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Bobby Deerfield

PG 1977 2h 4m Romance List
29% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 45% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
American race car driver Bobby Deerfield (Al Pacino) has become a success on the European Formula One circuit. He is also egotistical and relentlessly determined, until a terrible racing accident injures other drivers. In the hospital, Deerfield meets Lillian (Marthe Keller), who is suffering serious health problems. She wants to have more excitement in her life and gravitates toward the racer. Although Deerfield is resistant at first, he begins to fall for her as well.

Critics Reviews

View All (14) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Bobby Deerfield is a big, slick melodrama that knows exactly what it wants to accomplish and does so with great craft. Rated: 3/4 Jul 2, 2018 Full Review Variety Staff Variety A brilliantly unusual love story, told in a European fashion which makes the Sydney Pollack film at first irritating, then intriguing, finally most rewarding and emotionally satisfying. May 26, 2008 Full Review Dan Callahan Slant Magazine Pacino is at his best: precise, internal, magnetically cute, and expert at capturing the fear in this man's turtle-like existence and his longing for change. Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 9, 2008 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins This forgettable mess will remain one of Pacino's most unknown pictures. Rated: 2/10 Aug 27, 2020 Full Review Bernard Drew Gannett News Service Sydney Pollack, who once took the unlikely materials that made up The Way We Were and pulled them together to come sailing triumphantly home, has done it again in Bobby Deerfield. Oct 17, 2019 Full Review Jesús Fernández Santos El Pais (Spain) Sydney Pollack here doesn't go beyond the vulgar soap opera. [Full Review in Spanish] Jul 25, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (48) audience reviews
CodyZamboni Z Watcable drama , Not what I expected, Sumptuous French and Italian countryside and lake scenery, Solid racing action, And at the end, sort of emotional, Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Red T Easily one of Pollack's worst. The acting is just ok. Pacino for most of the runtime never is intense and feels like he is sleepwalking through most of this performance. The main culprit here for the mediocre acting is the fact his love interest he has no chemistry at all with and everyone else is just forgettable ok. I never once bought these two were in love. The music wasn't good either because on top of barely being used and being generic, it was really tiring more than anything. The cinematography is just ok also. The camerawork is actually really good in this and the settings are very memorable. The problem is though your never interested with anything that is happening with the characters because nothing actually going on 90% of the time contributes to the plot and it just becomes tiring despite how pretty it is to look at. Worst of all is the editing and pacing which are horrifically bad. Once they meet at the hospital, stuff just happens with them. While the transitions flow well, and we are always focused on Pacino, the actual scenes never contribute anything tot eh story for 90% of the runtime. On top of that were made to believe this is going to be a racing movie at first and there is maybe 5 minutes of racing action in what turns out to be a boring love story. There is the subplot of uncovering what happened with the racing accident that put the other driver in the hospital, and him actually being a driver and it feels like none of that ever amounts to anything and is pointless. I seriously don't know what the point of making him a race car driver was. The racing scenes while done well contribute nothing and comes after being bored to death. It is also not hyperbole to state for 90% of this film I seriously don't know what the point of the scenes were because it never goes anywhere. This gets insanely boring and than it decides in the last ten minutes to try and actually tell the story. This isn't even really bad as much as a giant waste of time. If you want a real racing movie that works love and racing together watch Rush (2011) instead. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 05/12/23 Full Review steve d Pacino is one of my favorite actors but this was just ok for me. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member I don't understand why this movie has such a low rating. The performances are beautiful, the writing and the story is interesting (much more interesting than I was expecting it to be) and the female character was interesting and dynamic. I am seriously at a loss. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review delysid d It's a Goddam Chick Flick! Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/20/18 Full Review Audience Member Al Pacino as a conceited race car driver. This drama is messy and has little to offer. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Bobby Deerfield

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Movie Info

Synopsis American race car driver Bobby Deerfield (Al Pacino) has become a success on the European Formula One circuit. He is also egotistical and relentlessly determined, until a terrible racing accident injures other drivers. In the hospital, Deerfield meets Lillian (Marthe Keller), who is suffering serious health problems. She wants to have more excitement in her life and gravitates toward the racer. Although Deerfield is resistant at first, he begins to fall for her as well.
Director
Sydney Pollack
Producer
Sydney Pollack
Production Co
Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating
PG
Genre
Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 21, 2019
Runtime
2h 4m