Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-16 22:49:58

heartfelting movie

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) I love it. It is very helpful understanding about lifestyle. I have been watch that movie often. i'm movie watcher! LOL!

2013-05-16 11:51:51

Emotionally touching movie that tugs at the heart strings

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) Movies that are created to bring to light issues experienced all around the world are not always the best--mainly because only one side of the issue is presented by the movie in most cases. "Prayers for Bobby" is a remarkable film that shows both sides of the story. I first saw this movie on the Lifetime channel and was thrilled when it was announced it would be released to DVD.This film touches on both sides of the story of a confused teenage boy Bobby Griffith (Ryan Kelley) who has come to terms with his homosexuality, and his mother Mary Griffith (Sigourney Weaver) denial that she could have a gay son. The film shows all of the standard arguments of the religious communities quoting scriptures of how homosexuality is a "sin". As well as the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) stance that when those scriptures were written the word abomination was interpreted as different not the ugly convoluted interpretation of today. "Prayers for Bobby" tells the story of Mary Griffith (Weaver), who late in life becomes one of the most influential gay rights activists. The path she had to travel to get to that point was an unfortunate one. Mary was devoutly religious and was confronted with a question of faith when her beloved son Bobby (Kelley) admitted to her that he was gay. This was in the early Eighties, and the religious education Mary had received had her convinced that the church could cure her son. Bobby, feeling guilt and remorse for causing his mother pain and having to deal with his homosexuality as if it were a sin. Bobby endured both self loathing and depression, as well as moving to another state to start a new life but was unable to escape his "inner demons." When presented with tragedy, Mary had to reevaluate everything she had been taught to believe.While this film takes place 30 years ago, the points visited in the film bear a remarkable resemblance of events that are taking place today with the instances of bullying and teen suicide which have been highly publicized in the media over the past few months quite possibly society hasn't evolved as much as we think. Intolerance is the major hot button issue. Intolerance is an ugly animal certain religions have failed to combat with some even promoting intolerance. Griffith handled the religious fervor well and is saddened as well as frustrated on many accounts. Weaver portrays Griffith marvelously in this film.With Griffith's change of heart and belief coming to late for her, she moves forward to fight for the rights and equalities of others to ensure that others do not have to endure what she has. Her final speech in the film is extremely moving and will definitely touch everyone. Keep a watch out for a truly touching scene in the final minutes of the video.Get your copy today: Prayers for Bobby

general66 2013-05-16 00:17:20

Stunning Signourey

I saw this movie last night and was overwhelmed by the story and theamazing performances especially by miss Weaver. If you are gay or notthis movie about ignorance, acceptance or lack of it and regret. Mostgay people will relate to most of the feelings and emotions in themovie but it will connect with most viewers (hopefully). Always nice tobe remembered of old struggles which seems so absurd now when you areover 40.This movie more than about homosexuality. It is a film about people,family, love, friendship, and understanding. And like another reviewermentioned before ...if you are someone who thinks that homosexuals areevil, I dare you to watch this film.Just a brilliant movie and thanks Signourney!

2013-05-15 05:57:14

Inspiring!

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) This movie is a must watch for anyone struggling with their sexuality and faith. Also highly recommended for those with children that are GLBT. A very touching TRUE story about a mom that could not come to terms with her sons sexuality because of her faith. Sometimes things have to happen to make you realize what is important.

thommy741 2013-05-14 14:39:29

If homophobia had a cure, this would be one of it's ingredients

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 tragedyitself, it's the whole picture of this movie that literally blew meaway. I normally do not cry during movies and if I do, it feels kind offorced (like in "My sister's keeper" which is made so that you cry andfeel better afterwards) but the final of "Prayers for Bobby" felt like"release". Not this "finally-the-movie-is-over-release" but the releaseyou can only experience after watching a loving mother going throughthe hardest process of her life to accept her son for what he was. Ican't imagine anyone who gives this movie a serious shot coming out andsaying "Ok, so this was lame, I don't understand the process". "Prayersfor Bobby" shows what a real struggle looks like. It shows love,passion and extremes without being cliché. If get your hand on it, tryit, it's worth your time and interest.

2013-05-14 04:15:47

Prayers for Bobby on DVD.

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) I remember watching this program on TV the first time it came out. I wanted this one on DVD was well as the Matthew Sheppard Story. From what I understand this story really happened, but I really never knew the particulars. Now with the Matthew Sheppard story, Matthew was up in Laramie Wyoming and I live in Denver Colorado Laramie and Denver are connected by I-25 Highway. Now, I never make it to Laramie, but if he was in Denver, I would have liked to have met him in person.

Davidd2012 2013-05-09 12:35:42

Sad and powerful movie

I watched the movie last night, and it brought tears to my eyes , Thefact that it was a true story makes a bigger impact on everyone. Yes itwas wonderful that Mrs. Griffith finally saw the light but it was tolate for her . I think everyone needs to watch that movie no matterwhat you are gay or straight , especially parents . people needs tolearn that every word has power that could lead to tragedy , stop allthe hate in this world!Great cast/director Sigourney is so a giant actress really must seemovie!"see you later bobby"

tj19 2013-05-09 04:47:39

Poignant and effective, leaves you emotionally lethargic but also hopeful

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 aboutdivorce, or pregnancy issues, or something that really has no plot orsubstance. However, being a fan of Sigourney Weaver and her work, andalso interested in the story that actually has an actual importanttheme, I debated whether it would be worth two hours of my time. Itwas. It is 1979. Bobby Griffith (Ryan Kelley) is a teen who has aloving family and a pretty good life. However, he believes himself tobe a homosexual. He fears that his mother, Mary, (Weaver) will notaccept him and love him anymore, due to her clear and well-known loathand contempt of gay and lesbians due to her faith and literalinterpretation of the bible. When Bobby tells his brother he thinks heis gay, his brother tells their mother, hoping his mother can helpBobby. Instead, she treats Bobby as if he has a disease that can be"cured" through God. Mary's overbearing and abrasive treatment towardsBobby distances him from his family out to Oregon to live with hiscousin, who believes anyone should be allowed to love anyone. While inOregon, Bobby meets a guy who makes him feel good about himself. WhenBobby comes back from his vacation, he tells his family about the guyhe 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 topermanently move to Oregon without a goodbye from his mother. While inOregon, feeling the isolation of the family he loves, he becomessuicidal and cannot take it anymore. He commits suicide. For the restof the film, we see his mother go through some major characterdevelopment and we see her try to overcome her ignorance. I never criedduring a movie before until I saw this movie. Prayers for Bobby wastruly an amazing movie. Watching Sigourney Weaver as Mary Griffithbroke my heart. She was believable and perfect. Ryan Kelley also did agreat job playing Bobby. He showed a lot of range and purity in hisperformance. The movie definitely has a made-for-TV and Lifetimechannel feel to it. It WAS a made-for-TV Lifetime original movie, soget over that (I did). I am so glad I saw this and I urge anyone andeveryone to see it. 9/10

2013-05-05 22:11:43

One powerful message that everyone should hear

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) This movie should be mandatory for everyone to watch so there will be no more Bobby's in this world where you feel the only way out is to take your own life. Amazing to me how religious beliefs could make a mom turn her back on her child when they are suffering thru no fault of their own. So sad that in real life this mom had to loose her son before she realized he was just who God made him as we all are. He didn't have a choice in who he was no more then we had a choice in the color of our skin, the color of our eye's or being born with a silver spoon in our mouth. I just pray that Bobby's mom is out there every day making a difference so another mom won't go thru this.

2013-05-05 10:40:43

Sad yet Beautiful

This review is from: Prayers For Bobby (Amazon Instant Video) This movie is a great movie on what can happen if you don't support your gay or lesbian child. Although this story is tragic, one can learn that Homosexuality is not a choice. This movie can also show you that pray the gay away therapy, or reparative therapy (which is now illegal in California and is banned as a form of treatment from the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association) can prove to be deadly making the child severely depressed and sometimes suicidal. This movie shows you what can happen if you don’t love and support your children for who they are. Remember being gay does not change who that person is, it is another wonderful part of them, but you should never just concentrate on the fact that the child is Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, or Transgender. Love is love, and this movie is based on a true story, so it’s not just a manufactured Hollywood campaign to end the country’s undefined definition of marriage as many radically conservative people say it is. Its goal is not to tear down the Church either. This story really happened and it is in no way shape or form fabricated.

2013-05-02 02:28:31

ANYONE WITH A GAY RELATIVE HAS TO SEE THIS INSPIRING MOVIE...

When Lifetime aired this movie 2 years ago, I was awestruck at how narrow-minded and right wing religious the character portrayed by Ms. Weaver was during the first half. Only after losing her son did she realize it was not HIM that was errant, but HER! Mr. Czerny did not play Mr. Griffith, Bobby-the title character's father-as an emotional man, nor did he seem the dominant of the 2 parents.This was somehow unsettling to me, but alas, perhaps this was how the real-life Mr. Griffith was. The characters in the immediate Griffith family did very well in their respective roles,and Dan Butler whom I am a fan of since "Frazier" days was a casting coup.However it was Ms. Weaver who portrayed Mrs. Griffith so humanly that still effects me to this day.It took me 2 years to muster up enough emotional strength to watch it again on LMN(Lifetime Movie Network).This teleplay deserves a look-see from anyone who has had a struggle to be who they are, also the parents who claim "God will redeem you" to their children who are not conforming to their (parents) idea of who they should be. It's an education for anyone who is stubborn in realizing that their version of "normal" doesn't always pan out that way for their son, daughter, neice, nephew, grandchild,room-mate etc. Buy this movie or catch it ( and record it) next time it airs, oh, and have a box of kleenex handy...EXCELLENT!

2013-05-01 23:57:18

Sigourney Weaver does not miss a beat

You feel her pain, she does not seem like she is acting....wonderful film with shining moments you will not forget

2013-04-28 17:20:50

Wow! I never cry at movies and this one got me.

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) I felt like the movie was a biography of my life. It captures the sentiment of a young gay person struggling with a homophobic family so perfectly. The way he wants to die, the anguish and guilt the mom suffers, how she changes her views once she understands... It was just incredible. Great, great, great movie! (I don't like including politics in my reviews but it's a perfect reflection of the pain and suffering that the Evangelical Christian Right causes on young gay men and women who feel hopeless and discontent in this country.)

2013-04-28 00:18:43

"Prayers for Bobby" is a Must-See Film! Thank you, Sigourney Weaver!

Several years ago, I had a chance to read the book "Prayers for Bobby" and recently saw the film. It's a powerful story that every parent should watch. Being raised by fundamentalist religious parents, they did not/do not accept homosexuality and they do not accept me. But stories like this remind me that there's hope for everyone to learn and grow. Parents need to hear that being gay is not a choice and that if their son or daughter is gay or lesbian that it's not their fault that their kids are they way they are. I didn't choose to be gay any more than anyone straight chooses to be straight.Sigourney Weaver gives a powerful performance in this film. She does the story of the Griffiths justice by portraying her in such an honest way. Everyone should learn from what Mary Griffith and Bobby went through. God doesn't make mistakes and Bobby was not one. Would her acceptance have kept him alive? No one knows, but LGBT kids are more likely to commit suicide if they do not have acceptance from their parents. Mary learned this the hard way, maybe by learning from her plight others will not make the mistake she did.I applaud Mary Griffith for telling her story.And if anyone is thinking that Bobby's way out is theirs too, think twice because there is so much to live for and it does get better. Day by day, it's getting better with my parents, too. Just like Luke Skywalker, I refuse to give up on my parents because I know there's good there.

LauraHope007 2013-04-27 09:12:51

A movie for anyone who has felt misunderstood or alone.

Have you ever felt like you did not fit in? Have you ever had yourparents not accept something about you? If you think you can not getthis movie or understand and you are straight, think again. I amstraight, but this film reminded me of all the times in my life I didnot feel wanted or as though I fit in. I've spent the last year of mylife 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 tobe? Have you ever had to stand up for something you believe in? Haveyou ever thought you were right about a belief and then discovered howwrong you were? Have you ever judged someone by ignorant standards,only to realize you were wrong? Are you part of a minority that hasbeen persecuted and degraded? If any of this applies to you, see thisfilm. It is more than just a movie about homosexuality. It is a filmabout people, family, love, friendship, and understanding. And if youare someone who thinks that homosexuals are evil, I dare you to watchthis film.

2013-04-26 23:57:04

Prayers for Bobby

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) I thought I had already reviewed this product. I love this movie.I hate when the site updates there sites and can't keep the ratings and notes on the items.

MarieGabrielle 2013-04-16 20:02:56

Sigourney Weaver...always worth

watching. I'd like to address another scathing review of this filmbased on the Arons book. Well, this is a Lifetime movie, it isn't ahuge budget, and it at least makes an attempt to get the message out.It is based on a true story which is the heartbreaking suicide of ayoung man who feels judged and condemned by society ( primarily by hismother, a stalwart Christian who quotes Leviticus, and leaves post-itnotes in the bathroom for her son to read about how God wants him to beheterosexual).In 2011, this story should be self-explanatory in America, yet it isnot. Living in the heartland, one still sees the myopic attitudestoday. This is sad, but true, and rather alarming considering advancesin psychotherapy, scientific studies and now that we know how "society"in America is still rather backward at times. Even the recent mediaitems in news about "bullying"...has no one yet learned any lesson on"live and let live"?. And why, if there is a loving God, are those whoprofess to follow him some of the harshest and indeed hateful criticsof those who live differently?.We may not, sadly get an answer to this in the next few years. But wecan at least watch this film and recommend that people try to haveempathy and understanding for others.Weaver portrays a woman who needlessly lost her son to a tragicsuicide. Things like this happen everyday in America. I recommend thisfilm to any parent who does not want to lose their child, by trying toforce them to adhere to what "society" approves of. In the end, ourfamily and loved ones are all we have. Society and the media do notcare what happens until it is De facto, too late.

2013-04-16 05:32:17

One of my favorites made-for-televison movies

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) This movie is very heartfelt and will make some cry, but the message of the movie is that God loves everyone.

2013-04-15 21:38:18

A must...for anyone

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) This is the most touching movie I've seen since I was 8 watching the Iron Giant. It shows very well was most LGBT youth go through at some point in their life and the awful recoil it can have on their life and the lives of those around them

2013-04-15 05:24:12

an unfortunate truth in a great film

This review is from: Prayers for Bobby (DVD) An excellent portrayal of what happens when anyone places the 'shortcomings' of man as the qualities of the Divine Parent, creating a 'false idol worship'.A truth that needed to be told.