Saved! Movie Review

Saved! (2004)

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Written by: Brian Dannelly & Michael Urban
Directed by: Brian Dannelly
Starring: Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Heather Matarazzo, Mary-Louise Parker, Aaron Douglas
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
When a girl attending a Christian high school becomes pregnant, all of her former friends turn on her and she is ostracized and demonized.

Verdict
It's a satire of evangelical beliefs, and it does what you'd expect. The message isn't surprising. We should accept everyone, even those different from us. The people that proclaim the loudest about what the Bible wants are the ones that fail to see the lessons in it or use it to hide.
Skip it.

Review
It's a silly premise that let's you know exactly what this will be, and it's a direct criticism of the knowledge that Mary (Jena Malone) lacks because of her evangelical school.

Jena Malone, Patrick Fugit play Jena, Patrick

The jokes are pointed and this certainly works with a stereotype, albeit a well earned stereotype.  Mary's pregnant due to a lack of education and to help her boyfriend who is forced out of the closet and sent to a group home to unnecessarily fix him. He ends up the roommate to another gay teen. You can guess where that will go. Mary is disappointed at her situation and the lack of compassion for her boyfriend. She begins to question her faith, but she can't tell anyone that because of repercussions. The only student that shows Mary some empathy is Cassandra (Eva Amurri), the lone Jewish kid at school and the resident cool rule breaker.

Heather Matarazzo, Mandy Moore, Elizabeth Thai play Tia, Hilary Faye, Veronica

The youth pastor that's so concerned about the gay boyfriend is the same person is a secret relationship with Mary's mom. Hypocrisy runs rampant. Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) at one point exclaims she is "filled with Christ's love" as she throws a Bible at Mary after a failed exorcism. There's a facade of cheeriness and denial throughout this as it shows us how characters should treat others and how they actually do.

The larger commentary is that Mary should feel the church is a place of support for her situation not derision. The school is unrealistic about what teens face and the consequences which is certainly a contributing factor to the situation. This portrays the church as having a very narrow view of people, which is duly earned. This movie captures how patronizing some evangelicals can be. While this plays into a stereotype, it's how evangelicals are viewed at large. It's a call for change. It's not about altering your beliefs but having compassion.