SAVED!
Directed by: Brian Dannelly.
Produced by: Michael Stipe, Sandy Stern, Michael Ohoven & William Vince.
Written by: Brian Dannelly & Michael Urban.
Director of Photography: Bobby Bukowski.
Edited by: Pamela Martin.
Music by: Christophe Beck.
Released by: UA.
Country of Origin: USA. 92 min. Rated: PG-13.
With: Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Heather Matarazzo, Martin Donovan & Mary-Louise Parker.
DVD Features: Commentary by Jena Malone & Mandy Moore. Commentary by Brian Dannelly, Sandy Stern & Michael Urban. Deleted Scenes. Bloopers. "Heaven Help Us" behind-the-scenes featurette. Saved! Revelations. English, French & Spanish subtitles. Trailer.

Largely set at American Eagle Christian High School, Saved is this year’s subversive teen comedy. While frolicking in a swimming pool, girl-next-door Mary’s longtime boyfriend, Dean, confesses to her, under the water, that he’s gay. Shocked, she accidentally bumps her head, giving her a vision of a buff stud with a crown of thorns saving her from drowning (in reality he’s the pool boy). Later, praying to God for an answer, she believes Jesus speaks to her - she must give her body to Dean to make him straight. Entering his bedroom (where Dean had only seconds earlier been ogling Honcho magazine), she seizes the moment. Afterwards, instead of a cigarette, she whispers to heaven, “Thank you, Jesus.” All this occurs in the first 10 minutes.

Saved doesn’t attack the tenets of Christianity, but the sanctimonious culture of the Far Right without apology, where teenagers are taught “Good Christians don’t get jiggy with it until they’re married” and the principal, Pastor Skip, may be a little too hip, (“Let’s get our Christ on”). The comedy certainly captures the tyranny of high school cliques. The Plastics in Mean Girls don’t stand a chance against Saved’s Mandy Moore as the duplicitous Hilary Faye. What sets her apart from other beautiful and popular villains is her constant confidence that she is always absolutely right. Moore tosses off her one-liners as if her life depended on it. Here, the bitch upstages the ingenue (Jena Malone). And the entire cast (including Valerie Bertinelli in an aspired cameo) carry on without condescending to their characters or winking to audience. Ironically, the film is preachy in its message of tolerance - a message that should assuage anyone with a thin skin. Although the plot does become predictable, the performances and its sharp dialogue set it apart, boasting much more wit and daring than this year’s other teen comedy Mean Girls.
May 28, 2004

DVD Extras: The Saved! revelations, deleted scenes, which include “What Veronica Really Thinks” and “Veronica’s Dirty Little Secret,” are the highlights - and the least time consuming. The conversational commentary by the two actresses is mutually complimentary; Moore to Malone, “You definitely rocked it.” Or, “Is that just the worse outfit you’ve seen,” asks Moore on her J. Lo-like angel outfit. And the filmmakers’ breezy commentary is as amicable as the movie, where they discuss the challenges of low-budget filmmaking and the necessity of playing the Michael Snipe card (one of the producers) for affordable music rights.Kent Turner
November 3, 2004