Dipping a spoon in a jar of peanut butter and coating it in M&Ms while watching gory medical shows on television is, for Pursy (Scarlett Johansson), an afternoon well-spent. But, when her mother's death forces her to get off the couch and leave her trailer park and grimy boyfriend behind, she finds some new friends who have her bested in the sloth department. Arriving at her late mother's home in New Orleans, she meets Bobby Long (John Travolta) and his sidekick Lawson (Gabriel Macht), two sweaty alcoholics who are squatting in the dilapidated dwelling. Bobby Long not only lies to Pursy about the fact that she legally owns the house--taking advantage of her innocence--he also behaves like an angry and aggressive dirty old man. It is Lawson who sees Pursy for who she is--a directionless 18-year-old girl who desperately needs guidance and positive role models. His fatherly support sparks an instant crush between the two, which only fuels Bobby's drinking and deviance. However, with time and patience the three friends find they have more in common than they first realized, and they help each other to get back on track.

A moody film in set in toxic shades of blue, green, and red, A LOVE SONG FOR BOBBY LONG combines the lazy, lurking, sometimes romantic mystique of New Orleans with the desperation of three lost souls. Rain storms counterbalance hazy summer days drinking beer and singing folk songs, while Bobby Long and Lawson--who were formerly English teachers--add a necessary dose of intellect with their constant literary trivia.