“Prayers for Bobby” is a 2009 television film directed by Russell Mulcahy and starring Sigourney Weaver as a mother of a young gay man who commits suicide. The film is based on the real life of Bobby Griffith, a young gay man who killed himself due to homophobia in his family and his community. Mary Griffith is a devout catholic and a committed family woman in a small town of Walnut Creek, California. She raises her kids in a conservative, religious manner. When her son Bobby (Ryan Kelley) shares with his brother that he thinks he is gay, his secret comes out. Bobby’s father and his siblings are learning how to accept their son’s sexual orientation, but Mary is certain she can “change” him by praying harder and making him more engaged in church activities. Bobby dutifully obeys his mother, but the struggle with his own nature leads him to depression. Overcome with guilt, he moves to Portland, where he accepts his true nature and starts a relationship with David, a man he meets in a gay bar. Mary is still unwilling to accept his son’s orientation. Bobby meets David’s parents who assure him that things will get better, but his mother’s disapproval, as well as seeing David with another man, pushes him over the edge and he jumps off a bridge onto the path of a truck. After the tragedy Mary begins to question her beliefs and sets off on a long and emotional journey that will see her grow more accepting and learn how to love her late son for what he was and not despite what he was.
Chris O'Dowd never returns borrowed designer suits
