Saved
Originally Written: July 2004
“Saved” isn’t a film meant to condem Christianity, as some have implied, but to re-affirm faith that a higher power is looking out for you, and has a plan. In that way, this film from co-writer/director Brian Dannelly actually reminded me of Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ,” which was condemned by the religious right as blasphemous before it was even seen.
As it was with “Last Temptation,” it is with “Saved.” Though a less-successful film on its’ own terms (it lacks the comic sting satire requires), it is a thoughtful story that knows where its’ heart lies.
That would be with Mary, a student at American Eagle Christian High School and member- in good standing- with the Christian Jewels, the religious equivalent of “Mean Girls'” Plastics, a clique at American Eagle that’s “down with G-O-D” (as the pastor in charge of the school would say) and is more than willing to disown anyone who isn’t. To the outside observer (which is to say, me, the moviegoer), it’s clear they mean well, but their method’s of guilt-inflicting, heavy-handed “saving” of those who don’t believe in Christ- or don’t believe in the same way they do, I should say- reek of preachiness bordering on hypocrisy (this becomes even clearer as the film moves on). To say the least, this isn’t the crowd you want against you if you were to- say- sleep with your boyfriend in a dillusional attempt to save him from being gay (as Mary does when she hits her head in a pool and dreams of Jesus saying to do “anything” to help him), and wind up pregnant as a result, as Mary does.
Mary is played by Jena Malone, a teen talent whose been around for years in movies such as “Contact” (she was Jodie Foster as a kid), “Cold Mountain,” “Stepmom,” “Life as a House,” and the cult fave “Donnie Darko.” Here, she makes Mary’s crisis of faith after her decidedly unplanned- or considered- pregnancy palpable and poignant, as her guilt isolates her from the Jewels and her desire to keep it quiet extends a growing estrangement between Mary and her mother (a good Mary-Louise Parker), who is dating American Eagle’s pastor Skip (Martin Donovan, terrific).
It isn’t long after the Jewels abandon her that Mary falls in with the outcasts at the school, who include Cassandra (a fantastic Eva Amurri, who happens to be Susan Sarandon’s daughter), the rebellious and provocative girl of American Eagle who’s the only Jewish girl at the school, and Roland (a surprisingly sly Macaulay Culkin), who is the paraplegic brother of the Jewels’ overly self-rightous leader, Hilary Faye. Hilary Faye- and it’s important to note that everyone in the movie says her full name whenever addressing her- is played- quite hilariously- by Mandy Moore, who once again gives a surprisingly good performance that separates her from other singers-turned-actresses of her and other generations.
Of course, the character of Hilary Faye also points up the film’s most glaring flaws- it’s lack of edge (which- as I said before- any satire should have; see Kevin Smith’s “Dogma”), and its’ one-sided nature towards the arguement. Granted, it’s eventual message- that God made everyone different, and never intended us to be the same, either in our personalities or in the way we accept God into our lives- is an important one these days. But while the other characters are given closure- or redemption in many cases, there’s none allowed for Hilary Faye. Some might argue that that’s how it should be, given her heavy-handed ideas of “saving” those who don’t agree with her; I say no. I say she needs redemption more than anyone. Sadly, she doesn’t get it, much less a conclusive ending to her “story” besides the jokey “movie justice” Dannelly and co-writer Michael Urban give her. In that choice, Dannelly and Urban give “Saved!” one final irony- that in giving the outsiders their happy ending and judging the embodiment of Fundamentalist values, they’re guilty of the same hypocracy they’ve just condemned. In the end, “Saved!” remains an entertaining movie, but oh could it have been more.
