Prayers for Bobby

Mary Griffith (Sigourney Weaver) is an incredibly devout Christian who raises her kids strictly following the conservative teachings of the Presbyterian Church.

But things take a turn when her son Bobby confides in his older brother that he thinks he might be gay. Once Mary finds out, the whole family dynamic shifts completely.

While Bobby's dad and the rest of the relatives slowly start to accept who he is, Mary holds onto the belief that God can "fix" his behavior. She pushes him to pray harder and get more involved in church activities, hoping to steer him back onto what she calls the "right path." Desperate for his mom's approval, Bobby goes along with it, but it honestly just leaves him feeling more isolated and depressed than ever.

Feeling guilty for the pain he's causing his mother, he eventually moves out, clinging to the hope that she’ll one day accept him for who he truly is. Between the crushing weight of not being the "perfect" son and his deepening depression, he ends up taking his own life. Dealing with this tragedy, Mary starts questioning everything she thought she knew, especially after the local pastor can't give her any real answers about losing her boy. After a long, heavy emotional journey, Mary reaches out to the gay community and finds support in the most unexpected places.
Trailer

I know the movie came out back in 2009, but I just stumbled upon it yesterday. Honestly, it's a shame I didn't know about it for two years.🙈

What did you guys think after watching this? Did it change your perspective on anything regarding the gay community?

The movie deals with homosexuality, and I just wanted to point out that for these people, it isn't just about sex. They have so much depth and emotion—stuff that a lot of people aren't capable of feeling or simply refuse to see.

I highly recommend giving this one a watch. 🙂

Nick? That's a bummer.😁

Just finished watching it. It’s honestly wild how a movie this good isn't blowing up like some total garbage they're pumping out lately.

This flick deserves a solid 100000/10.🙏

Don't act surprised that this movie was overlooked. In a sea of LGBTQ+ cinema, maybe one or two actually hold water. Most of it is such pure trash that even the community doesn't want to waste their precious time on it. But anyway, getting back to Prayers for Bobby. I watched it about a year ago and personally, I liked it. It’s certainly not a masterpiece, but it tells a story. It has a beginning, an end, and everything in between. Sigourney Weaver carries the whole thing beautifully; you can tell she truly lived the role, and seeing that internal struggle written all over her face is easily the film's greatest strength. She played the Catholic mother perfectly, and I'm genuinely glad she was the one to take on this project. The plot itself isn't groundbreaking—we've seen this story play out several times before—but it's handled with such humanity and emotion that it finds its own charm. I honestly recommend it to everyone, regardless of whether you're gay or straight. Even if it was made for a specific audience, I think anyone can find something to appreciate in it.
p.s. Is there a thread here dedicated to gay cinema? I think it would be interesting to see how filmmakers critique and perceive movies like these.

I haven't sat down to watch the movie yet, but honestly, since it’s flying under the radar despite people actually liking it, I have a hunch it's solid. You always run into those gems—brilliant pieces of cinema that just never catch the eye of the mainstream crowd. I'll get around to watching it soon and let you know what I think.

Birdcage - some gay themed movie. 😁

I've seen this movie a few times now—it's solid. Honestly, it's a shame this thread is so dead.

That’s the truth. 🙂
The last time I actually sat down and watched him was probably when he was on ABC, if I remember correctly.

That was such an awesome movie. It honestly reminds me so much of The Bible Tells Me So.

I’m actually planning to watch it this weekend—I've heard nothing but praise, so I can't wait. 😁 Honestly, the best movie with queer themes is Adeline's life, and truly one of the best films out there.

Just a quick correction on the title—it's Prayers for Bobby ja, not Bobby-a; I don't get why people write it like that, as if we were saying Mark-a.

Honestly, after seeing this, I feel like you’re gonna end up totally rethinking what counts as the best movie in this genre. This one is just seriously good. 🙂
Fixed the title. 🙂

northernpilot2 said:Once you've seen it, I suspect you might reconsider what constitutes the best movie on this subject—this one is truly exceptional. 🙂
Title fixed. 🙂

I am looking forward to watching it—perhaps even before the weekend? 😃 If it actually changes my perspective, then it really is a wow movie; though based on everyone else's comments, it seems to be exactly that.

Man, this was just bad—really bad. I was impatient, so I went ahead and watched it. But seriously, how can anyone actually call this a good movie?

The dialogue is atrocious—it feels like it was written using a template designed for the most mindless American audiences. The situations feel forced, the acting is subpar, and calling the character development "bad" would be an understatement. Don't even get me started on the soundtrack; it’s just cliché after cliché. It’s that classic American sentimentality that’s so frustratingly over-the-top I actually wanted to turn it off halfway through.

There truly isn't a single redeeming quality here compared to the actual story. It's a disaster that such a devastating tale was turned into such a poor film.

Adeline's life is art—this is just a recorded story.

I refuse to give this a rating.

What a shame; I was really looking forward to a great movie.