Review: Saved!


Jena Malone is a member of a Christian singing group at her Christian school who is unfortunately outcast when she falls pregnant by her ex-boyfriend, who is gay and whom she was trying to ‘convert’. Now she is able to view the clique headed by uncaring, unkind and seriously judgemental Mandy Moore for what they really are. She rallies with fellow outcasts Eva Amurri and Macaulay Culkin (as Moore’s handicapped brother, whom she treats like a leper) to dethrone Moore and open up everyone else’s eyes. Mary-Louise Parker is Malone’s clueless, somewhat spacey mother who is having a tentative affair with the school’s Pastor Skip (Martin Donovan, his best work in my view). Heather Matarazzo is one of the other girls (and is exactly the same as she always is), whilst Patrick Fugit is the Pastor’s kid, who likes Malone and doesn’t seem to be judgemental or sanctimonious at all.



Somewhat watchable 2004 Brian Dannelly satire on religious fanaticism has an important message but relies on caricatured performances for the most part (and not just Moore’s shrill, literally bible-bashing bitch), and frankly isn’t all that funny. The one exception is Donovan, who steals the show as the hilariously uncool (but wannabe hip) Pastor Skip. It just goes for the easy laugh too often, and most of those laughs aren’t all that big, but hey, it’s Dannelly’s first film as director, and it ain’t half bad overall.



Rating: C+

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