What Happened to Bobby Earl?

Poor Bobby. If only he went to a two year technical school.

Okay, this film is not very good. But, I happen to be a great fan of Kate Jackson. I always hope her next film will be an independent art house film directed by someone like Todd Solondz, or a European project. Somehow few people seem to realize what a great actress Kate Jackson is, who would do great in a film like Happiness, or Billy Elliot. At the same time I am surprised that block buster directors do not notice her. Show a little courage, casting directors!

On the other hand, it could be that Jackson always shows up in television films voluntarily. She is doing a good job and has been very productive over the years, so it is not really a loss. And these television films are sometimes not even that bad. Coming from the Netherlands I have seen a lot worse. I am genuinely impressed by her performances in The Stranger Within, Armed and Innocent and Empty Cradle.

As I said earlier, What Happened to Bobby Earl ( a typical t.v. movie title) is not a very good film. The characters are quite flat and the best example of this is the 'bad woman' who tempts Bobby to walk the criminal path. She is the stereotypical femme fatale, dressed in black and red designer clothes and living a meaningless, expensive life.

Teaming up Rose, Jackson's character, with the insurance agent who is after the bad ones is very unrealistic. His character, I don't care whether based on reality, should have been left out altogether and is just one of the numerous weaknesses in this film. Lack of events, bad plot structure, length, needless melodrama, uninteresting filming locations and bad actors in supporting roles are others.

However, I very much am in favor of the social point that is being made in this film. When Bobby is given a revolver for his graduation by his friend, his mother Rose (Jackson) is astonished and shocked and cries out "What the hell kind of a gift is that to give to a college graduate!" and "Criminals have guns. Criminals and the police..."

I don't think we would see Rick Schroder or Charleton Heston in a film that makes a social comment like that.

It blows because of Kate Jackson's lack-lustre presence, and limited "acting" ability. The premise of the show is a cliche of a cliche. The show is a very helpful sleeping-aid. Who needs melatonin with dreck like this?

I knew one of the persons involved in the real-life case from which this movie's plot evolved. I remember sitting, stunned, when I found out what had happened. As it appears, I cannot tell you about the case, because it would be a spoiler; yet, I don't think actually spelling out the entire movie in case could spoil it any worse than the company did by shooting it.

Kate Jackson plays a mother whose son has disappeared. She does an OK job, I guess, but she isn't given much support in either the plot additions or the making of the movie. The acting was flat; and the plot was muddied far beyond necessary by extra commentaries that really had nothing to do with the storyline. Maybe it was worse for me to finally view this movie, after years of looking for it, because I've been following the real cases and the shocking developments for almost 20 years now and know that there was more drama than imaginable from which to pull a gripping crime movie. There was so much heartache that followed the actual events that I did indeed lay awake some nights wondering about my friend. How could any movie so poorly relegate the actual tone that enveloped the actual crime? For anyone who really wants to be saddened and shocked, I suggest reading about Edward Swiger. Check him out on Google and do some research for yourself. You will understand my disappointment of this movie.

Not as bad as some of these other reviews state--but then I'm not a frequent watcher of Lifetime movie channel so I can't say I'm familiar with this type of story being repeated again and again. It's based on a true story which I imagine has been fictionalized to turn it into a suitable melodrama for TV mystery fans.

KATE JACKSON is the mother whose son gets in with the wrong crowd at college, a naive and wholesome guy who is soon caught up in criminal capers beyond his control thanks to bad company like MATTHEW SETTLE and KRISTIAN ALFONSO. They commit burglary and arson with Bobby Earl (DREW EBERSOLE) who wants out when the crime ring wants him to be the lookout for their latest burning of a warehouse. When Bobby Earl leaves, and confides in his mother, Settle and Alfonso set him up to be murdered.

Slickly produced with handsome sets and generally well acted, it passes the time quickly enough but suffers from seeming padded out to fill a two-hour time slot on TV. Jackson is okay but has been better in other roles. Her final scene with the younger son is a touching one where she tries to put a soothing touch on the sibling rivalry of brother against brother.