Some twenty years earlier the movie Heaven Help Us came out and it was to Catholic schools what Saved is to Protestant ones. Both were well received by the generations of movie goers who saw them in first run at theaters.
Young Jena Malone gets a double dose of trauma in her life. First her boyfriend Chad Faust confesses he's gay to her. In the Christian school they go to that's a ticket to exile or at least to one of those reorientation centers.
But then Jena nearly drowns during swimming and as she's in the pool with her life supposed to be flashing before her eyes, she gets a vision of Jesus who commands her to sacrifice her virginity in order to save Chad from the horrible sin of homosexuality.
That sacrifice turns out to be quite costly as a memento of the event is left behind. Jena tries mightily to get through that senior year before being discovered. Especially with Mandy Moore who's the self appointed head of the virtue police.
The cast of Saved is young and appealing, but when Mandy Moore as Hillary Faye is on the screen she steals the film completely. She's a modern version of the porcelain goddess that Cary Grant talked about in The Philadelphia Story. Ms. Moore succeeds both in being hateful, but yet you feel sorry for her because this virtue police is her whole empty life.
About three years ago I was vacationing in San Antonio and one morning in front of The Alamo I and others were greeted by about fifty young people from a local Christian school. They were out there on school time and under school supervision giving out religious tracts, being trained as young evangelists. They were earnest and bright eyed and sought to engage me in some religious dialog which I fended off. I thought about the movie Saved at that point because I KNEW that somewhere in that group there were a few Mandy Moores. And I was even more certain that there was at least one Chad Faust who while giving out his tracts was dealing with some unwanted feelings for the same gender.
Let's say that it works out a lot better for all concerned in this film than it does for a lot of the Chad Fausts in real life. Saved is an entertaining film with some valuable lessons to be learned watching it.
Saved!
2004
Action / Comedy / Drama
Saved!
2004
Action / Comedy / Drama
Plot summary
Mary is a senior at American Eagle Christian High School in suburban Baltimore. She considers herself born again; her rebirth was at age three. Her best friends are two classmates that comprise the Christian Jewels band with her. Hilary Faye is the alpha Christian who outwardly is perfect, especially in her connection to God Veronica is ethnic Vietnamese who was adopted and thus saved by a black Christian couple. A third is Tia, who is generally an outsider in her geek status but who aspires to be in this Christian clique. Also within their social circle--solely from necessity--is Hilary Faye's older brother Roland, who has been in a wheelchair since age nine after falling out of a tree; out of family obligation Hilary Faye transports him to and from school and everywhere else, but the rest of the time the siblings scorn each other. One of Hilary Faye's God-driven missions for the year is to save new student Cassandra, a Jewish girl who was expelled from her last school and only attends this faith-based school as a marginally-better option than the alternative. Mary's world starts to fall apart just before the start of the school year when her boyfriend Dean tells her he thinks he's gay. Mary receives what she believes are messages from God, including one indirectly through Hilary Faye, that make her believe she can save Dean by having sex with him and if this does save Dean, God will restore her spiritual virginity. The outcome? Dean is outed anyway and sent away for conversion therapy; and Mary becomes pregnant, something she doesn't tell Dean or Lillian, her mother. Her pregnancy affects how she treats another new student, Patrick, the son of the school's principal, Pastor Skip. As Mary tries to figure out what to do, her Christian faith is tested by many other Christians justifying what may be considered sins in having a higher Godly purpose, which she is unaware includes a relationship between her mother and married Pastor Skip.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
Porcelain Goddess of the Virtue Police
Sharp jabbing satire saved by great young actors
Mary (Jena Malone) has been a good Christian since she was born again at the age of 3. When her boyfriend Dean tells her that he is gay, she is shocked and tries to save him by going all the way. Dean is sent away anyways. Her friend Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) is a fundamentalist Christian with handicap brother Roland (Macaulay Culkin). Cassandra (Eva Amurri Martino) is the only Jew in the Christian school. When Mary becomes pregnant, she starts to question God and is shunned by everybody except for the few outcasts.
This satire takes a lot of jabs at the religious fundamentalists. The sharp jabs can be very wild and flailing. Some of it nudges the funny bone a little, but none of comes off as big laughs. The young actors are very compelling and interesting. Everybody is great although Mandy Moore is overly ridiculous. This movie has too many axes to grind and not enough funny jokes. At least, I like all the great young actors.
Delightful and Sharp Tale of Friendship, Love, Tolerance, Fanaticism for Religion and Hypocrisy
In a Christian school, the fanatic and wealthy Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) and Mary (Jena Malone) are best friends. Their friendship ends when Mary gets pregnant, after having sex with her gay boy-friend trying to "save" him, and questions Jesus' will. Meanwhile, the rebel Jewish Cassandra (Eva Amurri) dates Hillary's brother, the crippled Roland (Macaulay Culkin),and together with the newcomer son of the local pastor, Patrick (Patrick Fugit),they become the new friends of Mary, supporting her situation.
My expectations with "Saved!" were not good. The awful Brazilian title gave me the wrong idea of another silly teen movie, a sort of "American Pie". But I was absolutely wrong: "Saved!" is a delightful and sharp tale of friendship, love, tolerance, fanaticism for religion and hypocrisy. This dramatic comedy has many great lines, and I personally loved the discussion in the prom, when Mary questions the pastor and says that if Jesus wanted all of us equal, why made people so different? The young cast is a dream for any independent director, supported by the awesome Martin Donovan and Mary-Louise Parker, whose resemblance with Jena Malone is amazing. I highly recommend this movie for those that expect a fresh view and criticism of religion. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Galera do Mal"("Gang of Evil")