His Name Is Bob

2014 • 105 minutes

About this movie

Bob is described by some as the most famous wandering person in East Dallas. He looks like a typical homeless person: toothless, dirty and forever bumming money and rides. Myths and legends follow him everywhere. There's the stoy of his mother whacking him on the head with a frying pan; a childhood spent in a mental institution; the $86 million missing inheritance; and the uncle who murdered his wife in an alcoholic blackout.

The experiences Bob has had tell us he should live in fear. But he doesn't. Through all of the darkness, Bob's light continues to shine. Bob is described by some as the most famous wandering person in East Dallas. He looks like a typical homeless person: toothless, dirty and forever bumming money and rides. But what is the truth? His Name is Bob delves into the past of man who shouldn't be alive today. He was born in 1952 in New Hampshire. The first eight years of his life are defined by tragedy of the most horrific sort. First and foremost, he endured abuse that most likely caused the brain damage he suffers from today, rendering him incapable of total independence. It's not clear if the damage was done when he was hit in the head repeatedly with a frying pan by his mother; or if he really did fall from a highchair as a baby. What is clear is that Bob has an indentation on the side of his head as the result of an injury. And that's just the beginning.

The experiences Bob has had tell us he should live in fear. But he doesn't. Through all of the darkness, Bob's light continues to shine. Bob is described by some as the most famous wandering person in East Dallas. He looks like a typical homeless person: toothless, dirty and forever bumming money and rides.
Myths and legends follow him everywhere. There's the stoy of his mother whacking him on the head with a frying pan; a childhood spent in a mental institution; the $86 million missing inheritance; and the uncle who murdered his wife in an alcoholic blackout.

The experiences Bob has had tell us he should live in fear. But he doesn't. Through all of the darkness, Bob's light continues to shine.

Ratings and reviews

This is an excellent movie. . For me it was really important to see the story behind his life as it opened my eyes to the fact that everyone has a story and there's much more than what you see on the surface. There's a reason people end up in these circumstances and the filmmakers do an wonderful job of showing Bob's life and history. The filmmakers should be proud of what they've made and the fact that it's also given Bob a much better life. There's even a bit of a mystery to the film which I found very entertaining. Kudos to the filmmakers.

The film captures what Bob's life was like during a dark time when he was institutionalized and later homeless. It explores how much better his life has become. He had a much more difficult journey than most of us can claim. After watching this documentary, I am reminded of Jesus speaking to us in chapter 25 of Matthew's gospel verse 40: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

His Name is Bob is a movie about claiming happiness, even when you are handed the worst possible circumstances. As much as Bob has been thru, abuse from his mother, abandonment by his sister and resulting years of homelessness , the film shows how he took all that and still made a meaningful life out of it.