Saved 2004

Tonight I announced that I'd like to go see a film and the kids searched the Cineworld website and came up with 'Saved'. It came portrayed on the website as a black comedy teen movie about American school life.
OK We hadn't done much this week so I agreed. The cinema was basically empty but as soon as we walked in I could sense trouble. The back row was full of Chavvy kids with baseball caps and loud mouths.
They shouted and whistled through the trailers and adverts, and indeed much of the film.
The problem was the basis of the film was Christianity. No-where did it really tell you that on the posters or adverts for it.
The chavvy kids hated this and made fun of it from the opening scene.
The film was basically about Mary played by a very excellent Jena Malone from Donnie Darko fame.
Mary is a Christian. Christianity forms the base of her life.
She had a good Christian boyfriend and was attending an excellent Christian school and is one of the popular girls. Playing keyboards and singing in the Christian school rock group.
But Mary's BF is gay. She's devastated when she finds out and after an accident when she hits her head and has a 'Jesus' vision who tells her to do ANY thing to bring the gayman back to the fold, she sleeps with him and gets pregnant.
This film is interesting, not for the story particularly but it examines how when people perceive themselves as Christians they see themselves as being the 'good' and 'saved' ones. They are the ones going to heaven and 'sod' the rest of the sinners. Mandy Moore , whose showing herself to be a great little actress, plays Hillary Fay. A devout Christian Girl whose life (she thinks) is full of Jesus and good doings, when in fact she is as far from the true sense of Christianity as you can get.
A side diversion of her handicapped brother underplayed very well by Home Alone's Macaulay Culkin and his Jewish and very anti God girlfriend is good. This pair ending up being the most caring and rounded people out of the lot.
In the end all becomes right and the bigotry shown by the teenagers parents and elders is questioned and equated by their children. This generation embrace knowledge and the individual as being ok to be different and sin because Jesus loves everyone. Right ok!
Hmmm a rather moralistic movie. One that prompted discussion with my girls not least because of the behaviour of the Kids in the back of the cinema who, after I'd warned them four times, I had to get ejected.
Still too tidily packaged for me though, Mary keeps her baby girl, and the end scene has everyone rallying around her bed in the hospital, except for the vicar whose last seen still tormenting his soul between what he knows is right and what he feels isn't right.
Worth a watch though. I actually quite enjoyed the whole thing and I left with a warm, happy feeling so there's a recommendation for you...made Trin warm :p