Bob Roberts

A right-wing folk singer runs for Senate, and the cameras can't tell fact from performance. "Bob Roberts" kicks off Smoke and Mirrors, The Next Reel's new series on how politicians manipulate their own image and the media covering them, starring Tim Robbins as the candidate, Giancarlo Esposito as the journalist chasing him, and Alan Rickman as his campaign chairman.

Pete and Andy dig into how directly the film borrows its documentary style from a famous Bob Dylan concert film, why a scrappy, British-financed production ended up predicting American politics decades later, and how Alan Rickman helped keep the production funded. It's a sharp, funny, increasingly uncomfortable rewatch. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in—The Next Reel on TruStory FM, when the movie ends, our conversation begins!

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📄 Full Show Notes and Resources

Watch the Film: Amazon | Letterboxd | Trailer

If You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:

The Parallax View—the paranoia-thriller playbook this film's conspiracy thread is speaking to

Network—the media-satire classic sitting right alongside this film's target on press complicity

The Hudsucker Proxy—more Tim Robbins, in a very different register

The Shawshank Redemption—Robbins' most iconic performance

Bull Durham—the role that made Robbins a star

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