What is the story behind “Prayers for Bobby,” which profiles Bobby and Mary Griffith?”
Just ask David Permut, Daniel Sladek and Chris Taaffe, who have jointly struggled for nearly 12 years to bring the emotionally charged family drama “Prayers for Bobby” to television. The result, on which the trio shares executive producer credit (along with Stanley M. Brooks), premieres at 9 tonight on Lifetime. The project’s long journey began in 1996 when Taaffe, then an actor also working in TV production, happened upon the Leroy Aarons’ book on which the TV movie is based at a West Hollywood bookstore. He was immediately drawn into the chronicle of a suburban California mother’s transformation from religious zealot and homophobe to prominent gay activist after the suicide of her 20-year-old gay son, Bobby. Taaffe recommended the book to Sladek, a movie producer and former production executive, who read it and was equally enthusiastic. Envisioning a feature film, Sladek brought the book to Permut, a higher-profile producer with studio credits (“Dragnet,” “Face/Off”). “I thought it w
In 1983 Bobby Griffith died instantly when he threw himself off a freeway overpass in Portland, Oregon. He could not reconcile his self-loathing and his religious mother’s fiercely determined quest to heal his homosexuality through the Bible. It took Bobby’s tragedy for his mother, Mary Griffith, to understand that it was not Bobby that needed to be fixed, but blind adherence to flawed biblical interpretations. His death led her to renounce her homophobia and fundamentalism and become a steadfast advocate for LGBT rights and education. Over 25 years later, Leroy Aaron’s penned book, Prayers for Bobby, has become a Lifetime Movie honored with two of the highest Emmy Award Nominations: Best Made for TV Film and a Best Actress nomination for Sigourney Weaver. Weaver portrays Mary Griffith with a depth of love and compassion that calls us to understand the pain of a mother who realizes her ignorance and fear too late to save her son from tragedy.
In 1983 Bobby Griffith died instantly when he threw himself off a freeway overpass in Portland, Oregon. He could not reconcile his self-loathing and his religious mother’s fiercely determined quest to heal his homosexuality through the Bible. It took Bobby’s tragedy for his mother, Mary Griffith, to understand that it was not Bobby that needed to be fixed, but blind adherence to flawed biblical interpretations. His death led her to renounce her homophobia and fundamentalism and become a steadfast advocate for LGBT rights and education. Over 25 years later, Leroy Aaron’s penned book, Prayers for Bobby, has become a Lifetime Movie honored with two of the highest Emmy Award Nominations: Best Made for TV Film and a Best Actress nomination for Sigourney Weaver. Weaver portrays Mary Griffith with a depth of love and compassion that calls us to understand the pain of a mother who realizes her ignorance and fear too late to save her son from tragedy.
