Saved!
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Saved! | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Brian Dannelly |
| Produced by | Michael Ohoven, Sandy Stern, Michael Stipe, William Vince |
| Written by | Brian Dannelly, Michael Urban |
| Starring | Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan, Mary-Louise Parker |
| Distributed by | United Artists |
| Release date(s) | January 21, 2004 |
| Running time | 92 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | ~ US$5,000,000 |
| IMDb profile | |
Saved! is a 2004 teen comedy film involving elements of religious satire written by Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban, and directed by Dannelly. It stars Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri, Martin Donovan, and Mary-Louise Parker. It was filmed at Clayton Heights Secondary School in Surrey, British Columbia but set in suburban Baltimore County, Maryland. Michael Stipe of the band R.E.M. is one of the film's producers.
- Tagline: Heaven help us.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
At the beginning of the film, Mary (Jena Malone) is a "good Christian" girl who goes to American Eagle Christian High School near Baltimore, where she has "good Christian" friends, including Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore), and a seemingly perfect Christian boyfriend, Dean (Chad Faust). Her life, in fact, itself seems perfect... until the day Dean tells her that he is gay.
After seeing what she interprets as a vision of Jesus in a pool, she does everything in her power to help Dean turn straight, including offering up her virginity (temporarily, because she's sure Jesus will restore it). But none of it helps, because Dean is caught by his parents and sent to a Christian reparative therapy center, and Mary ends up pregnant. During the course of her pregnancy, she becomes friends with the school's set of "misfits," including the rebellious Cassandra (Eva Amurri), the school's only Jewish girl, and Roland (Macaulay Culkin), Hilary Faye's wheelchair-bound brother. Patrick (Patrick Fugit), the skateboarder son of the school's principal, Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan), gets to know Mary and develops strong feelings for her, inspired by her questioning of the faith. In the meantime, the mean-spirited Hilary Faye turns her into a social outcast, and Mary's mother develops a mutual romantic attraction to Pastor Skip.
The climax of the film, which takes place at the high school's prom, concludes with the birth of Mary's child. Afterwards remarking upon her experiences culminating in the birth, she happily states a belief at the end of the film that God is everywhere. Dean returns and (though still gay; he and several others ran away from the "degayification" center, as revealed during the climax of the film) is shown at the end with Mary while she's in a hospital bed, holding their newborn child. The romantic tension of Pastor Skip and Mary's mother is resolved as they begin a romantic relationship.
[edit] Response and Criticism
Supporters of the film, including Rolling Stone, claim that the film was a strong social commentary, and didn't depict all of the Christian characters negatively. An example of one of the film's "good" Christians was Patrick, who according to Slant magazine, held his Christian faith proudly, and was "sweet". [1]
[edit] DVD
A DVD version of the film is available with a director's audio commentary, as well as commentary by Jena Malone and Mandy Moore; theatrical trailer, access to deleted scenes, and some bloopers.
[edit] Trivia
- Although American Eagle's denominational affiliation is never revealed, the school has a distinct charismatic flavor. Several students (including Mary) raise their hands during prayer and worship, and Pastor Skip calls speaking in tongues "God's special love language." Also, Hilary Faye tries to cast a demon out of Mary.
- Anne Hathaway was originally cast in the role of Hilary Faye but was replaced by Mandy Moore when funding fell through as Hathaway was due to start Ella Enchanted.
- At the first assembly of the year, Cassandra fakes speaking in tongues, but actually bares her breasts. During this scene, Moore and Malone revealed in the commentary that the original script called for Hilary Faye and Mary to speak in tongues as well. This was written out of the script, but Hilary Faye does "interpret" Cassandra's tongues. Moore also reveals that the woman who was training them to speak in tongues gave them phrases to repeat, including "she bought a Hyundai," "she bought a bow tie" and "untie my bow tie."
- Jonathan Larson, author of the Broadway musical RENT, wrote the book, music, and lyrics for a musical satirizing the religious right in the 1980s called Sacraimmorality, later renamed Saved!
