Prayers for Bobby

Synopsis: In "Prayers for Bobby," Mary Griffith (Sigourney Weaver) 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 he may be gay, life changes for the entire family after Mary learns about his secret. While Bobby's father (Henry Czerny) and siblings slowly come to terms with his homosexuality, Mary believes God can cure him of what she considers his 'sin' 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is asked of him, but through it all, the church's apparent disapproval of homosexuality causes him to grow increasingly withdrawn and depressed. Guilty over the pain he is causing Mary, Bobby moves away, yet hopes that some day his mother will accept him. His subsequent depression and self-loathing intensifies as he blames himself for not being the 'perfect' son and is
Director(s): Russell Mulcahy
Production: Unknown
  Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 13 nominations.
 
IMDB:
8.1
TV-14
Year:
2009
90 min
1,444 Views


O God I need you too.

I want to see your face.

It is this love I have

It makes me search for you.

I need you to listen,

I need you to answer.

I need you to listen,

I need you to answer.

Do not avoid my eyes

or let me anger you.

Do not toss me aside.

O God, do not drop me.

Alright you two.

That's enough.

I like her.

I think she likes you.

What tells you that Mum?

Here you go Mum.

This is such a nice day.

Who knows this?

May those who love you,

be like the sun when it rises in its strength.

Corinthians?

Judges 5:
31.

So grandma, how old are you again?

Never mind.

You know you shouldn't ask for the age...

That's very nice!

Save some for me, will you?

That's very nice!

Who's that from?

From you and Mary!

Well correct!

I was just testing.

Remember Mum?

We were at the mall

and you said you liked that.

So I went back and I got it for you.

Nancy honey, get me my purse.

Why am I always the one harrased to get the purse?

Youngest Griffith girl's the purse mule.

O Grandma.

Open mine.

Why do I have to be the purse mule?

Ok. Fine.

Yes, I think it suits me.

What do you guys think?

Grandma, that is a lovely shade of lipstick.

Beautiful!

O Ed stop it.

Why? What's wrong Mum?

It's disgusting.

If you ask me,

queers should all be

lined up and shot.

Didn't you say that last year

about the Giants?

What did you say?

Never mind.

What is this?

It's a journal.

Like a diary.

I don't need any more stuff.

Mum!!

- What?

- I'll go.

It's a good thing we didn't

get you the pen.

You can't take it personal.

It's grandma.

You know the rules. Sh'es mean sometimes.

Then we get a free pass to make fun of her.

Bobby, she picks at me.

Nobody ever picks on you. You're the favorite.

So what's it like to be perfect?

I'm perfect?

You think I'm perfect?

Have you looked in a mirror lately?

You're Charlie's next angel, ok?

Can I have it?

You don't want it.

Well, I'm taking it.

I'm gonna fill this up in a week.

Come on. Let's go celebrate grandmas'

I am ready.

What?

I wanna go further.

Is... Is something wrong?

I thought you'd want to...

Here? I mean, this isn't really

what I had in mind.

It doesn't have to be here.

I should go. I have to

get up early tomorrow.

Is something wrong?

I don't think this is gonna work.

I think we should break up.

I thought you liked me... I came

to meet your family.

I just don't want to get that serious.

Well, it doesn't have to be serious, ok?

It's not you, it's me.

I'm sorry.

Hey.

You wanna watch with me?

I'm tired.

Oh come on!

Who else can I get to watch

an old black and white movie?

You know if it's not John Wayne,

your dad's not interested.

It's really scary.

You know this scene's famous?

Really?

You know they got that glass of milk to glow?

How?

Well Hitchcock put a lightbulb inside

the glass so the audience would know

the milk was poisonous.

No kidding.

That's clever.

How do you know that?

Cause I'm brilliant.

You are brilliant!

Take it away; I'm eating too much.

I think there's something wrong with me.

That's for sure.

What you think Mum would do if she found out

one of us was a psychoptath?

What you mean "if"?

You know she's always saying...

the whole family's gonna be

together in the afterlife?

Well...

What if one of us is a sinner?

Have you sinned with Michelle ?

I promise I won't tell.

It's not that.

I'm just...

thinking about stuff, you know?

You think too much.

It's dangerous.

That's why I avoid it

at all cost.

Yeah?

I'm glad we talked.

Seriously, something... something wrong?

No.

Relax, cause I'm your big bro.

I'm just looking out for you.

What's up Bobby?

Ready to go?

Hey Bobby.

Cheryl.

She's not your type.

Too much eye shadow.

What's wrong with Michelle?

We broke up.

Talk to you guys later.

Not telling the truth...

sometimes I feel like I'm at

the edge of a cliff,

looking down at the crashing surf

with nowhere to go but down.

I used to have these fun dreams

when I was so free.

But now, as I fly,

I'm afraid.

They are telephone lines and

electrical wires.

How painful it would be to run into one.

I wonder if I'll ever be free again.

Hello?

Bobby? Bobby?

Hey! Bobby? What did you do? Ha?

Did you take these?

Answer me!

No!

Is that the truth?

I couldn't do it, ok?

Get off me.

I wanted to but I couldn't.

What's wrong with you?

Why I couldn't do it?

Because it's a sin.

Bobby, what are you talking about?

I didn't wanna go to hell, but...

I am.

Cause this is worse.

Bobby, you're scaring me.

What's going on?

You'd all hate me.

I know it. I know that if you guys

knew the truth, you'd hate me.

No.

Whatever it is...

we'll tell Mum...

No!

No. Mum wouldn't understand. OK?

She can't know.

Then you have to tell me right now.

I'm not like you Ed.

So what?

I keep trying.

I keep telling myself that one day

I'm gonna wake up and it's gonna

be different. But it's not.

I don't dream...

about girls, like you do.

I dream about guys.

You're gay?!

See?

You even say it like you hate me.

Bob, gimme a break.

I don't know what to do!

-We'll tell Mum and dad.

-No!

No.

They can help, Bobby. They always

want us to come to them.

They can help.

I can't! Ok?

And you're not gonna say

anything either.

Promise me.

Promise me you're not gonna

say anything.

Ed, promise!

Ok.

I promise.

Mum, if there was something wrong

with one of your kids, you always

said that we should come to you...

What did you do?

It's not me, it's Bobby.

What is it?

I didn't want to tell you but he was...

in such a bad shape, I'm really

worried about him.

He thinks...

he might be homosexual.

He's not.

He didn't want me to tell you. He was

gonna take a bunch of aspirins.

Ok?

You know... he trusted me, you

can't go too hard on him.

Ok, good. It's good.

I'm glad you told me.

There's no doubt in my mind that

God can handle this.

He'll help us.

He'll heal Bobby.

In order for all of us to be together

in the kingdom of heaven,

we cannot stray.

We can't sin like that.

That is a terrible sin.

The bible calls it an abomination.

In Leviticus, if a man lies with

another man,

they should both be put to death.

I will not raise my family not

being together in the next life.

Mary. Can we please worry about this life

before we worry about the next life?

Hey. What's going on?

Isn't there a problem you need to

tell us about?

-No...

-Bobby

If there is something wrong, you

need to share it with your family.

-How could you?

-Bobby...

I'm gonna kill you!

No!

Ok, ok. Enough!

I was worried about you!

I trusted you!

Calm down!

Hey, Ed. Go find some room.

Bobby, we're your family.

We can get through this.

I know that if we trust in God,

we can get through this.

It's curable with his help.

I'm sorry.

I can't help it.

I don't even want it Mum!

What do I do?

Bobby, you're not gay.

You're probably just...

you haven't met a girl that you're

really attracted to.

Please...

Mum, please don't tell anyone please...

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Katie Ford

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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