Saved! (2004) is a movie about Mary, a devout Christian girl attending a Christian school and dating a Christian boyfriend. But when Mary finds out that her boyfriend is gay, Mary knows in her heart that Jesus is telling her to cure him — by sleeping with him.
I know. It’s easy to gasp or even laugh at Mary’s idea. But I would say… wait just a second.
We live in a time when we have come to believe that God speaks to us through winks, and nudges, and whispers, and sighs and any number of unclear things. We’re often told that any old thought that pops in our heads, as long as it feels good, then it is from God!
Add that to a teenage mind and a broken heart, and you get a good young lady who honestly thinks God wants her to have unprotected sex with her boyfriend. To cure him. She just gets pregnant.
Yes, this movie will offend you if you love Jesus. You will cringe at how crude it gets. But really, underneath all the naughty words and crass jokes is a very good lesson for us all.
Take Hilary Faye, for example (played by Mandy Moore). Sure, Hilary loves Jesus. But she takes her faith to the point where it’s just a lifestyle, a brand. She has lost sight of humility and empathy. She thirsts for people to accept Jesus the way social media influencers thirst for followers — all for her own glory.
Aside from the main story of Mary’s ordeal dealing with an unexpected pregnancy, losing her boyfriend, and getting a crush on a new guy (it’s a teen movie, after all), we see the stories of a group of teenagers who are absolutely confused about their beliefs, faith, and God.
There’s Roland, who relies too much on his sister for everything. He’s in a wheelchair, but he allows her to control pretty much his whole life. And Cassandra, who has behavioral problems that her parents think faith can cure, be it Jewish school or Christian school– they don’t seem to care.
It would be easy to dismiss them as teens, too young and immature to know any better, but they’re the result of the various confusing messages we get from outside of the Bible:
* “Hearing” from God in strange, unbiblical, and unclear ways.
* Treating Christianity like a lifestyle brand β¨
* Parents treating God like a Santa Claus, who gives or takes based on behavior.
Like any teen movie, this one is over-the-top, vulgar, and the big reveal was at prom π But all in all, it was a film with an interesting journey of self-discovery for all characters.
Good movie or disrespectful? Both. So wear your pearls, because you’ll be clutching them! I know I was…
μλ ! Bye! Ciao!
jarilissima
I don’t know if I’ll watch this movie, but your review is excellent. I appreciate that you took the time to look below the surface. If you write more movie reviews, I’ll read them! Keep up the good work.
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Thanks π
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I’m a Christian and really like this movie. There is a spectrum of faith and Hilary Faye just takes it too far. Very good review!
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Her character was definitely interesting! I also liked Roland’s storyline from dependent to independent π
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I remember when this movie first came out and I genuinely thought it was a satire. Iβm curious now based on your write up and will definitely take a look.
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It’s exaggerated the way 10 Things I Hate About You and She’s All That is, kinda goofy, very edgy teen jokes π But overall, I honestly thought it posed good questions about faith, empathy, and how we treat each other π
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π¬Oh my! I had never heard of that movie.
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It’s a little crazy π
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I have not seen the movie. I don’t think I would like it. But I really enjoyed your review! Blessings Jarilissima!
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The funny thing is I didn’t love it, but I thought it was good (well written?) if that makes sense π
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P.S. I haven’t been a teenager for several decades!
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There’s a couple of decades between me and my high school days, too π A lot of the jokes were immature, but I can see how a younger person would giggle at them π
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Iβm with Cindy, itβs been a long time since I have been a teenager too. Not sure it would be one for me.
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Totally understandable π€
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I never saw this movie, but I remember hearing a lot about it when I was in high school (it came out when I was a junior)! The gifs you posted literally made me laugh out loud!!!
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π π
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Good review, you awoke my interest to give it a viewing if it should come my way. Thank you.
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You’re very welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed π
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Never saw the movie but the summary sounds somewhat too much of a mockery for my taste; good post though
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Oh yeah, it was pretty goofy. Definitely for a younger audience. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy your weekend π
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