Bringing Up Bobby (DVD Review)

21 Oct, 2012 By: Angelique Flores

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Prebook 10/23/12; Street 11/20/12
Monterey
Comedy
Box Office $0.001 million
$26.95 DVD
‘PG-13’ for language, sexual content and some drug material.
Stars Milla Jovovich, Bill Pullman, Marcia Cross, Spencer List.

A mother always looks out for her son, even if she is a criminal. Olive (Milla Jovovich) is one such beautiful con-woman from the Ukraine living with her American-born son, Bobby, and her friend and cohort Walt (Rory Cochrane).

The three of them pull off their delinquent schemes, not out of any ill will or aims to hurt anyone, but just to get by.

Olive and Bobby have a playful relationship, more like Bonnie and Clyde than mother and son. Olive is as protective of as she is permissive with Bobby, and she plays it down when he gets in trouble at school.

Fate brings them to meet Kent (Bill Pullman) and Mary (Marcia Cross) when Kent is driving and accidentally hits Bobby, who is skateboarding in the street. The couple is well off and respectable and had lost a son who was about Bobby’s age.

The first half of the movie is a lighthearted, whimsical frolic with Olive and Bobby’s lawless shenanigans. Then things take a jarring turn into the serious when Olive gets arrested. This is also when Jovovich shows her real acting chops.

Seizing the opportunity, Kent and Mary request and are granted permission to adopt Bobby. Olive knows it’s best for Bobby, but she still hopes to get Bobby back after she is released from prison. Seeing that they can’t keep Bobby and Olive apart, Mary and Kent let Olive move into their guesthouse.

The DVD comes with commentary with writer and director Famke Janssen, executive producer Cole Frates and actor Cochrane, which offers a lot of behind-the-scenes details. A Q&A from the Savannah Film Festival features Janssen, reiterating some of what was said in the commentary.

Other featurettes with Janssen and the cast don’t add too much to an understanding of the film, featuring a lot of talk about Oklahoma, where the movie was shot.

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