BOBBY (2006) ..... B+ ... This film takes place during a single day, June 6, 1968, and at a single place, the famed Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated here late on that evening while passing through the hotel pantry during the celebration of his win of the California primary.

Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, this two hour movie has a lot to offer in spite of its several flaws. It is exceptionally well cast with a stable of characters who flesh out their roles to perfection. Many of these small vignettes held so much interest for me that I wish that they might also have been made into movies.

Most of them are beautifully written by Estevez and they blossom into life with all of the talent on the screen. There is so much fine acting here that it would be difficult to single out anyone for special praise, but I have to admit to admiring greatly the work of every woman in this film. I do wish that they could reprise their roles in another movie.

The flaw here is that the vignettes are so interesting that the major thrust of the story, the Kennedy assassination, almost becomes an unwanted distraction. Furthermore, the sheer number of the vignettes leads to sensory overload. Finally, Estevez has imbued this story with such a reverential tone towards Robert F. Kennedy that it veers towards a sugar overdose. Kennedy was a fine man who tragically died before his time, but he wasn't the saint and savior that this picture wishes to see him anointed.

Estevez crafted his story around the small coterie of hotel employees and other people who happened to be in the Ambassador on that day, several of whom were caught in the crossfire between the Secret Service and Sirhan Sirhan, Kennedy's assassin. I have to assume that the characters are real while their stories may be fiction.

Nelson (Harry Belafonte) visits with John Casey (Anthony Hopkins), the retired former doorman who spends his days there because the Ambassador is more important to him than his home or his family. Tim Fallon (Emilio Estevez) suffers as the neglected husband of diva Virginia Fallon (Demi Moore), the headliner at the hotel revue who subconsciously realizes that her star is fading. She drinks to excess because of it and she makes all around her miserable.

Paul (William H. Macy), the manager of the hotel, is carrying on an affair with Angela (Heather Graham), one of the switchboard operators, in spite of the fact that Miriam (Sharon Stone), his lonely wife, kills herself as a hardworking beautician responsible for primping up the hotel guests. Meanwhile, Patricia (Joy Bryant), Angela's dear friend and fellow switchboard operator, berates her for not waiting for the right man to come along.

Wealthy contributor Jack (Martin Sheen) comes to the Democratic party celebration with Samantha (Helen Hunt), his insecure wife who doesn't realize how much she is loved. Milling about the hotel are campaign workers who plan to get out the vote. Among them is Dwayne (Nick Cannon), a rising star who finds it hard to believe that a Black man like himself is being taken seriously. Others are only there to party, and they take a trip after ingesting acid given to them by a hippie (Ashton Kutcher). (I could easily have done without this one unnecessary story.)

The other heartfelt stories revolve around Diane (Lindsay Lohan), who is at the hotel to marry William (Elijah Wood) to save him from being drafted and then sent to Vietnam. Both of their families have deserted them and they wait in loneliness for the small ceremony to begin, each wondering if this is really the right thing to do.

The movie often moves from the lobby and the hotel rooms down to the kitchen to observe José (Freddy Rodríguez), an illegal immigrant from Mexico with a can-do, positive attitude and an outsized love for the Los Angeles Dodgers, especially pitcher Don Drysdale. The head of the kitchen, Timmons (Christian Slater), is old-school enough to make life difficult for the illegals who work under him. Fortunately for José, the chief cook, Edward Robinson (Laurence Fishburne), has noticed his ambition and has taken him under his wing to mentor him.

Go for the interesting stories and the archival clips of the man many wished to be our next president. Not rated, but PG-13.