutton : Ruthie; Warren Kole : Sean; Bernard Johnson : Tiny;

Lovesong for Bobby Long (Alternative title: Lovesong for Bobby Long ; Original title: A Love Song for Bobby Long ) is an American drama from 2004 . Directed by Shainee Gabel , who wrote the screenplay based on the novel Off Magazine Street by Ronald Everett Capps .

action

Purslane Hominy Will, called Pursy, is a teenage girl from New Orleans who is returning to town after her mother Lorraine dies . She discovers that her mother's shabby house is home to retired literature professor Bobby Long and his former assistant, Lawson Pines, who were friends with her mother. They read books and drink alcohol. Pines is writing a novel in which he tells about Long's life, but is still not finished after nine years.

Lorraine reportedly bequeathed the house to Bobby Long, Lawson Pines and Pursy in equal parts. Although Pursy is not particularly fond of the two bohemians at first , she moves into their house. Despite various arguments, a friendship develops between the three of them. When Pursy decides to catch up on her high school diploma, the ailing Bobby Long and Lawson Pines support her.

Pursy Will finally learns that her mother only granted the two men a year of residence in her will and that she is now the sole heir of the house. Indignant about Bobby Long's lies, she throws the two men out of the house and puts it up for sale. While cleaning up, however, she finds letters and notes from her mother, from which she learns that Bobby Long is her father. She reconciles with him and finishes her schooling. At the end of the film, Bobby Long dies while Lawson Pines finishes the biography about him.

Reviews

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times on January 28, 2005 that the film was " wonderfully romantic " and focused not on the plot but on the characters and their lifestyles. It is remarkable to hear dialogues intended for a well-read audience.

Peter Travers accused the film of numerous clichés in Variety magazine on January 6, 2005. The portrayal of Gabriel Macht is subtle, while Scarlett Johansson has a lively talent. The camera work gives the film authenticity.

The lexicon of international films wrote that the film was a " melancholy comedy " that "paid homage to the literary scene in a knowledgeable way ". He draws " thanks to a cleverly thought-out book a sensitive group portrait, in the course of which people philosophize about growth and decay ". The performances of the main actors contribute “ to the success of the artistic concept ”.

Awards

Scarlett Johansson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 2005 for Best Actress in a Drama .

backgrounds

The film was in New Orleans and in Gretna ( Louisiana rotated). Its world premiere took place on September 2, 2004 at the Venice International Film Festival . The film was shown in selected cinemas of the USA, in which he approximately 159,000 US dollars grossed.

According to an interview with The Brewton Standard newspaper, Ronald Everett Capps would have liked to have had more influence on the filming of his novel Off Magazine Street . Among other things, he did not like the change of some of the names of the main characters (Hanna Marie James became Purslane Hominy Will; Byron Burns became Lawson Pines, who is 49 years old in the novel).

Capps taught with a Bobby Long at TR Miller High School in Brewton, Alabama . His fictional character is only loosely based on him.

In addition, the Alabama Shuffle , a dance that was typical of both the historical Bobby Long and that of his novel, should not originally appear in the film. Despite the skepticism on the part of the director, Capps taught John Travolta the Alabama Shuffle, which was ultimately incorporated into the final dance scene.

Capps also reports on the making of the film in this interview. His son, Grayson Capps , played a large part in the film's implementation, who is also responsible for some of the titles on the soundtrack (Lorraine's Song, Washboard Lisa, Love Song for Bobby Long) and has several guest appearances in the film. Shainee Gabel had just finished working on a documentary about New Orleans and met Grayson Capps, who had just graduated from college and was playing a concert at a club. When he heard she was working on a New Orleans-themed project, he showed the Off Magazine Street manuscript to Gabel . When asked if she could write a script based on it, Ronald Everett Capps described her as rash and "naive".