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!🎥 Watch Our Full Conversation on YouTube📄 Full Show Notes and ResourcesWatch the Film: Amazon | Letterboxd | TrailerIf 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 toNetwork—the media-satire classic sitting right alongside this film's target on press complicityThe Hudsucker Proxy—more Tim Robbins, in a very different registerThe Shawshank Redemption—Robbins' most iconic performanceBull Durham—the role that made Robbins a star🔓 The movie ends. The conversation goes further. Become a member.🎧 Members get this episode early and ad-free in their private feed—plus every show in The Next Reel family. The Next Reel Family of Film Shows:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements | The Film Board | Movies We Like | The Next Reel | Sitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Web | Letterboxd | Flickchart | Instagram | Bluesky | YouTube | DiscordYour Hosts: Andy | PeteMerch Store | Audible