Saved! (2004)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden, this movie is very deceptive. It starts out innocently enough but it soon becomes clear that it is anything but pro-Christian unless Christians choose to look at it as a cautionary tale to keep the faith. Once it does become clear that the film is anti-religion it comes as no surprise during the end credits that the "technical" authority is a book entitled "The Case Against God" - an atheist tome. No wonder so many of the comments on this board are positive from kids who already don't believe in God. This movie must have been right up their alley. The villains of the film are all Christians and the heroes are the teens who rebel against God. Not even the adults are depicted as being able to properly mentor the kids in the right ways of God. The Mandy Moore character is played over the top and only accepted when she too seems to lose her faith. The others: a girl who gets knocked up trying to "save" her gay boyfriend; Moore's crippled brother; a misfit Jewish troublemaker and even the school principal's missionary son all rebel against the faith and come off the good guys. They even crash the school prom (at an obviously parochial school) for what reason, really? They claimed they had a right to attend but really? What right did a 9-month pregnant girl and a couple of gay boys have to crash this prom? Their answer: Jesus loves us too. As I said, if Christians want to view the film as a way society tries to vilify it, then fine. If not, it only reinforces the atheism rampant among youth today.

Ratings: Comedy: 09 Acting: 10 Satire: 09 Relevance: 09Having watched Juno and agreed to its rating on IMDb (about an 8.00 at the time), I was sceptical on what this movie would have to offer. Boy, was I surprised!The plot is well crafted and the humour very biting. The acting is flawless, whether it be Malone, Moore, Martino or Culkin. Malone does deserve special mention though, as she shines throughout.Juno made the topic of teen pregnancy heavy. Saved! treats it in a lighthearted manner and still gets a lot of messages across.Watch it - it's cute and great at the same time.

Very well written script. The plot is very well constructed and the characters are amazing. The storyline is really interesting and the different points of view that are portrayed might get you thinking for a while. Acting is very good and I think the direction is very good as well. The only problem with this movie is the opinionated point of view against Christians, picturing them as irrational people. The cool guys, of course, are the ones who do not believe in Jesus or still question him. And of course, the whole movies makes you jump to the conclusion that believing in God is not only irrational but somehow bad. That's why I would suggest taking your precautions when letting children watch this, or at least make them think about it after watching it. Do not drink the Cool-Aid!

Saved! is the most original, clever and thoughtful teen movie I have ever seen. It questions the meaning of life, religion, belonging, and right and wrong.Mary (Jena Malone) is a happy, Born Again girl excited about beginning her senior year at a Christian high school with her Christian friends, and Christian boyfriend. But her world is shaken to its core when her boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust) reveals that he is gay. Believing that Jesus wants her to "help" him, Mary has sex with Dean in order to make him straight. But unfortunately, when school starts and Dean is sent away for "de-gayification" the whole school finds out, thanks to Mary's judgmental friend Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore). Things only get worse for Mary when she discovers she is pregnant and questions her faith, making her withdraw from friends like Hilary Faye. While she struggles to fit in with most classmates, Mary is befriended by the rebellious Jewish girl Cassandra (Eva Amurri Martino) and Hilary Faye's cynical, paraplegic brother Roland (Macaulay Culkin). Tension gets stronger as Mary progresses in her pregnancy and Hilary Faye competes with her for the attentions of Patrick (Patrick Fugit), the principal/pastor's son who has his eye on Mary. Throughout the school year all the teens and even some parents learn a lot about friendship, faith, and the meaning of right and wrong.Saved! explores a topic most movies for young adults do not even touch upon. It is a story of spiritual maturation and morality. Though many people may argue this movie insults Christianity or Christians, it doesn't really. It does poke fun at Fundamentalists and Born Agains, but only because of many of their unfair, mean or truly, unChrist-like practices. True Christians will see how positive this truly is. No matter your beliefs, it is funny, warm-hearted and something you can watch over and over again.