I literally just made an account on Rotten Tomatoes just to share how I felt about this movie as an atheist myself. It was honestly sweet and really reflected my own thoughts regarding folks who weaponize religion against their fellow neighbor. This movie certainly hasn't changed my stance on spirituality, but it definitely had me genuinely feeling understood in a way. Times have changed and if Jesus does exist, I figured he wouldn't encourage hate either. This will definitely get a rewatch in the future.

Great character development with keen insights into religious bigotry and the value of faith. Thoughtful dialogue teaching that standing up for what is fair is worth it in the end.

The satire fell a little flat against bad theatrical production and storytelling.

First of all, I think think this film didn't get enough praise as it should have. Or, I just missed it somehow. I'm quite confident that many of the negative reviews are from critics that were offended by the alleged anti-Christian views. However, I would say that the opposite is true. It is not an anti-Christian film, it may be an anti-right-wing Christian film. One of my favorite scenes in the film, before I get into the plot, was when a group of Christian teens got together for a prayer meeting to help play the "gayness" out of Dean. It highlighted the hypocrisy of these prayer meetings, prayer circles, or whatever you want to call them as nothing more than passive-aggressive gossip circles. I wish it was me that came up with the following, but it was none other than Roger Ebert: "Saved!" has a political message: Jesus counseled more acceptance and tolerance than some of his followers think. By the end of the movie, mainstream Christian values have not been overthrown but demonstrated and embraced. Those who think Christianity is just a matter of enforcing their rulebook have been, well, enlightened. And that all of this takes place in a sassy and smart teenage comedy is, well, a miracle". I loved that review. The basic plot: Mary Cummings (Jena Malone) enters her senior year at her Baptist Christian High School. She is part of a group called the Christian Jewels with two of her best friends. Mary and her boyfriend share some secrets with each other in the pool and Dean's secret is that he thinks he is gay. Mary hit her head and had what she thinks is a vision of Jesus telling her to have sex with Dean to help rid him of his homosexuality and she believes Jesus will restore her virginity. Dean's parents find out he is "gay" and send him to a place called Mercy House to rid him of his gayness. Well, this one-time sexual encounter results in Mary getting pregnant. She hides her pregnancy with the help of my favorite character in the film, Casandra, who is the only Jewish girl at the high school. Through all this Mary begins to question her faith, or more specifically, the faith being espoused by her friends and the school she attends. I know this doesn't sound like a comedy, but it was really funny and really sweet at times. It is a film that brought a tear to my eye a couple of times. The first was when Casandra met Mary in the bathroom because Casandra knew that Mary was hiding her pregnancy. Mary stated that she can do this alone and in a poignant moment, Cassandra said, "no you can't" and they hugged. This is the best I have ever seen Macaulay Culkin (Roland) in a film. He played a paraplegic brother of Hillary Fay (the leader of the Christian Jewels, and the most popular girl in school). He is not as into the whole "Christian" thing as his sister. He and Cassandra become friends and eventually boyfriend/girlfriend. Culminated by a very sweet moment about them "getting each other". Roland, Mary, and Cassandra become friends as they navigate going to a Christian school while questioning their own faith, dealing with pregnancy, and coming of age. This film is more real than I think it got credit for. One of the funniest scenes in the film was Cassandra starting to speak in "tongues" at one of the assemblies at the high school. There is so much more to this film and I know I'm not doing it justice. Real quick: 1. The Principal of the School starts having an "affair" with Mary's mom. 2. The principal's son falls for Mary and reveals that he doesn't believe that her boyfriend who is gay is a "deviant" and believes it is ok to be gay. He also doesn't care that Mary is pregnant. 3. It is not a film about abortion as some right-wing rags said. In fact, abortion was brought up once and Mary did not choose that option. 4. There is a great scene near the end with Mary, her mom (played by Mary-Louise Parker), Mary's new boyfriend (the Pastor's son), her old boyfriend who is the father of her baby and gay, and her old boyfriend's boyfriend. It was hilarious and beautiful at the same time. The director of the film went to a Baptist high school and said that he based it on his own experience at a Christian High School. He said he really didn't make anything up. I can relate to that. I did not go to a Christian high school, but I was raised in a Baptist church. There are shortcomings to this film to be sure, but they are forgivable. The message is greater than the short-comings. I think all 9th-grade students should watch this film. I know all right-wing nut jobs will be offended and that makes me happy.

Hilarious film that touches on the hypocrisy of religion, the difficulty of trying to do the right thing in an unclear world, and a message that acting with love and understanding is the best way to navigate life. If movies that examine Evangelical Christianity/religion in a sometimes challenging light is uncomfortable for you, you won't want to see it. Highly recommend.

It's pretty predictable. The plot points are telegraphed from a mile away. No surprises. No big laughs either. The main appeal of the movie is that it chastises Christianity and the culture of American bible thumpers. Mildly entertaining but you can skip it.

LOL, the funniest 01 hour: and 34 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My favorite line is: "S**t! F**k! D**n!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Hysterical look at ultra right Christians. You could do one on the ultra left looney Episcopal Church too, my wacky church.

Biting look at Christianity and religious fervor.

Not a perfect film but definitely a lot of fun. "Saved" manages to mix in teenage angst and religious satire into a relatively entertaining film with decent performances from the cast; especially in the form of Mandy Moore's antagonist role as Hilary Faye.

The best way to describe this movie is "Mean Girls" meets "Heaven Help Us". I didn't expect to like this as much as I did and I don't know why I feel guilty about that. Loved seeing Jena Malone (from the Susan Sarandon/Julia Roberts movie "Stepmom") in a different role. McCauley Culkin didn't have a big role but he was good in this as a handicapped student. Mandy Moore was great as one of the main characters and I liked seeing Mary Louise Parker as Jena Malone's mom. I really enjoyed this movie mainly because of the lack of swearing and nudity, but some things bothered me, like the views on gay rights. "Saved" could have used more humor, but overall, this was a nice surprise.

It is not as biting as it should be but it is still fun.

Saved! is a comedy that skewers Christian films (one of my favorite genres of "bad" movies). It points out the hypocrisy of Born-Again Christians and the tone of Christian movies: One of the opening lines goes, "I've been a Born-Again Christian my entire life." But if the movie didn't move past that, it would be one-note and tiring. Luckily, the movie contains genuine criticism of the movement, while not descending into nihilism. The movie says the black-and-white dogmatism preached by evangelical types can be tyrannical in practice, necessitating more genuine empathy a la Jesus. The characters still believe in Jesus, while allowing for different strokes for different folks. It is ultimately a Christian movie with a progressive tone.

I was hoping some something with a little more bite, this took a lot of safe ways out of the plot and devolves into a pretty standard high school romance story.

Loved it. Super cute fun film.

One of my favourites!

Every so often a teen oriented film comes on the scene. While the typical teen flick is a series of sexual romps, drugs and popular music Saved tries to focus a satirical eye on the growing movement in America, the Christian right. Even though 'Saved' avoids these staples there are a few remnants there. The film centers on the most brutal aspects in high school; the clique. These group associations that determine your social position for four years and frequently far beyond graduation. There have been many movies that have undertaken to address this often painful influence on the rite of passage that is high school. While some films have concentrated of that despotic queen bee of the alpha clique this film adds another dimension to the mixture; evangelical, right wing Christians. While fundamentally identical to the type of clique leader seen in movies like 'Mean Girls', here they justify their obnoxious and condescending behavior with their interpretation of their faith. By instilling the center plot with a religious foundation the filmmaker was able to address such ancillary themes as homophobia, antisemitism and discrimination against the physically challenged. This is quite ambitious for a teen comedy but ultimately it succeeds amazingly well. In the 'American Eagle Christian High School' the leader of the pack is Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore), a devoted young woman who expresses her faith in song with her singing group the Christian Jewels. She filters everything in life through her faith, not necessarily a bad thing but as with anything aspect of life without balance, can lead to a lack of control. One member of the in Christian crowd, Mary (Jenna Malone) soon finds a real test of her faith when her boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust) announces that he is gay. Mary has a bump to the head induced "vision" that Jesus wants her to sacrifice her precious virginity in order to affect the "degayification" of the now doomed Dean. Of course, Mary is certain that Jesus will take into account her noble purpose and restore her to a chase and pristine state. Unfortunately, Mary is soon looking down at the dreaded blue strip on a home pregnancy test. While Dean is shipped off to a reorientation center Mary is now ostracized by her former best friends. Meanwhile, the one Jewish girl around, Cassandra (Eva Amurri) forms a friendship with Hilary's wheelchair bound and cynical brother Roland (Macaulay Culkin). There are enough inter-relationships here for several films. When Hilary turns against Mary as a result of her changed biological status one of the truly memorable moments of the film occurs, during a heated argument Hillary tosses a Bible at Mary's back while shouting "I'm full of the love of Christ". This instant crystalized Hilary's hypocrisy in such an efficient and concise manner that it impact is unforgettable. Usually, for a satire to work it has to be tightly focused. Here, however, there is a bit too much of a crowd on the scene. The many ancillary characters tend to obfuscate the plot. The film tries to be a combination of Mean Girls and the Breakfast Club but ultimately ends up just a bit too over the top. The focus here is venom over humor. While the film is an important work for what it is attempting to do it could have been tighter in structure and achieved more than it musters here. Any group that embraces extremes is subject to satirical treatment but that parody should be without malice and done in a good nature format in order to garner a wider audience. Here the girls are so extreme that the subtler points are often lost. The extremism also leaves the audience without a point of reference required to identify on an emotional level with the characters. Despite the flaws I still found this to be an enjoyable film, carried to a large part by the enthusiasm of a talented cast. I have been a fan of young Jenna Malone for most of her career. With films like 'Donnie Darko', 'Bastard out of Carolina', 'Cheaters' and most recently a featured role in one of the most successful franchises to come from young adventure literature,' The Hunger Games', it is obvious that she is continuing to successfully expand the range of her acting abilities. The intensity she has exhibited in other performances was subdued in this role as a result of how her character was written. In several scenes Ms. Malone was overwhelmed by others in the cast. Of course this is a perfect way of presenting her character, Mary, she has been inundated with a number of serious situations that are beyond her experience therefore leaving her ill equipped to process how to proceed. It also serves to create an ideal contrast with the intensity of self-importance that is the embodiment of Mandy Moore is in the midst of a rare thing, a pop singer that is growing as an actress. Initially she took on more sympathetic, softer roles but here she rips into the zealous venom of Hilary. She has a natural comic timing and to her credit is willing to take on darker roles like this. Macaulay Culkin is, of course, best known for Home Alone. He also is taking on roles like this that showcase a broader acting ability helping him to make a comeback at his young age and show he has lasting power in film. A special nod of appreciation to the fine actress Heather Matarazzo, I first noticed her in the definitively unconventional teen flick 'Welcome to the Dollhouse'. Here Ms., Matarazzo plays the classic high school geek to perfection. Her experience in independent movies has given her the experience to infuse what is typically a one-dimensional archetype with nuances that makes her charter interesting and capable of contributing to the overall success of the story. Overall the cast creates an ensemble that manifests a synergetic chemistry. This is a film that is carried by the cast and it is their performances that provide the audience with a deliciously dark comedy with a sharp satiric edge that slices into some of the most highly debated issues currently dominating the sociopolitical scene. This is the freshman feature for writer/director Brian Dannelly. While most of the flaws of the film are in presentation I have to admit he has an eye for pacing a flick. The movie has a natural, organic flow that sweeps the audience along for the ride. Although the many sub plots often cloud the message the film is above others of the genre. The individual scenes are well composed and expertly lit. The message of intolerance is not lost here. After all Jesus did reach out for the misfits first. It appears that Dannelly had so many ideas to bring this point out that he just tried to fit it all in one film. It might have been a bit better off if he created his own little universe here, like the one manufactured in early Kevin Smith films, and make a few films out of the subject matter. This release is part of an incentive undertaken by Olive Films to remaster fan favorites in high definition. There is a substantial improvement in the color palate and contrast which provides a far more robust viewing experience. It is now possible to note gradations in the lighting and use of camera angles and how they reinforce the overall feel and emotional impact of the narrative.

I was expecting this to be mean spirited mockery of religion and religious people, but it is actually a good natured satire of religious extremism. Furthermore, using the teen genre is a perfect fit for the altogether wacky awkwardness. I liked it.

Hilarious, thought-provoking, and sweet. Just like The Book of Mormon, it's less about making fun of a religion and more about pointing out the difference between theoretical and empirical theology (and being disappointed when things don't go as planned).

Every so often a teen oriented film comes on the scene. While the typical teen flick is a series of sexual romps, drugs and popular music Saved tries to focus a satirical eye on the growing movement in America, the Christian right. Even though 'Saved' avoids these staples there are a few remnants there. The film centers on the most brutal aspects in high school; the clique. These group associations that determine your social position for four years and frequently far beyond graduation. There have been many movies that have undertaken to address this often painful influence on the rite of passage that is high school. While some films have concentrated of that despotic queen bee of the alpha clique this film adds another dimension to the mixture; evangelical, right wing Christians. While fundamentally identical to the type of clique leader seen in movies like 'Mean Girls', here they justify their obnoxious and condescending behavior with their interpretation of their faith. By instilling the center plot with a religious foundation the filmmaker was able to address such ancillary themes as homophobia, antisemitism and discrimination against the physically challenged. This is quite ambitious for a teen comedy but ultimately it succeeds amazingly well. In the 'American Eagle Christian High School' the leader of the pack is Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore), a devoted young woman who expresses her faith in song with her singing group the Christian Jewels. She filters everything in life through her faith, not necessarily a bad thing but as with anything aspect of life without balance, can lead to a lack of control. One member of the in Christian crowd, Mary (Jenna Malone) soon finds a real test of her faith when her boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust) announces that he is gay. Mary has a bump to the head induced "vision" that Jesus wants her to sacrifice her precious virginity in order to affect the "degayification" of the now doomed Dean. Of course, Mary is certain that Jesus will take into account her noble purpose and restore her to a chase and pristine state. Unfortunately, Mary is soon looking down at the dreaded blue strip on a home pregnancy test. While Dean is shipped off to a reorientation center Mary is now ostracized by her former best friends. Meanwhile, the one Jewish girl around, Cassandra (Eva Amurri) forms a friendship with Hilary's wheelchair bound and cynical brother Roland (Macaulay Culkin). There are enough inter-relationships here for several films. When Hilary turns against Mary as a result of her changed biological status one of the truly memorable moments of the film occurs, during a heated argument Hillary tosses a Bible at Mary's back while shouting "I'm full of the love of Christ". This instant crystalized Hilary's hypocrisy in such an efficient and concise manner that it impact is unforgettable. Usually, for a satire to work it has to be tightly focused. Here, however, there is a bit too much of a crowd on the scene. The many ancillary characters tend to obfuscate the plot. The film tries to be a combination of Mean Girls and the Breakfast Club but ultimately ends up just a bit too over the top. The focus here is venom over humor. While the film is an important work for what it is attempting to do it could have been tighter in structure and achieved more than it musters here. Any group that embraces extremes is subject to satirical treatment but that parody should be without malice and done in a good nature format in order to garner a wider audience. Here the girls are so extreme that the subtler points are often lost. The extremism also leaves the audience without a point of reference required to identify on an emotional level with the characters. Despite the flaws I still found this to be an enjoyable film, carried to a large part by the enthusiasm of a talented cast. I have been a fan of young Jenna Malone for most of her career. With films like 'Donnie Darko', 'Bastard out of Carolina', 'Cheaters' and most recently a featured role in one of the most successful franchises to come from young adventure literature,' The Hunger Games', it is obvious that she is continuing to successfully expand the range of her acting abilities. The intensity she has exhibited in other performances was subdued in this role as a result of how her character was written. In several scenes Ms. Malone was overwhelmed by others in the cast. Of course this is a perfect way of presenting her character, Mary, she has been inundated with a number of serious situations that are beyond her experience therefore leaving her ill equipped to process how to proceed. It also serves to create an ideal contrast with the intensity of self-importance that is the embodiment of Mandy Moore is in the midst of a rare thing, a pop singer that is growing as an actress. Initially she took on more sympathetic, softer roles but here she rips into the zealous venom of Hilary. She has a natural comic timing and to her credit is willing to take on darker roles like this. Macaulay Culkin is, of course, best known for Home Alone. He also is taking on roles like this that showcase a broader acting ability helping him to make a comeback at his young age and show he has lasting power in film. A special nod of appreciation to the fine actress Heather Matarazzo, I first noticed her in the definitively unconventional teen flick 'Welcome to the Dollhouse'. Here Ms., Matarazzo plays the classic high school geek to perfection. Her experience in independent movies has given her the experience to infuse what is typically a one-dimensional archetype with nuances that makes her charter interesting and capable of contributing to the overall success of the story. Overall the cast creates an ensemble that manifests a synergetic chemistry. This is a film that is carried by the cast and it is their performances that provide the audience with a deliciously dark comedy with a sharp satiric edge that slices into some of the most highly debated issues currently dominating the sociopolitical scene. This is the freshman feature for writer/director Brian Dannelly. While most of the flaws of the film are in presentation I have to admit he has an eye for pacing a flick. The movie has a natural, organic flow that sweeps the audience along for the ride. Although the many sub plots often cloud the message the film is above others of the genre. The individual scenes are well composed and expertly lit. The message of intolerance is not lost here. After all Jesus did reach out for the misfits first. It appears that Dannelly had so many ideas to bring this point out that he just tried to fit it all in one film. It might have been a bit better off if he created his own little universe here, like the one manufactured in early Kevin Smith films, and make a few films out of the subject matter. This release is part of an incentive undertaken by Olive Films to remaster fan favorites in high definition. There is a substantial improvement in the color palate and contrast which provides a far more robust viewing experience. It is now possible to note gradations in the lighting and use of camera angles and how they reinforce the overall feel and emotional impact of the narrative.