SAVED!

REVIEWED BY STEPHANIE VALE

Our rating: 2 out of 5

Because of: mockery of religion, sexual content

Rated:

Mary (Jena Malone) has always led an exemplary Christian life, along with her best friends Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) and Veronica (Elizabeth Thai). They attend American Eagle Christian School, hold constant prayer meetings and even have their very own singing girl group, The Christian Jewels. Everything in Mary's life seems to be right on spiritual track, until one day (while swimming)...her boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust) confesses he thinks he's gay. Mary is so shocked by his confession that she ends up hitting her head and almost drowning in the pool. She has a "vision" and believes that Jesus is telling her to do everything necessary to help "save" her boyfriend from becoming gay: and she does.

Next thing you know school is starting, Dean is sent to Mercy Home Center to "recover from his gayness," and Mary soon realizes that she is pregnant. Angry at God for letting her down and not protecting her from this when she was only trying to do "His will," Mary begins to rebel at school. Shocked Hilary does everything she can to save "the poor backsliding Mary" who is going to "end up in Hell if she doesn't repent." Mary's mother Lillian (played by Mary-Louise Parker) seems to be ill-equipped to deal with things like teenage pregnancy, so Mary enlists the help of school rebel & Jewess Cassandra (Eva Amurri) and Hilary's handicapped brother Roland (Macaulay Culkin) to hide her pregnancy from everyone.  Especially Hilary, her mom, and school principal Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan).

Pastor Skip's oh-so-cute son Patrick Wheeler (Patrick Fugit) just returned from the missionary field (where he was living with his mother), seems to have developed a big crush on Mary, but Hilary also has a big crush on him. Roland and Cassandra begin to spend time together, as Roland takes up smoking and begins to find some freedom from his over-bearing sister, Hilary. All this melds together to create a situation filled with drama and tension that must come to a head at some point. But will everything turn out all right in the end, and will Mary find her faith again?

There is some language in this film, including two f-words. Christ and God are mentioned often, but not in swearing: there is one instance where a character says "Jesus Christ" when scared and another one says "G*d damn" and seems to really mean it, but that is it. There are some ugly phrases and swear words done in graffiti on one scene that the camera pans on for a few seconds. There is smoking, it is inferred people are having sex in their cars, there is a scene where two characters have sex, but you see nothing and just hear a few seconds, and then they show the "just after" bit for a few seconds. It is spoken of and inferred that the pastor and a woman are having an affair. There is a few seconds spent during a sex-ed class, with a picture of a naked man and woman (areas "blurred"). Something is stolen from a local store. There is a short stint where Mary is exploring different religions, and is reading a book and holding a crystal. Much of the content is fairly irreverent.

From her license plate "JC Girl," to her "gossip filled" prayer meetings, and Bible-throwing theatrics of "Jesus's love," Hilary seems to epitomize all that can be bad about a Christian girl. She is portrayed as being filled with jealously, "tough" love, and scheming, more than with Christ's forgiving love. I didn't walk out of this movie feeling offended, but I should warn you that many of you may.  Much of the content of this films shows atypical Christian activities and functions, from Christian school assemblies to prayer meetings, all with a bit of dramatic flair and with the "Christianese" so overdone that it is very over-the-top. I couldn't help but chuckle at some of it (much of it was so true and a bit silly when looked at with an "outsiders" perspective), but some could easily take great offense; I think if you are going to be able to watch this film, you have to be very open-minded about the way they "poke fun" at the religious community. There is a definite line between making a valid point and ridiculing, and although they often came very close, I never felt like the moviemakers stepped over the line. But some of you may: all this to say, I still don't think this is for "ye who be faint at heart"; it takes strength and openness to be able to look at yourself the way others may see you and understand where they may be coming from.      

The ending leaves some left to be desired, and I found myself wishing for a tiny bit more resolution on some points, including Mary's "faith" in God. In the end, I felt the movie painted a pretty realistic picture of life in the "Christian world" (as many Christians isolate themselves from the world) and how it is, and it does make some very valid points and even teaches some good life lessons. As one character says "Why would God make us all so different if He wanted us to be the same?" They seem to be telling Christians to be more open-minded, more accepting, and the world would be a better place as a whole. And I can't say that I don't agree with them on that. The world would be a much better place with more forgiveness and less grudges, more love and less hate.

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