Tim Robbins’ latest has
perfect timing for an
imperfect political system
tin Robbim pivsrd i *ti whrii h* >viui« (hr m umplav It»i H-J /i /*»»/*
Hr wa*> hmtiatrd with .»u apathetic \mnii an pi thin all too willing to In
politic tan* i.ilk (lown iu ihr11 lowest < omiium d < noimuatoi II* was
diMw I wd In a ''dan^rmtis shift to 111< it^hi in \nirju an |m»Ihi< s
So hr wi a p| mi I up r\n \thmj' hr tlrspivcl alum! jh »iit i« s i^a\r M a down
home Mini* (iirvyit n in a hiur Mill ami o d m and t ir.ilrd IV»b Kob< M\ a
folk singing, ullia < onx i\ali\« m llmadr million.no campaigning; lot a
tVnuwlvanta Miiatoiial M at
lie then stenrd th< pi • »|t t i 11 ii«mi'll Mollvvst m m ! stall« <1 in ih< lint loie
and dll ct led 11 hi,me If \nd hr dtd It all m the hope tll.lt Ills satin ( on Id m alt* tilt*
at idle I It r enough to do otit* Ml lit lit tiling - vole
I lit system is not wo, king I lit it asoll the svsteili is not wo, king is thr |M>lltK tans
ait n t n jfirst 111ii 1)4 us. thr\ an irpu s« nttng tht* nmnrv dial go, them tht ir. tin monev
that paid iot (hell t ampatglis. saw the VivraMtld Rohhins l hat s all the more leastm
It>i \nit 11« am to get «mt anti vote
\ntl all tin imur i (ison In sea tht him \ t * impelling saint dim ltd in pseudo
tint unieiitat v s,v |< /W» Rifbrt'b is a tint* tout -de Inn c something Hollv w«mm1 alvsaw
• hunts ti> pnmIiii r hut taielv (U s
\nd it pist might Ih* tin link to make Kohlum. il imt a household name at least a
t oflrehoilsehold out* I'rihaps 1m si known Itu Ills lole as tin gaitei wealing pHt In t in
lUiU Durban, Knhhins als«» rained t misidri able 11 itu a I at t hum this sumnici h»i Ins
|»unaval i>f tht slra/\ movir mogul in DuDbiym
Rohhim isn t in show business |oi dir faint though, hr wants mm h mote Horn into a
latiiih of sim ial .n mists hr irmrmlxis Ills sole, s am si to, pi otr sling tin \ letnam Wai
win n hr vs as II Hr saw his patents made hull await of individual i rsjx msihilitv
Implied b\ that it sjmmsihilitv and his limitation with tin (mlitnal svMrin. Rtihhnis
began wilting Hnb liuhrtt* m 1‘JHh "1 think grnriallv I write best when l lli align
Robbim s.»w I vr seen a lot of things hapfMmug to \mriit a. ami tins shift to tin light.
I think it's dangerous
In spite of his feat of tin tight, don't t all Rohhuis left Rohhms saw hr cRh-sii t align
hintsrll with out* p.uiv ami liasa ptohlem t ailing himself a "tonseivauve” oi a "lilx ral
I In it suit «>t lalH'Is is tiltimalrlv a divisive one. somrtfimg that keeps a liln ial a
111 mi .i I. a «onset\alive a t onset vative I heir dtK*sii t seem to Ih- am < oinmon gioiind
ami that s smiplv not line I dunk that then s evidence to this hi the use «»f IViot. he
saw 1 do,, t vet■ how anvthing is U-ing at hieveti hv putting labels on |>eople
Ruhhim who insists he Ni l endowing a piesnlential t andidatr saw it doesn t matin
vs ho s in tin i at < l have Ih c n tin t mi aging |x t iple tt»vote, legal, Hess of who s running
toi ptevident.*' he saw I dunk it’s ui)|x>ri.iut h»i \h-ople to vote
“People lend not to vote lx*t .him- tln v ir disgusted with the pnx ess [ hut j their ,s so
m in h moil* on the ha I lot than who's , mining t * * t pi evident I here air lot a l
letetendtims lk» vou vsant a loxu vs.tsie dump in vom neighUu lummI- \o I don t Non
t an vote ft ti ti Vi m i an eui|N »w«*i vt mi «oinmiinitv
\ml ll*J> Roiwly a st alhmg |Miitraval of the \meu< an (In am gone avsiv , mav Ih- a wav
t<i make volets seek that empoweiment I (trough tin* t ha,at lei of Roberts. a
Tim Robbin* plays a right-wing rebel running for Senate In the movie Bob Roberts.
Repuhli* an win im- jioliti* al Ixlirl s tall viimuluu lx: tween 11 x »sr • »l Ri« haul \i\mi am l
Xdoll I hflr i Robbins e\j* »v*s flu oil in inane pattri ot i a m pail'll |x dim s
With (hr hr Ip < >1 all liklc'lli^ci H lie a (l« >i i tram im hiding Ills t ampaign maiiagei I ukas
Halt III Man Ri< ktnait i and public telutions duet tot ( hi t Mat (»iegc»i ( Ka\ W im
Rolxits lums his nrai In IaM isi folk v mgs mu * smash hit. i allying anthrms I h< \ il s(« >p
at nothing to grt Rol hi is rirt it a I
\ml. <*1 11mi s< getting rln ted toduv means dcstiovmg the opponent litilr
» halleiige h»i Rolxits liriuhturn iVnmvhania uu iimtxni Srn lit it klev 1‘aistt . plavrd
In jxihiK lan authoi(»oit X idal. is the tat get
1 IHough the t haiat let «»f IXusW \ idal. who tan unsm t esslulh hii ( ongless in l‘h»0
and It »i (ht Sr natr in ! J < »lh is a stai k 11 tun asl i« • Rolxi is I laml* nant c lint R.ustr s
hi x i a! views and a m am la 11 tinti i\rd In Rolxits t i at tv Irani sral his hull lit* al thr jx ills
It s sNtllptt wnatic «»l |x ill lit tans tt xlav . Roblwtis shns ( l\ustc j is an \iuri It an Itagedv
hr sa\ s I h i« s an met let dial lilxi al w h< * is hnalh sa\ mg sc unrthing hut u s t< m > late
In i hr (*ntI 1‘aistr is no man h Im Rohri ts 1 Inougli ins . hai ismat it mtrrviews,
Rolx i ts sells his I a mi 1\ <»i it wiled. soldiri in the* xn.ii * >n di ugs plath it 111 to at lulls Xml ht
r\ril lui ns n out 111 ill N tains «>n to his srlta llNr pir)U<h< rs and hlatant dm I nil mal it *1 is
Hill hr tltK's it with a smile ami a song Imlrrtl. pail ot ihr tun <>t lU4>U>J*iis is without
tjnrslioii iis music While often humoious land always offensively <oiiin ). thr s*»ngs
< oiild grt an mine pait\ t omen lion singing and dam mg in thr aisles.
W t it ten h\ Robbins and his brothel 1 >aN id. eat h tune is lat rd with a sti otig tilt i a
11 nisei vat nr message I heir s a guild pieasui e ill the limes. I tom the t »|x*tung t hoi ds o!
"What Did the leather lellXott a song alx>u( the illegalm ot st Inx»l ptavei to “Wall
Vieet Rap a i natous takeoll ol iiob I h Ian s Sublet i .mean Homesit k Blues
lint t alt h\ as the\ ait don t e\|x*t l to t alt h the Robe its songs on MIX s Htr~z
l Vspite ih< t otn melt lal nat tut* t »t show business and its in idem \ to mass pox hit r r\n\
movie soumitiat k Kohhms wouldn't tonsidei maiketing the musit horn iUJ*RiJmtx Ht
e\ en \sr ut so I at as to hav r it w l it ten into his t out I at t that thru* won hint hr a
soumitiat k it least 1 doii l want to heat them. hr saNs "l don't want to Ik* timing
alt wig 1 ine \rais from now ami heal am t »l 11irse s< wigs
lint hr ma\ lx* ton ed to wan h thr lilm twit ahlr |x*i haps tout. 12 of 211 \rai s tit »nvii the
load I ike Roliett Redbud s 7<K jHihutal slain The ( amiuiatt, Hoh Hrtbrils max N\ell
bet * »nie a t able I\ < >Id l aithlul - lolling an wind even piesidential t ampaign. when
\otet tniMtatKwis again Ixwl t«»the slid at e
Dr spin* ins skeptic ism ot the |xilim al system Rohhnis saNs horn* is not it»st It \oteis
stall getting itihwmeat, taking mitiatiNe and exeu ismg the simplest tool nr |x>litit s — the
voting booth he believes things could * hangr But. lie savs. it won t happen il
Xtnei u ans 11 wilt tine to sit at home eating u.u In >s and w~.tt c lung the* elet tion relui ns
l nh*i tunateh. what hap|x*ns whe n die\ tie that is dies make* themselves impotent in
this six ietv .**
I lilt MIIUWI mllK.i < X lOKtR tWJ