WELCOME HOME BOBBY

US, 1986, 100 minutes, Colour.
Tony Lo Bianco, Timothy Williams, Adam Baldwin.
Directed by Herbert Wise.

Welcome Home Bobby is an interesting American telemovie about a young man's sexual identity. It opens in mid-story with the 16 year old Bobby arrested in Chicago, soliciting, and returned to his parents in a small town outside the city. The reaction is strong, rejection by father, bashing and tormenting by peers.

The film focuses on the 16 year old and his sexual dilemma, his behaviour, his confusion, his self-assertion and ultimate wanting to make choices about himself for a full human life, no matter what the sexual orientation. The variety of attitudes towards homosexuality are expressed in the screenplay: the father and his absolute antagonism and anger, his feeling that it is a reflection on himself and his macho Italian family; the peers and the groups organised to torment homosexuals; the confusion of the young girlfriend who is repelled by the behaviour yet still loves the boy; the school staff who ask the boy to move to another school; the maths teacher who reveals that he has lived a quiet life with a companion for over 20 years but cannot come out because he would lose his job; the wealthy executive who seduces the boy.

Timothy Williams is quite persuasive as the boy. Tony Lo Bianco is his angry father. A telemovie that is worth seeing for understanding the experiences of the boy's sexual confusion and for discussing responses to the issue.

1. Impact of the telemovie, for the wide television audience, dramatisation of a social issue, the controversy?

2. Chicago backgrounds, the small town? Homes, school, houses on the outskirts? Audience being able to identify with the characters and their background?

3. The title and its irony?

4. Audience response to the realities of homosexuality, choices, nature, orientation, natural orientations? Orientation and behaviour? The response of family? Peers and the persecution? The need for support and friendship? The refusal of therapy? The attitude of the priest: acknowledging that the boy is gay, then what?

5. The importance of storytelling to dramatise issues and make them more real for the audiences? Understanding the issues, responding at a feeling and personal level? Presentation of facts? How people deal with reality?

6. The opening of the film and it starting in the middle of the story, Bobby and the man in the car soliciting, on the beat? His arrest, return to his parents, parole and conditions? His father's angry reaction? His mother's bewilderment? The response of his brothers? The peers at school and their mocking him, the bashing? Nobody wanting to eat with him, Beth, her hesitant response, disgust, but support of him? The audience puzzling over the issue and the response?

7. The later flashback and Bobby's voiceover, the place of inserting the story of the past - and his ability to talk things over with Cleary and Beth? The story, computers, the encounter with Mark, the experience, friendship, the meal, the clothes, staying at his apartment, his declaration, the style of the seduction? Bobby's confusion, response, return home, his agreeing to the sexual encounter - and his later reflection that if Mark was a father-figure, he had always wanted to please his father? Mark's severity after the party, forbidding him to meet other people? Bobby’s' walking out? The return to understand the truth, the other lover present, the betrayal? The reaction of the new lover to Mark?

8. Bobby and his father, the Italian background, Catholic, working with machines? The patriarchal family? Joe's abuse of his son, ignoring him? Bobby trying to get his father's attention with being a swimming champion? The father's anger when Bobby and Russel were playing, forbidding them to touch each other? His gentleness with Russell, his memories of playing with Donny, rejected by Bobby? His reaction to Bobby dressing in drag and his denunciation, his anger? Ousting Bobby? The visit of the priest, the priest talking frankly? The reaction in the family, his ultimate move to reconciliation, going to see Bobby, Bobby making the first remark, his ability then to welcome home his son?

9. Bobby's mother, her support, not understanding, Love? At the meals, at home, talking things over with Joe - and Bobby overhearing? the reaction of Bobby at the meal? Going to the Principal and the discussion about his leaving the school?

10. Donny and Russell, their father loving them, being able to play with them, tender with them? And not being able to be so with Bobby? Russell's reaction to his father's outburst? His continued love for Bobby, not matter what? Donny and his relationship with his father, the piston and going to get it ? His trying to persuade his father to talk to Bobby?

11. Beth, expressing the dilemma of the adolescent girl in such a situation? In the cafeteria, welcoming Bobby, disgusted at what she heard? Yet trying to understand him? Their talks about love and lovemaking? The friendship with Cleary and Anne? Her listening to Bobby's story? Her dilemma with getting the low marks, feeling horrible, persecuted on Bobby's behalf? His support of her? Her going with Cleary and Anne to the streets of Chicago to support him?

12. Cleary, the bikie, the outsider? His support of Bobby on principle? His getting rid of the bashers ? His house, friendship with Anne? Not going to college, not wanting to be told what to do? Story of his father, his lame foot, growing bigger than his father, leaving home? The relationship with Anne, her friendship, Pottery? Their help of Bobby? Bobby's telling the truth to Cleary, that he was always avoiding the issue? Anne and the help with the priest?

13. The priest, his role in the prison, psychologist? Response to Bobby, personal moral, counselling technique, affirming him and neutral stance on homosexuality? His own celibacy? Affirming Bobby, inviting him to the group, the group's angry reaction to Bobby and his leaving? Yet Bobby returning for therapy? His going to see, Bobby's father to mediate between the two?

14. Mark, the wealthy businessman, seduction, friendship with Bobby, the restaurants, the expensive clothes; the apartment? The relationship? Sexuality? The party, his jealousy attitude, forbidding Bobby to meet others? His own family background and his daughter? Other lovers - and his being unmasked by Cleary and Beth, and Bobby's understanding of the truth that he was using his role as a father figure?

15. The maths teacher, support of Bobby, standing up for him to the Principal? Writing on the blackboard that he was gay, the communication, Bobby, affirming him? His own story? Happiness in life? Coaching Bobby for the prize?

16. The principal, pressure in the school, the denunciations, the petition? The other teachers and their harsh stances? The visit of Bobby and his mother?

17. The portrait of peers, the explanation of homophobia, the jock type afraid that he might be homosexual and therefore reacting strongly against it? The pettiness of the behaviour?

18. Bobby, self assertion, winning the swimming - but his father not going to see him? His mother going to the sodality meeting? His resigning from the team? His decision not to run out, to stay at the school, to graduate , the maths prize, his speech?

19. The significance of the resolution: Bobby's confusion, sorting out his sexual identity, the response of parents, his self assertion, therapy? Self determination to be honest and to lead a full and human life?