Zachary FenellSaved!
January 10th 2009 21:21
Saved!, 2004
Remember that annoying kid, Macaulay Culkin, from the Home Alone movies? It turns out that in Hollywood, people actually grow up! It's amazing! Of course, he still has to live down the curse of the Movie That Wouldn't Die, but this is definitely a step in the right direction.
Saved! (you'll notice the exclamation point there) is about a young lady, Mary, who attends a very Protestant Christian high school. In an effort to save her boyfriend from the "evils" of his homosexuality, she ends up getting knocked up. Zaniness ensues.
Here's what makes this movie great: where it could have been an existentialist fumble into turning against Christianity, or where it might've gone the other extreme with the "saving power of Jesus Christ", it took a great middle path and draws the difference between Religion and Faith.
Some of the characters admittedly start out a little cliche - there's the Bad Girl, the Perfect Girl, the Perfect Girl's Lackeys, and the Maverick - but through the course of the story, they really get a major dimension of humanity that a lot of similar movies lack. No one is "just that way" - everyone has a reason for being the way they are. Sometimes that's exploited by others to hurt them, but sometimes that's what gives them the leg up on showing compassion.
Some of the scenes are just hilariously classic. Roland dancing for spare change is one of them. The "One-Man Pride Parade" is another. The camera loves telling this story, and we love watching it.
One point of interest, though: This movie is rated PG-13 for "strong thematic issues involving teens - sexual content, pregnancy, smoking and language". I think it's a great movie to start THAT conversation with your pre-teen or teenager. It shows not only what might happen if you have sex but also a variety of options of how to handle it when "things go wrong" (and their consequences).
I give it four stars. Without the great message and the mall scene, it might only eke out a 3.5, but I think it deserves a little more for taking on a very tough topic with lightness, honesty, and humor.
4 Stars
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