Preview: SAVED!

By Charley June 11, 2004 11:13 AM

The new dark comedy about teenagers at a Christian school stars Jena Malone (Donnie Darko), Mandy Moore (The Princess Diaries), and Macaulay Culkin (Party Monster, Home Alone) and was produced by REM's Michael Stipe.

The movie centers on the ridiculous decisions that teenagers make when they are under the influence of religion, including trying to convert someone who is gay.

The IMDB plot summary:
A girl at a Southern Baptist high school finds that her pregnancy makes her an outcast. The film is a coming-of-age story and also a dark comedy. "It's like those monster vampire high school kind of movies, only here the monsters are Jesus-freak teenagers," says Michael Stipe, the R.E.M. lead-singer turned movie producer.

So far Saved! is enjoying mixed reviews, but its subject matter is what's getting the attention. ?Fanatics both religious and atheist crawl out of the woodwork to shout at one another about a movie where the kid from Home Alone has a supporting role. ?Here's one IMDB discussion thread.

Though, in general, religion is laughable, the movie's creators may have missed the boat, drawing criticism for their lack of courage in attempting the satire.

Says Salon.com:

Even though it pretends to be sharp and observant, it's really one of those "Let every flower in the garden grow" movies, conspicuously lacking both guts and well-sharpened teeth.

And Newsday:

Spares us from offending any religious sensibilities by insulting our intelligence instead.

Other reviews praise its satire. ?

Rolling Stone:

An acutely perceptive and boldly hilarious satire of fundamentalist education.

Saved! is now playing select cities. ?If you're tired of laughing at the same old Christians, head over to the official site to see if it is playing at a theater near you.