Prayers for Bobby (film)
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| Prayers for Bobby |
 |
| Directed by |
Russell Mulcahy |
| Produced by |
Stanley M. Brooks (Executive Producer)
David Permut (Executive Producer)
Daniel Sladek (Executive Producer)
Chris Taaffe (Executive Producer)
Damian Ganczewski (Producer) |
| Written by |
Katie Ford (teleplay)
Leroy F. Aarons (book) |
| Starring |
Sigourney Weaver
Henry Czerny
Ryan Kelley |
| Music by |
Christopher Ward |
| Cinematography |
Thom Best |
| Editing by |
Victor Du Bois |
| Distributed by |
Lifetime Television |
| Release date(s) |
24 January 2009 |
| Running time |
89 minutes |
| Country |
 United States |
| Language |
English |
Prayers for Bobby (2009) is a television movie that premiered on the Lifetime network on January 24, 2009. Nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Made for Television Movie; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Sigourney Weaver), Prayers for Bobby is produced by Once Upon A Times Films, Ltd in association with Permut Presentations and Sladek Taaffe Productions . The film is based on the acclaimed book, Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son, by Leroy F. Aarons, which is itself based on the true story of the life and legacy of Bobby Griffith, a young gay man who killed himself due to his mother's and community's religious intolerance.
Cast
Plot summary
Mary Griffith is a devout Christian who raises her children with the conservative teachings of the Presbyterian Church. However, when her son Bobby confides to his older brother he may be gay, life changes for the entire family after Mary learns about his secret. Bobby's father and siblings slowly come to terms with his homosexuality, but Mary believes that God can "cure" him. She takes him to a psychiatrist and persuades Bobby to pray harder and seek solace in church activities in hopes of changing him. Desperate for his mother's approval, Bobby does what is asked of him, but through it all, the church's disapproval of homosexuality causes him to grow increasingly withdrawn and depressed.
Stricken with guilt, Bobby moves away with his cousin, hoping that some day, his mother will accept him. He moves to Oregon, giving up on his hopes of defeating homosexuality. He finds a boyfriend, David, at a gay bar. His subsequent depression and self-loathing intensifies as he blames himself for not being the "perfect" son, and he jumps off a freeway bridge into the path of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler truck, killing him instantly.
Faced with their tragedy, Mary begins to question herself and her church's interpretation of Scripture. Through her long and emotional journey, Mary slowly reaches out to the gay community and discovers unexpected support from a very unlikely source. She becomes acquainted with a local gay reverend, who convinces her to attend a meeting of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). It is there that she realizes that she knew Bobby was different from conception, and that God did not heal him because there was nothing wrong with him.
She becomes an advocate for gay rights and eventually gives a speech in a town council meeting in support of a local "gay day". She urges people to think before they say voice or support homophobia because "a child is listening". The measure is rejected, but she and her family travel to San Francisco with fellow PFLAG members and march in a gay pride parade, during which she sees another young man just like Bobby observing the parade. She walks over and hugs him, finally coming to terms with her son's death and vowing to work hard for the rights of gays and lesbians.
Soundtrack
The final scene of the film features the song "Here I Am," by Leona Lewis. In addition, other artist featured, "I Need You to Listen," arranged by Marty Haugen and "Bullseye," by Megan McCormick.
Book
In 1989, Leroy Aarons read a newspaper story about a young man's suicide. Particularly striking to him was the mother, Mary Griffith, who had tried throughout her son's adolescence to "pray away" his "gay nature". At age 20, Bobby Griffith jumped to his death from a freeway bridge in Portland, Oregon. Mary was transformed by her loss and eventually renounced the rigid religious beliefs that had kept her from fully accepting Bobby during his lifetime.
The Griffiths' story resonated with Aarons' own transformation as an openly gay journalist and activist. After Bobby’s death, his mother became an iconic activist for the national association PFLAG, urging parents to understand and accept their children's homosexuality. "This extraordinary conversion touched me as deeply as the tale of Bobby’s tragic death," Aarons wrote. "What enabled her to transcend her background and perform what could only be described as acts of courage."
After leaving daily journalism in 1991, Aarons began to explore the Griffiths' stories in depth. Prayers for Bobby: A Mother’s Coming to Terms With the Suicide of Her Gay Son — Aarons' first book — was published by HarperCollins in 1996. A film adaptation, Prayers for Bobby, debuted on January 24, 2009, on Lifetime. |
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