Although it's based upon a novel, A Love Song for Bobby Long, with a central cast of just three characters and a setting that rarely strays from one house, feels more as though it originated from a stage play. It also contains more literary allusions than your average movie, but uses them sparingly and in an unpretentious manner that furthers the story.

Scarlett Johansson stars as Pursy, a teenager who returns to New Orleans following the death of her estranged mother to discover that apparently her mother left her house in equal parts to Pursy and two men; strangers who are living in the house when Pursy arrives.

The men are Bobby Long (Travolta), a former English professor, and his protégé, Lawson Pines (Macht), a wannabe novelist who's working on a book based on Bobby Long's life. The three occupants soon clash as the two men spend most of their time drinking and smoking and not much else. As the movie progresses and the three learn about each other, they become closer and the ending reveals why Pursy's mother made these arrangements before she died.

A movie with this much talking requires actors with skill and each of the three do a good job with their role. Johansson in particular does an excellent job as the character that grows the most over the course of the film. Travolta who at times seems more like a joke than an actor based upon some of his film choices, reminds us that he can actually still act when he puts the effort into it. And the much lesser known Macht turns in the most understated performance of the three and more than matches up to them. Although she's never shown, Pursy's mother presence is felt throughout the movie to such a degree, that she does almost qualify as a fourth occupant of the house.

This is a movie where the action happens in the dialogue, emotional outbursts, and secrets revealed. The dialogue crackles and each of the actors creates the right pitch for their character, but some of the secrets, particularly the final one, aren't so very surprising. And it takes a little too long to get to that ending. Clocking in at two hours, the movie moves as slow as a Southern drawl at times. Watching Travolta play the guitar while singing isn't necessary once, let alone multiple times.

Even with its overly long running time, A Love Song for Bobby Long is an entertaining human drama that features some great acting from all three of its leads.

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