Prayers for Bobby
Encyclopedia
Prayers for Bobby is a 2009 television film that premiered on the Lifetime
network on January 24, 2009. It is based on the 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 homophobia
. The film stars Ryan Kelley
as Bobby Griffith and Sigourney Weaver
as his mother, Mary.
The film was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Made for Television Movie; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Sigourney Weaver). In the same category, Sigourney Weaver was also nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Award, as well as the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award. The film won the 2010 GLAAD Award, and the producers were nominated for the 2010 Producers Guild of America Award. The film won the Audience Favorite Award at the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Prayers for Bobby is produced by Once Upon A Times Films, Ltd in association with Permut Presentations and Sladek Taaffe Productions. Executive Producers are Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe, David Permut and Stanley M. Brooks.
) is a devout Christian
who raises her children with the conservative teachings of the Presbyterian Church
. However, when her son Bobby (Ryan Kelley
) confides to his older brother that 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of homosexuality and his mother's attempts to suppress his growing behaviors in public causes him to grow increasingly withdrawn and depressed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 (Scott Bailey
), at a gay bar
. However, Mary makes it clear that she still does not want her son to continue as he is. Finally, Bobby's subsequent depression and self-loathing intensifies as he blames himself for not being the "perfect" son, and one night, he lets himself fall off a freeway bridge into the path of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler truck, killing him instantly. The family receives the horrible news the following day, and is devastated.
Faced with their tragedy, Mary begins to question herself and her Church's interpretation of the 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 his true value was in his heart.
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 walk 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 lesbian
s.
' "Here I Am". In addition, other artist featured, "I Need You to Listen," arranged by Marty Haugen
and "Bullseye," by Megan McCormick. The music use in the trailer was originally composed Steve Jablonsky
titled My Name is Lincoln where originally the soundtrack of The Island
On December 7, 2010, Prayers for Bobby came out on DVD
on Amazon.com.
received the Trevor Life Award from The Trevor Project
for her participation in the film.
Charles Robbins, the executive director and chief executive officer of the Trevor Project, said in a statement, "Sigourney Weaver and Lifetime provide inspiration to young people and families who will see films such as Prayers for Bobby and understand the importance of celebrating diversity and life."
Prayers for Bobby was nominated for two Emmy Awards for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
:
On December 15, 2009, Weaver was nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role in "Prayers for Bobby".
In the same category, Weaver was also nominated 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 2010, Prayers for Bobby won the GLAAD Media Award
for "Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series" during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards
.
The film's executive producers Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe, David Permut
, and Stanley M. Brooks were nominated for the 2010 Producers Guild of America Award.
The film won the Audience Favorite Award at the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Lifetime Television
Lifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American cable television specialty channel devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles. The cable network is owned by A&E Television Networks...
network on January 24, 2009. It is based on the book, Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son
Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son
Prayers for Bobby: A Mother's Coming to Terms with the Suicide of Her Gay Son is a book by Leroy F. Aarons that outlines a mother's experience in coming to terms with the suicide of her gay son...
, by Leroy F. Aarons
Leroy F. Aarons
Leroy "Roy" F. Aarons was an American journalist, editor, author, playwright, founder of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association , and founding member of the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education...
, which is itself based on the true story of the life and legacy of Bobby Griffith, a young gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
man who killed himself due to his mother's and community's homophobia
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
. The film stars Ryan Kelley
Ryan Kelley
- Early life and career :Ryan was born and raised in a western suburb of Chicago, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He has 14 siblings: 9 sisters and 5 brothers....
as Bobby Griffith and Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
as his mother, Mary.
The film was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards (Outstanding Made for Television Movie; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie - Sigourney Weaver). In the same category, Sigourney Weaver was also nominated for the 2010 Golden Globe Award, as well as the 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award. The film won the 2010 GLAAD Award, and the producers were nominated for the 2010 Producers Guild of America Award. The film won the Audience Favorite Award at the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
Prayers for Bobby is produced by Once Upon A Times Films, Ltd in association with Permut Presentations and Sladek Taaffe Productions. Executive Producers are Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe, David Permut and Stanley M. Brooks.
Plot
Mary Griffith (Sigourney WeaverSigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
) is a devout Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
who raises her children with the conservative teachings of the Presbyterian Church
Presbyterianism
Presbyterianism refers to a number of Christian churches adhering to the Calvinist theological tradition within Protestantism, which are organized according to a characteristic Presbyterian polity. Presbyterian theology typically emphasizes the sovereignty of God, the authority of the Scriptures,...
. However, when her son Bobby (Ryan Kelley
Ryan Kelley
- Early life and career :Ryan was born and raised in a western suburb of Chicago, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He has 14 siblings: 9 sisters and 5 brothers....
) confides to his older brother that he may be gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, 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
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
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 and his mother's attempts to suppress his growing behaviors in public causes him to grow increasingly withdrawn and depressed
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
.
Stricken with guilt, Bobby moves away with his cousin, hoping that some day, his mother will accept him. He moves to Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, giving up on his hopes of defeating homosexuality. He finds a boyfriend, David (Scott Bailey
Scott Bailey (actor)
Scott Bailey is an American actor. He is best known for playing Sandy Foster on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light and Roman Martin on the MyNetworkTV limited-run serial Saints & Sinners....
), at a gay bar
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
. However, Mary makes it clear that she still does not want her son to continue as he is. Finally, Bobby's subsequent depression and self-loathing intensifies as he blames himself for not being the "perfect" son, and one night, he lets himself fall off a freeway bridge into the path of an oncoming eighteen-wheeler truck, killing him instantly. The family receives the horrible news the following day, and is devastated.
Faced with their tragedy, Mary begins to question herself and her Church's interpretation of the Scripture. Through her long and emotional journey, Mary slowly reaches out to the gay community
Gay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
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
Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays is a socio-political group of family members and friends of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Its mission statement describes the goals of PFLAG as promoting health and well being of LGBT persons as well as actively supporting...
(PFLAG). It is there that she realizes that she knew Bobby was different from conception and that his true value was in his heart.
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
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
because "a child is listening". The measure is rejected, but she and her family travel to San Francisco with fellow PFLAG members and walk in a gay pride parade
Gay pride parade
Pride parades for the LGBT community are events celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture. The events also at times serve as demonstrations for legal rights such as same-sex marriage...
, 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 lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
s.
Cast
- Sigourney WeaverSigourney WeaverSigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
as Mary Griffith - Henry CzernyHenry Czerny- Career :Czerny received formal training at the National Theatre School in Montreal. After graduating in 1982, he went on to perform onstage across Canada, from Ottawa's National Arts Centre to Edmonton's Citadel Theatre and the Stratford Festival. By the late 1980s, he had established himself as...
as Robert Griffith - Ryan KelleyRyan Kelley- Early life and career :Ryan was born and raised in a western suburb of Chicago, Glen Ellyn, Illinois. He has 14 siblings: 9 sisters and 5 brothers....
as Bobby Griffith - Austin NicholsAustin NicholsAustin Nichols is an American film, television actor and director who is perhaps best known for his role as Julian Baker in The CW drama series One Tree Hill. He is also known for his roles in films such as The Day After Tomorrow and Wimbledon...
as Ed Griffith - Dan ButlerDan ButlerDaniel Eugene "Dan" Butler is an American playwright and actor known for his role as Bob "Bulldog" Briscoe on the TV series Frasier.- Life and career :...
as the Rev. Whitsell - Carly SchroederCarly SchroederCarly Brook Schroeder is an American film and television actress. She is best known for playing Serena Baldwin, the daughter of Scotty Baldwin and Lucy Coe in the General Hospital spin-off Port Charles. She also had a recurring role on the Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire...
as Joy Griffith - Shannon Eagen as Nancy Griffith
- Scott BaileyScott Bailey (actor)Scott Bailey is an American actor. He is best known for playing Sandy Foster on the CBS soap opera Guiding Light and Roman Martin on the MyNetworkTV limited-run serial Saints & Sinners....
as David - Bryan Endress-Fox as Greg
- Rebecca Louise Miller as Jeanette
- Mary Griffith as herself in the Pride Parade scene
Soundtrack
The final scene of the film features Leona LewisLeona Lewis
Leona Louise Lewis is a British singer and songwriter. Lewis first came to prominence in 2006 when she won the third series of the British television series The X Factor....
' "Here I Am". In addition, other artist featured, "I Need You to Listen," arranged by Marty Haugen
Marty Haugen
Marty Haugen, , is an American composer of liturgical music.-Biography:Marty Haugen was raised in the American Lutheran Church in Minnesota, and also writes contemporary hymns and liturgies for the Lutheran church despite being a member the United Church of Christ...
and "Bullseye," by Megan McCormick. The music use in the trailer was originally composed Steve Jablonsky
Steve Jablonsky
Steven Jablonsky is an American music composer for film, television and video games. He has been the music director for all the Michael Bay movies produced and directed since The Island...
titled My Name is Lincoln where originally the soundtrack of The Island
Reception
Prayers For Bobby received 3.8 million total viewers during the film's January 24, 2009 premiere on Lifetime, with 2.3 million total viewers subsequently during the January 25, 2009 airdate. In addition, online, the Prayers for Bobby premiere increased mylifetime.com's web traffic by 169 percent in page views versus the same time period a week prior.On December 7, 2010, Prayers for Bobby came out on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on Amazon.com.
Recognition
Sigourney WeaverSigourney Weaver
Sigourney Weaver is an American actress. She is best known for her critically acclaimed role of Ellen Ripley in the four Alien films: Alien, Aliens, Alien 3 and Alien Resurrection, for which she has received worldwide recognition .Other notable roles include Dana...
received the Trevor Life Award from The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project is an American non-profit organization founded in 1998 and the leading national organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. Through a toll-free telephone number, it operates The Trevor Lifeline, a...
for her participation in the film.
Charles Robbins, the executive director and chief executive officer of the Trevor Project, said in a statement, "Sigourney Weaver and Lifetime provide inspiration to young people and families who will see films such as Prayers for Bobby and understand the importance of celebrating diversity and life."
Prayers for Bobby was nominated for two Emmy Awards for the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards
61st Primetime Emmy Awards
The 61st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards took place on September 20, 2009. CBS broadcast the Primetime event and E! the Creative Arts event; both take place at Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The nominations for the Awards were announced on July 16....
:
- Outstanding Made for Television Movie - nominees Executive Producers Stanley M. Brooks, Daniel Sladek, David Permut and Chris Taaffe. Producer Damian GanczewskiPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television MovieThis is a list of the winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Made for Television Movie, which is awarded since 1992. The category was originally called Outstanding Drama/Comedy Special.-1980s:*1980: The Miracle Worker...
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a MoviePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or a MovieThis is a list of winners of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.From 1973 to 1978, the category was divided into two separate categories .Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, guest performances in regular television series were...
(Sigourney Weaver)
On December 15, 2009, Weaver was nominated by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role in "Prayers for Bobby".
In the same category, Weaver was also nominated 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 2010, Prayers for Bobby won the GLAAD Media Award
GLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
for "Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series" during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards
21st GLAAD Media Awards
The 21st GLAAD Media Awards was the 2010 annual presentation of the media awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The awards seek to honor films, television shows, musicians and works of journalism that fairly and accurately represent the LGBT community and issues...
.
The film's executive producers Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe, David Permut
David Permut
David A. Permut is an American television and movie producer. He was the producer of Richard Pryor: Live in Concert , the first theatrical live comedy concert, and Dragnet , an early example of remaking a television series into a motion picture. He is owner and president of Permut Presentations,...
, and Stanley M. Brooks were nominated for the 2010 Producers Guild of America Award.
The film won the Audience Favorite Award at the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
See also
- Metropolitan Community ChurchMetropolitan Community ChurchThe Metropolitan Community Church or The Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches is an international Protestant Christian denomination...
- Walnut Creek, CaliforniaWalnut Creek, CaliforniaWalnut Creek is an incorporated city located east of the city of Oakland. It lies in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. While not as large as neighboring Concord, Walnut Creek serves as the business and entertainment hub for the neighboring cities within central Contra Costa...
- The Matthew Shepard Story