If you are someone that loves movies that have a message or appreciate a heart melting story, then Prayers for Bobby is for you.Based on a book of the same title by author, Leroy Aaron, Prayers for Bobby is a made-for-television movie starring Sigourney Weaver as a mother trying to come to terms with son’s sexual orientation. The movie is regarded as must-see for parents of gay children, both those that love and those that are troubled by the orientation of their child.

The Plot:

Bobby came from a close knit family with loving siblings, a caring father and mother. The Griffith family was strong in their conservative religious beliefs. Like most religiously conservative families, they regarded homosexuality as an abomination and disgrace. Bobby lived a shadowed life with his struggle with sexuality and yearned for acceptance from his family, especially his mother and in the eyes of God. Failed to be heard by his loved ones and confused with life, Bobby decided to end his misery by jumping off a bridge.

Armed with powerful, emotion packed moments post the death of an innocent human being and a loving son, the mother deals with questions of her beliefs towards homosexuality and true understanding of what her son was actually trying to say. She weighs all the arguments of the gay community against those of the religious point of view. And the film documents the most vulnerable and heart breaking moments of this true life story.

The base of Mary’s belief, like most of the population against homosexual rights,  is set in a strong religious argument that being gay is a sin and God punishes those who commit to it.  The film is not a vehicle to promote homosexuality but is a chapter in a context to understand the deeper, human side to the orientation. The cast and crew have handled the issue with great sensitivity and respect. They have managed to cover the topic with both points of view, the religious and Bobby’s side.

This is not just a ‘Gay’ film

What touches me about this film is that it speaks of the topic with the intention of answering all the questions that parents of gay children have, and are afraid to ask. Even the build up of Bobby’s character, portrayed by actor Ryan Kelley, is heart warming, pure and innocent in its form. In an interview below, Weaver speaks of the personal experiences involved in her desire to be a part of the film, her interaction with Mary Griffith and her solemn attempt at delivering a story that needs to be heard.

I hope you watch this one, for the sake of a story with good intentions that is well told.