er...married.After earning her way into this clique Mary Jena Malone is devastated when her boyfriend confesses his massive gayness. Eager to 'cure' him of this ungodly condition Mary offers up her virginity to him, only to get pregnant. Obviously this bun in the oven secret threatens to tear everyone's flimsy little world apart.Hilary Faye, the leader of the Christian Jewels is appalled at Mary's sudden lack of faith and makes it her mission to save her, whatever the method or cost. Obviously Mary doesn't appreciate this and it only drives her to further isolation.Saved is superior to Mean Girls in terms of relevance and wit. Though I'm afraid the target audience will no doubt pass this over in favor for Miss Lohan as discussion of God and the lack of pink will fail to attract as young an audience.The acting is great. Jena Malone is more of an actress than Lohan/Duff, Macaulay Culkin was effective as the wheelchair-bound Roland, Mandy Moore is so innocently evil as Hilary Faye she makes Regina George look timid and Eva Amurri is like so totally gorgeous! Seriously! Wow! Too bad she smokes. NEXT!I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Saved to anyone. It's funny and clever and outdoes all 'teen-comedies' by transcending the genre. A rarity indeed.

her clique and is utterly friendless, although Patrick Patrick Fugit tries to ask her out on dates and stuff. She finds friends in the most unlikely of persons - outcasts. It turns out the only "sane" people are the outcasts.I enjoyed this movie very much. I loved Jena Malone, she is beautiful and her acting was awesome! I find it funny that the roles of Cassandra and Hilary Faye were switched. Cassandra was cruel and evil and Hilary was the perfect Christian. As the movie plays out, the roles switch where Cassandra has a heart of gold and is compassionate, while Hilary has a heart of hatred, evil, and greed. The jokes in this movie were subtle, but I laugh at those parts. I think the most hilarious part is when she goes up to the cross and says "Shit" which was quite random, but it did make sense after she said "Goddamn" because she was expecting an intervention of some sort.10/10. Beautiful movie. I've seen it 8 times in a week already. The music for this movie is incredible.

understands the role of Hillary Faye. I love this movie and recommend to anyone that can handle new forms of humor.

They could have done much more with it in a longer format. However, that's a minor criticism. Overall the film is solid and enjoyable.

rebellious Cassandra Eva Amurri , who also happens to be the only Jew in the school. Mary also finds a friend in Patrick Patrick Fugit , the pastor's son. Mary puts up with a lot from Hilary Faye and her friends trying to save her- even the pastor gets involved: "I want you to help" ... "You mean shoot her?" "No... I was thinking something a little less 'gangsta'". But when Hilary Faye goes too far, Cassandra, Mary, Patrick, and Hilary Faye's cool but wheelchair-bound brother Roland Macaulay Culkin team up to let Hilary Faye know that she can be "down with G-O-D", but has to be understanding of others as well.The movie is full of hilarious lines and activities, but it remains believable. Malone portrays a typical teenager who is just trying to fit in and have fun despite her differences. Parts of the movie had me cracking up and quoting it for days on end, other parts were tear-provokingly sweet. As a whole, Saved! is one movie that you can't afford to miss. It just may save us all.

close to him and oddly enough the world premiere I watched of Dickie Roberts was not in a theater with celebrities but in a theater with the average everyday people.At the Newport Beach Film Festival, I actually attended the Saved premiere where I sat in a theater with the filmmakers and some of the actors who starred the film. I got to sit in the theater with the director and co-writer Brian Dannelly, as well as the other writer Michael Urban along with the film's producer Michael Ohoven, and two of the film's actors Patrick Fugit from Almost Famous and Spun, and Chad Faust from Hope Springs and the TV Mini-series Taken. Not to brag but I actually sat a few seats down from these guys and it was quite an exciting and memorable moment. I could imagine if Jena Malone and Mandy Moore were in the audience and they sat a few seats down from me I probably wouldn't even be able to focus on the film instead I would probably be staring at them the whole time. Well anyway, as the film began everyone in the theater applauded as the opening credits rolled on and the magic of Saved began. So I begin my review by asking the question: Are you down with G-O-D?Saved is a movie about life at a Christian school and how God wants good Christians to act. Jena Malone plays the lead role here as Mary, a girl who used to follow all the rules as the way she was told god wanted her to be until she began to question if what she is being taught, is what god really wants from her. After losing her virginity in an attempt to save her boyfriend Dean Chad Faust from turning gay and being sent to Mercy house which is where parents send their kids who don't follow God's way! After Mary's plan backfires and she finds out that she is pregnant, Mary begins to question her trust in God and what path God wants her to lead. Mary's best friend Hilary Faye played by Mandy Moore as the God's way is the only way friend who is the by the book Christian who feels anything from having sex, to being Jewish, to being gay is a sin. It isn't long before Mary feels that her friend Hilary is hypnotized by all this `God's way' crap and Mary begins to lose all faith in God and her friends and she becomes friends with the Jewish outcast Cassandra Eva Amurri who accepts Mary for who she is and not for what she believes in. Cassandra has also accepted Macaulay Culkin's character Roland, who is Hilary's handicapped brother as her friend/boyfriend. A lot of funny yet smart moments proceed along with a thought proving ending that asks the question: How does God want us to act?These actors got paid nothing to make this film, which I know because it was discussed at the Q&A discussion after the film's premiere. I think Jena Malone was as perfect as always. Her performance of Mary was very well acted and scripted. When Mary finds out she is pregnant in the film we feel for her and understand her questioning her faith. Her emotions seem natural and from the heart. Another bravo performance for Jena Malone! Mandy Moore's character Hilary was the character you love to hate as the psycho God obsessed Christian girl. She played this role flawlessly. If you don't think Mandy can act well watch this movie and it will be sure to prove you wrong. I love her usually but this role really shows her acting abilities. Macaulay Culkin is perfect in this film. I loved him as the anti-Christian handicapped character. He was funny and yet he was never over the top. Patrick Fugit was also terrific as Pastor Skip's son Patrick. He proves once again that he is a very strong actor and if you don't believe me, be sure to check out Saved plus Almost Famous for evidence. Pastor Skip played by Martin Donovan was hilarious as the principal of the Christian high school. Pastor Skip wanted everyone to follow god's way and teaches his students that following God's set path is cool. The whole who's down with G-O-D speech was truly hilarious and his whole innocent yet gangsta dialog about what god wants was a instant classic. And finally Eva Amurri's character Cassandra sealed the films fun! Eva played the perfect outcast character, and I liked how she looked and truly stood out at this Christian school. It was hilarious watching her tease Hilary Faye because she was a by the book, Christian.First time director Brian Dannelly should be proud of this film and finally I was able to tell a director my thoughts personally. I actually went up to the director after the film and shook his hand and told him how much I loved the film. He seemed very appreciative of all the comments he got from me and several other audience members. It seemed as though Brian Dannelly cared about what the audience thought about the film. I told him that he should be proud that he wrote and directed a terrific movie here. I told him that so many movies these days are crap and they have millions upon millions of dollars to use on the budget and the film ends up being total crap. Brian Dannelly made a great film that had a clever, smart, funny, thought provoking script and a terrific cast. I will be watching for more of him in the future. Brian also caught the emotions of the characters in the film and created this believable Christian god absorbed town where these characters lived.The writing on this film was fabulous. With Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban both being first time screenwriters, I was amazed by how truly great and unique this film's script was. The film had a clever story with very unique dialog. I was intrigued that the film's script delivered both comedy and drama in a amusing but yet extremely smart way. The script leaves you happy in the end but asks questions, which make it very thought provoking to talk about afterwards. The film contained various hilarious scenes including one where Jena Malone's character Mary starts to befriend Mandy Moore's character Hilary Faye, and Hilary tries to perform an exorcist on Mary and then all of a sudden the exorcist theme begins and Hilary sprays Mary with holy water and tell her to come back from Satan. Truly hilarious! There are several other clever yet hilarious moments like that in the film. So In conclusion I loved Saved and have nothing at all bad to say about it. The entire audience applauded the film when it ended. During the Q&A every comment said by an audience member was positive. This film turned out better than I ever expected it to be. Being able to see this film at its premiere allowed me to express my feelings even more. I learned from the director, producer, and the actors how long and how much time and effort was put into this film and how ironically this film almost didn't happen at all. Saved provided its audience with a smart yet funny thought provoking story. The acting was terrific and all the trouble they went through to get this film released was amazing and in the end truly worth it in my eyes. I did not find this film to be anti anything although I can see this film stirring up some controversy when it is released unfortunately I doubt it will be seen by many since it's opening in limited release on memorial day weekend in only 5 cities. I spoke to the director about this and I told him it sucked that it was only going to be released in limited release. He said MGM wouldn't give it a wide release but he hopes it does well so that it can open wider. I hope so too. Because I think the film ultimately delivers both drama and comedy and talks about a serious issues including God and acceptance. I give Saved! a high rating of a 9/10. It is definitely my favorite film of the year thus far! Go see Saved when it's released this Memorial Day weekend! I know I will be seeing again when it is released.

Darko, creating one of the most moving teen heroines in memory. Eva Amurri is an inspired bit of casting as the multi-faceted school rebel who's full of surprises. And... it's true, Macaulay Culkin can act-- and even carries more than one scene with his understated comic timingThe storyline itself often leans on contrivance, but the situations presented ring true with an emotional depth rarely granted to pre-adult characters, and none of the events will seem off the wall to anyone familiar with modern adolescence or this particular religious subculture.The film is blisteringly funny, unusually sharp in its look at different types of people and their individual frailties, and sweet-- possibly even, despite what else you may have read elsewhere, too sweet. The ending is the softest spot in the movie, but draws effectively on the hard-won empathy for each character to float to a graceful ahem, pun intended stop.To be perfectly honest, as a reviewer who grew up in a very similar environment, I have to say that if the filmmakers could be accused of any distortion of the truth, it is in making their 'villains' *too* sympathetic, too keenly aware of their own flaws, and, in the end, too readily aware of a larger world around them to accurately reflect the worst elements of this belief system. All of the less-sympathetic characters in this film could be drawn from a documentary yes, even Hilary Faye! ... if, that is, the documentary chose to edit out their least savory moments.Of course, there are many good-hearted, well-meaning evangelicals in the world, and they are ably represented by characters such as Mary's mother, who makes mistakes, but who thinks more with her heart than her dogma. But the indignant critics who are so intent on finding a mote in the director's eye, because he dares to show how twisted some of their fellow believers might be, might stop for a minute to wave a hand in front of their own face, or their neighbor's, where they may just find a log they've been trying to ignore.

their character and give them a code of ethics that will guide them through life.Mary, one of the girls in the inner group lead by Hilary Faith, loses her father as the movie opens. Like other girls in her age group living with a single parent, Mary is somehow more vulnerable because of her recent loss. She wants to belong, but everything conspires against her. When her best friend Dean informs her he is gay, Mary doesn't know how to digest the fact. She forces herself on Dean, perhaps trying to prove a point and sadly, she becomes pregnant. Being a Christian girl, abortion is not in her horizon, so she begins a course of deception that will get her ostracized from Hilary Faith and that circle.That Mary is able to conceal her pregnancy is not too surprising. How she is able to pull the wool over her nice but distant mother, and the other kids in school, shows how naive some of her fellow students are. Mary finds friendship in Cassandra, a Jewish girl attending the school. She sees what's happening to Mary, and instead of passing judgment, she decides to help her. Roland, Hilary Faith's brother also comes to her side as well as Patrick, who always liked her, although he has no clue as to what's happening to Mary.What makes the movie disturbing is the way Hilary Faith can manipulate things in order to make Mary to be the one doing all the evil things in school. It's obvious that Hilary Faith has other deeply rooted issues to resolve within herself, but she has the power by being a popular girl and is seen as a leader. This girl shows to what extent a misguided young woman bent in revenge can ruin another young girl's life by the meanness in her.Jena Malone does another good turn in front of the camera as Mary. Mandy Moore is the evil Hilary Faith. Eva Amurri plays Cassandra, who is ultimately, a true friend in spite of being of another faith. Patrick Fugit, Macauley Culkin, Heather Matarazzo, Mary Louise Parker, Martin Donovan are seen in supporting roles.Brian Dannelly presents a picture about life in a religious school that doesn't sound too far fetched. He is to be congratulated for showing an uncompromising film that doesn't take sides.

Brazilian title gave me the wrong idea of another silly teen movie, a sort of "American Pie". But I was absolutely wrong: "Saved!" is a delightful and sharp tale of friendship, love, tolerance, fanaticism for religion and hypocrisy. This dramatic comedy has many great lines, and I personally loved the discussion in the prom, when Mary questions the pastor and says that if Jesus wanted all of us equal, why made people so different? The young cast is a dream for any independent director, supported by the awesome Martin Donovan and Mary-Louise Parker, whose resemblance with Jena Malone is amazing. I highly recommend this movie for those that expect a fresh view and criticism of religion. My vote is eight.Title Brazil : "Galera do Mal" "Gang of Evil"