Prayers for Bobby (2009)

                     Another film I watched recently and attracted is ‘prayers for bobby’, true story of Mary Griffith, gay rights crusader, whose teenage son committed suicide due to her religious intolerance. Based on the book of the same title by Leroy Aarons.

                  When Bobby Griffith told to his older brother that he might be gay. Through him Mary came to know  about that.when she knew that, her world fell apart. Bobby had to go through the worst part of his life. Due to the strong belief of his mother in Bible she torture Bobby mentally. She believed that it as sin and only Bible can cure him. She tried to make him closer to god or closer to her. Bobby decided to move away from his family so that he can escape from his mother and therapy. So he moved to Portland  

                       He was happy to be away from Walnut Creek, his hometown and dreamed of a new life. He could be successful in all ways. He wanted to be a writer. He guessed Portland might be the best place for that. His mother not stopped on hunting him. At last he jumped off a bridge and an eighteen wheel truck killed him instantly. It was the direct result of his parents’ ignorance and fear of the word gay. It took time to realize her son. She visited the metropolitan community church for homosexuals. There she met many parents like her and understood the bible in a better way. She felt guilty of her evil nature and the loss of her son. Later she moved to San Francisco and worked for the gay liberation.

                   This film can provide a better way of understanding to those people who are in the middle of confusion of about what they are and how the religion is considering them. The story is painful and it’s more painful to say that this is taken from the life of Mary Griffith. The prominent performance of Sigourney Weaver and Ryan Kelley as Mary and bobby made this film more sensible.the film is nominated for Golden Globe for the Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television and had other seven nominations.

 

Sigourney Weaver and Ryan Kelley as Mary and bobby 

 

Ryan Kelley
in Prayers for Bobby

    

          On December 6^th 1995 Mary    Griffith  testified before members of the

          Congress of the United states.  

    “They are children like Bobby sitting in your congregations, unknown to you;They will be listening as you echo ‘Amen’. And that will soon silence their prayers,Their prayers to god for understanding, and acceptance, and for your love.But your hatred, and fear,and ignorance of the word ‘gay’ will silence those prayers. so…before you echo Amen in your home and place of worship.Think….think and remember….A child is listening”      

  Mary Griffith