Lorraine Will, whose funeral marks the beginning of the story, had died from a drug overdose. We watch Bobby Long, limping across New Orleans as he gets to the cemetery, not before finishing a bottle, to, perhaps, fortify his spirit. The one that never makes it to the funeral is Lorraine's daughter, Pursy, who lives in Florida with an abusive boyfriend. Upon hearing about her mother's death, Pursy, goes back to New Orleans, but she is a day late.
Going to her mother's house she meets two strangers, Bobby Long, and Lawson Pines. Bobby had been a college professor, and Lawson his assistant. Since they lost their jobs, they relocated to New Orleans, where they lead lives wasted by the amounts of liquor both drink. Pursy comes into this household without a clue as to why these two are living in Lorraine's house. Both men are supposedly the inheritors of the property, but the young woman's arrival changes their position considerably.
Pursy, who has dropped out of school, is coaxed by Bobby and Lawson into getting her GED and to pursue a college education, something she is reluctant to undertake, at first. The fact that the house is in her name and both men had lied about it, comes as a shock to Pursy, who feels betrayed and decides to put it for sale, but it seems she is too deeply involved with these two men. Bobby, it turns out, is closer to her than she ever thought, and she has feelings for Lawson, in spite of the age difference.
Shainee Gabel, who adapted Ronale Everett Capps' novel "Off Magazine Street" into this film, captures the essence of the relationship among these three lost souls living in New Orleans. The film starts slowly but keeps getting better half way into the film. It pays for the viewers to stay with it because of the nuanced character study Ms. Gabel achieves in the film.
John Travolta would have been not our first choice to play Bobby Long, but for better, or worse, he is the man that was tapped to portray this lost soul. At times, he succeeds brilliantly, and at other times, we just don't believe he is that alcoholic man whose talent has gone to waste. Scarlett Johansson gives a good performance as Pursy, the confused young woman who must face reality and deal with it. Gabriel Macht is also effective as Lawson. The best thing though, is the understated reading Deborah Dara Unger gives to Georgianna, the bar maid with a heart of gold who loves Lawson silently.
Watching the film, post-Katrina, we could only wonder what state the neighborhood where the film was shot, a couple of years earlier, would be like right now. One could only hope everything had managed to survive the furor of the storm, although who knows?
Going to her mother's house she meets two strangers, Bobby Long, and Lawson Pines. Bobby had been a college professor, and Lawson his assistant. Since they lost their jobs, they relocated to New Orleans, where they lead lives wasted by the amounts of liquor both drink. Pursy comes into this household without a clue as to why these two are living in Lorraine's house. Both men are supposedly the inheritors of the property, but the young woman's arrival changes their position considerably.
Pursy, who has dropped out of school, is coaxed by Bobby and Lawson into getting her GED and to pursue a college education, something she is reluctant to undertake, at first. The fact that the house is in her name and both men had lied about it, comes as a shock to Pursy, who feels betrayed and decides to put it for sale, but it seems she is too deeply involved with these two men. Bobby, it turns out, is closer to her than she ever thought, and she has feelings for Lawson, in spite of the age difference.
Shainee Gabel, who adapted Ronale Everett Capps' novel "Off Magazine Street" into this film, captures the essence of the relationship among these three lost souls living in New Orleans. The film starts slowly but keeps getting better half way into the film. It pays for the viewers to stay with it because of the nuanced character study Ms. Gabel achieves in the film.
John Travolta would have been not our first choice to play Bobby Long, but for better, or worse, he is the man that was tapped to portray this lost soul. At times, he succeeds brilliantly, and at other times, we just don't believe he is that alcoholic man whose talent has gone to waste. Scarlett Johansson gives a good performance as Pursy, the confused young woman who must face reality and deal with it. Gabriel Macht is also effective as Lawson. The best thing though, is the understated reading Deborah Dara Unger gives to Georgianna, the bar maid with a heart of gold who loves Lawson silently.
Watching the film, post-Katrina, we could only wonder what state the neighborhood where the film was shot, a couple of years earlier, would be like right now. One could only hope everything had managed to survive the furor of the storm, although who knows?