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It would be so wonderful if the people that this piece is about actually watched it and understood what kind of hell they're putting their kids in for no particularly good reason.

It should be required viewing in every Baptist church on the planet. And there are a few other evangelical organizations with strange ideas about human beings who might learn something.

I will be surprised if Sigourney Weaver doesn't get at least an Emmy nomination, particularly given the speech she gives to the city council, both well written and well delivered.

Ryan Kelly also delivers a believable performance as Bobby, regardless of some of the cutting required to get the film into a two hour programming window.

To be honest, I wasn't looking forward to watching Prayers for Bobby at all. I had seen the previews for weeks and since it was a "Lifetime" original, I had low expectations and even made fun of it with my friends. All that changed when I saw how wonderful it actually turned out to be. Prayers for Bobby is an emotionally and physically tiring film that entertains from start to finish.

The movie is just so clever at times. While it is thin and bland too, it is brilliantly played out and executed in the sense that you actually care what's going on and what's going to happen to these characters. They keep you interested with problem after problem and therefore they don't have enough time to let you get bored. Sigourney Weaver plays an amazing role as well, and the movie is just so endearing that I really lose myself in it every time I watch it.

It was a truly spectacular film; one of the best "made for TV"s I have seen, and it was a splendid job well done for all the cast and crew. If you think you can enjoy, I suggest you see it right away.

BASED ON A TRUE STORY I'm not much of a fan of the Lifetime network. They usually produce wishy-washy and cliché titles usually about divorce, or pregnancy issues, or something that really has no plot or substance. However, being a fan of Sigourney Weaver and her work, and also interested in the story that actually has an actual important theme, I debated whether it would be worth two hours of my time. It was. It is 1979. Bobby Griffith (Ryan Kelley) is a teen who has a loving family and a pretty good life. However, he believes himself to be a homosexual. He fears that his mother, Mary, (Weaver) will not accept him and love him anymore, due to her clear and well-known loath and contempt of gay and lesbians due to her faith and literal interpretation of the bible. When Bobby tells his brother he thinks he is gay, his brother tells their mother, hoping his mother can help Bobby. Instead, she treats Bobby as if he has a disease that can be "cured" through God. Mary's overbearing and abrasive treatment towards Bobby distances him from his family out to Oregon to live with his cousin, who believes anyone should be allowed to love anyone. While in Oregon, Bobby meets a guy who makes him feel good about himself. When Bobby comes back from his vacation, he tells his family about the guy he met and his mother reacts as if he is a perverse and sick person. She tells him she WILL NOT have a gay son. This upsets Bobby enough to permanently move to Oregon without a goodbye from his mother. While in Oregon, feeling the isolation of the family he loves, he becomes suicidal and cannot take it anymore. He commits suicide. For the rest of the film, we see his mother go through some major character development and we see her try to overcome her ignorance. I never cried during a movie before until I saw this movie. Prayers for Bobby was truly an amazing movie. Watching Sigourney Weaver as Mary Griffith broke my heart. She was believable and perfect. Ryan Kelley also did a great job playing Bobby. He showed a lot of range and purity in his performance. The movie definitely has a made-for-TV and Lifetime channel feel to it. It WAS a made-for-TV Lifetime original movie, so get over that (I did). I am so glad I saw this and I urge anyone and everyone to see it. 9/10

Have you ever felt like you did not fit in? Have you ever had your parents not accept something about you? If you think you can not get this movie or understand and you are straight, think again. I am straight, but this film reminded me of all the times in my life I did not feel wanted or as though I fit in. I've spent the last year of my life fighting for the one place on the planet I felt like I belonged, and the one industry I felt I fit into. Have you ever had to fight to be? Have you ever had to stand up for something you believe in? Have you ever thought you were right about a belief and then discovered how wrong you were? Have you ever judged someone by ignorant standards, only to realize you were wrong? Are you part of a minority that has been persecuted and degraded? If any of this applies to you, see this film. It is more than just a movie about homosexuality. It is a film about people, family, love, friendship, and understanding. And if you are someone who thinks that homosexuals are evil, I dare you to watch this film.

The movie went off five minutes ago and I'm still sobbing. This movie should be required viewing for every parent. Beyond the powerful subject matter, Prayers for Bobby is ultimately about loving and accepting your children for whoever they are. It's about nurturing their self-esteem, raising them to treat others with respect and praying that they go through life with love in their hearts. Bottom-line, it made me realize that I will always love my son unconditionally. He's four now. And if I'm blessed enough that we are both around when he's 14, 24 or 44, I will stand by and love him for whoever he is as he comes into his own and forever.

The whole movie I was crying profusely. The cast was terrific. A must-see, especially for gay people and family of gay people. A gay youth is outcast by his mother and he struggles to accept his homosexuality. He eventually is able to leave his family for Portland, OR, but his mother's emotional/biblical abuse remains scarring his mind. I don't want to spoil what happens in Portland, but you will certainly find this a movie that makes you feel deeply for all the characters involved. I really felt connected to all the characters. This movie was certainly a movie that would be great to watch with someone you care for, as you will be crying the whole time. This movie points out the horrors of the religious Right, and criticizes the arguments against homosexuality.

The truth can be heartbreaking. Mary Griffith realized this when her son Bobby jumped off of a freeway into oncoming traffic. I just finished watching this movie and I must say... this movie is beyond touching. The acting was fantastic and it's message was very inspiring. Prayers for Bobby shows the struggles that gay youth and their families can go through, whether that means failing or triumph. This movie not only touches on the issues of homosexuality but also on pushing religion to far on someone, suicide and coming to terms with who you are. Life isn't always made up of rainbows and butterflies and this movie expresses that without holding anything back.

I cried my eyes out, so maybe I shouldn't raise any objections, but... many things in this beautifully made movie were more simplistic than they needed to be.

The priest called Mary's attention to commands in the Bible she obviously wasn't taking literally in her life: we should stone disobedient children to death, we shouldn't eat shellfish. She then looks up these passages and tells the priest she has read them, and continues to raise questions about his reasoning. But earlier in the movie the family amuses itself with Bible quizzes -- I say a phrase, you tell me the book and chapter it's from. How could a woman who clearly knew the Bible better than she knew her own son not already have read Deuteronomy and Leviticus backwards, forwards, and inside out? For a self-convinced Christian like Mary, the contradictions between the passages in the Bible she liked and the ones she didn't like would have been explained away long before the events of this story.

Also, as another poster has said, the story didn't really lead us to understand why the boy did what he did. There's a hint that his boyfriend was seeing other guys, he got a really nasty birthday present from his mother, he was very lonely at the hospital where he worked, but -- the dots weren't really connected. It felt like a couple of scenes had been cut, with the effect that at the climactic moment I found myself asking "Wha'?" instead of feeling the horrible inevitability of it.

Why am I criticizing a movie that gave me the best cry I've had in months? Because movies on Lifetime, even the best ones, always pull back from the edge. There is always at least to some degree an ironed-out, homogenized, Canadian-locationized blandness to the storytelling (even though this one wasn't shot in Canada.) What if they let a movie actually be itself? What if they aimed for Sundance quality nuance, naturalism, emotion, unexpectedness in storytelling? The writing and direction on this movie were first-rate, for what it was (and Sigourney Weaver and Ryan Kelley ripped my heart out)-- but I feel that both writer and director could have gone all the way with it and made it a MOVIE.

I wonder why they didn't.

Sigourney Weaver hits a home-run performance as a right-wing bible carrying nut who can't accept the fact that her younger son is gay.

She resorts to just about everything possible to get him to amend his ways. She sends him to therapy, constantly belittles him and uses the bible frequently to justify her disdain for his lifestyle.

A confused and bewildered young man, Bobby eventually commits suicide. The real tragedy here is to get his mother thinking that the condemnation of gays is really not the way to go.

The film is a very good one as it especially comes to grips with the church's condemnation of the gay life style and the use of the bible to distort this way of living.

Good intentions do not necessarily make for good movies, and "Prayers for Bobby," which brims with good intentions, falls short of its creators' goals. The film's story cannot be spoiled for those yet to see a telecast, because televised previews and interviews with star Sigourney Weaver have already done so. A young man comes to the realization that he is attracted to men and cannot change his nature. His otherwise doting mother, who adheres to a strict interpretation of the Bible, cannot accept a gay son. The son commits suicide, and, at fadeout, the mother is leading a gay pride parade. Unfortunately, a wrenching tragic story has been rushed, and the bland results are more "after school special," than truly special, like the groundbreaking "A Touch of Frost." Bobby is well played by Ryan Kelley, although the character's anguish and inner conflicts remain unexplored. The freedom he experiences during a visit to an out-of-town cousin, his budding relationship with a handsome young man, and his father's seeming indifference to his sexual orientation make the boy's ultimate decision puzzling. Evidently, Bobby has even visited an inclusive church, run by gay pastor Dan Butler. Nevertheless, the young man with these avenues of solace before him chooses the darkest solution. Because the story is true and Bobby left a diary, much material must have been cut. Directory Russell Mulcahy, best known for music videos, inserts rapid flashes of a bound Bobby struggling to release himself. However inspired these bits might have seemed, the results are more annoying than illuminating.

The mother's character shift occurs with similar whiplash rapidity. The role of Mary Griffith was likely written to attract a major player with award-winning aspirations, and Sigourney Weaver rises to the occasion with appropriate histrionics and serious soul searching. However, a woman who, according to the script, has been bound to her Bible throughout life asks simplistic questions that could have surfaced in Bible school. The torment and inner turmoil that she must have experienced in challenging long-held beliefs are tossed away in a few scenes. Perhaps "Prayers for Bobby" is appropriate for families with a gay child that have no knowledge of homosexuality, which seems remote in the 21st century. With only a couple chaste male-male kisses, the film is certainly discrete and suggests little of gay life, other than darkly lit bars, furtive encounters, and the rare tolerant parents. However, the Bush years are history, Proposition 8 has been passed, and gays need films with more bite than this de-fanged piece. With a potentially important and gripping story and a talented cast, "Prayers for Bobby" is a lost opportunity to make a statement about the role that organized religion plays in demonizing gay Americans and denying them their inalienable rights.

Aside from the production values (script, acting, cinematography, direction, etc.), which were excellent, this is one of those rare movies that incites thoughtful and far-reaching discussion and maybe even debate, that can impact and change people's lives. That, in my mind is the objective of every filmmaker.

Prayers for Bobby takes Mary Griffith's transformation to the next level. Her impact on parents, while substantial, could only reach a small populace. The filmmakers have taken that outreach and (literally) broadcast it to the world. There is no end to the positive impact this film will have, not only on parents and their children, but on those who may have preconceived notions about gay people.

I will admit. I refrained from watching this one for quite some time just by reading it's synopsis. I'd had enough of listening to hate propaganda about gays from the right wing and the evangelicals, and I just didn't want to deal with anymore hate. But someone said.. Sigourney decimates this film. You need to see it just for her. So I gave it a chance. Whoa... was I surprised. The power of this film is beyond description. You do not walk away from this, untouched or unfeeling. I hid in my room because I couldn't stop crying. It's one of those I think...once you watch it...you're gonna go back and do it again and again. It really is top notch!!

I don't remember seeing any serious films about gay people. Most homosexual films are comedies which are not well done. I only found about this film on this site. since I have never heard about it before, I just assumed that it won't be too good. But I was so touched by this film, especially by Sigourney Weaver's performance. If this were a real film, she should have won an Oscar for best actress! I can't stop crying at the end, it was so touching. Sigourney Weaver is a famous actress, but I felt as if she was really bobby's mother. I have never seen the other actors in that family. so it seemed as if they were all real family members.

If your parents rejected you for being gay, or if you have a gay in the family and you are struggling to accept him, this is definitely a film for you.

Very touching movie that will definitely bring a tear to your eye. Sigourney Weaver gives a fantastic performance here. Some of it seemed a bit overdone. For example, the scene when Bobby meets with David's parents just didn't seem believable to me at all. It seemed totally overacted. The basic story was just so incredibly sad. It was supposed to be uplifting at the end, but I didn't take it that way. A bright,smart,caring and loving young man is dead and the whole thing could have been avoided in the first place. Regardless of your religious persuasion, you need to accept your children for who they are. You may not agree or like it, but they are your children and you have to be tolerant,respectful,loving and patient. My best advice would be put yourself in their position and think about how you would want to be treated. Parents often have a difficult time doing that.

A film specifically made for TV having been premiered on America's Lifetime network a decade ago. Naturally, the quality and cinematic flair were kept to a bare minimum, consequently leaving all of the focus on this tragic story. Whilst the first half came across as painfully obvious and underdeveloped, it's the second half that truly questioned the evangelical teachings of Presbyterianism. Bobby Griffith, a young boy who was essentially "perfect", starts to come to terms with his homosexuality. His mother on the other hand does not and rapidly drives her son away into mental depression and paranoia.

As an advocate of LGBT films, this docudrama has good intentions. It conveys the bigotry towards gays through a personable family story that manages to be accessible to millions. Sure it lacked the emotional depth, particularly from Bobby's perspective, and rapidly culminates his adolescence in a mere twenty minutes. Ford's teleplay was clearly under time constraints and unfortunately did not allow the tragic undertone to simmer, disabling any real emotional connection to Bobby. However, the story then changes viewpoint. This tragic tale is not necessarily about Bobby. No, it's about a mother coming to terms with the closed-minded prejudice she gave her son that drove him to tragedy.

All of sudden the story becomes interesting, questioning the interpretations of biblical text. Text that she deemed holy and evangelical. Several passages, mostly Leviticus, were queried when she met a local reverend who reassured her that Bobby was not sinful. Real tangible emotion is brought forth, thanks to a dependable and convincing performance from Weaver. Superb acting. Say what you will about the horrific editing techniques and mediocre directing (it was like watching CSI...), you cannot deny the good intentions that Prayers for Bobby brings to the nation. Poor first half, good second half. But most importantly: stop homophobia, because you never know when "a child is listening".

I grew up in a wee small village outside Montreal. From early on, I knew I was gay. I had a mate on the next street over. His family's property backed on to ours. I was in the military and I came home for a visit. I met my mates mother who sadly informed me that her son and committed suicide. He was frightened, he panicked, took his fathers 9mm and shot himself. She told me that he was gay. It did not shock me that he was gay, what shocked me was that he and I were in the same City when he took his own life. His death has haunted me all my life.

As I grew into a man, I took part in my Church and even rose to high national office in a Men's Organization. I remember an incident that took place in Toronto when the diocesan chaplain of the organization came to me and demanded that I strip someone from office because there had been a court case and the man had been raped. The assumption was that the man who suffered the trauma led on his assailants and was gay. I was so disgusted with the events that I resigned my national office and did not go back to my Church for nearly 30 years.

All my life I have been haunted by my mates death by suicide. I keep reminding myself that I had nothing to do with it nor am I in any way responsible for it. Yet, I remember him. I know he had dreams and aspirations. I may not have been able to talk him through whatever the crisis was but I wish I had been there for him.

This film is a godsend. I hope all of those who see it remember that gay people are just like you and me. They get up every morning, put their pants on one leg at a time. They go to their respective jobs. They go to their respective Churches and they volunteer in our communities. And above all else, I believe that God is a very loving God not a hateful or vengeful God. I believe He has a very special place for Gay people in Heaven when it comes to their time for they have, in many cases, suffered so much.

It's 1979 Walnut Creek, California. Bobby Griffith is confused sexually. His grandma is homophobic. He breaks up with his girlfriend. His older brother Ed finds him trying to commit suicide. His sister Joy and father Robert (Henry Czerny) try to be supportive. On the other hand, his religious mother Mary (Sigourney Weaver) refuses to accept it and actively tries to change him. It's a struggle until he goes to stay with his accepting cousin Jeanette. He starts dating David but his inner turmoil sends him to kill himself. Mary is devastated and searches for meaning with progressive Rev. Whitsell (Dan Butler).

It's a sincere Lifetime movie. The first half is very straight melodrama. The second half has Mary preaching. Sigourney Weaver does some big time acting. This is an issue sermon movie. It's more concentrated on that especially the second half.

So I've watched this movie some time ago and still can't get over it. It's not about the excellent performance, it's not about the tragedy itself, it's the whole picture of this movie that literally blew me away. I normally do not cry during movies and if I do, it feels kind of forced (like in "My sister's keeper" which is made so that you cry and feel better afterwards) but the final of "Prayers for Bobby" felt like "release". Not this "finally-the-movie-is-over-release" but the release you can only experience after watching a loving mother going through the hardest process of her life to accept her son for what he was. I can't imagine anyone who gives this movie a serious shot coming out and saying "Ok, so this was lame, I don't understand the process". "Prayers for Bobby" shows what a real struggle looks like. It shows love, passion and extremes without being cliché. If get your hand on it, try it, it's worth your time and interest.