Saved!
★★★★
Saved! is still completely frightening to realize how little has changed within the evangelical Christian movement. Don't get me wrong, Christian churches, theatrics and doctrine have gotten larger, but the hypocritical ideology that this film spotlights has sadly stayed the same. Watching this film almost twenty years later, I was shocked by how well it has held up. It's still as biting and cynical as it was in 2004 with stellar performances from its ensemble cast (including Patrick Fugit, Eva Amurri Martino and Mary-Louise Parker). Hilary Faye (brilliantly portrayed by Mandy Moore) has sadly gotten outshone by the Plastics of Mean Girls, but her righteous and privileged character has served as an omen to all the Karens that have emerged in our society.
Not everyone will vibe with the message that film preaches. It can be just as blatant about its intentions as the preacher and culture its making fun of, but director Brian Dannelly doesn't forget to bring true heart and emotion to this story. You completely buy into how the lead character Mary Cummings (Jena Malone) can change her whole outlook on life and that's really hard to do in 90 minutes.
If you grew up in this world of Christianity in the south, the themes and visuals will be all too familiar. Maybe its because I heard many preachers in my youth declare, "Are you down with G-O-D?" but this film is very personal for me. I very much changed my thinking about the world as Mary does, and Dannelly showcases this transformation with both hilarity and poignancy.
