Saved is probably the best satirical high school film since Heathers, albeit one with a slightly different subject matter. It's about a born again Christian who has sex with her gay boyfriend to cure him of his homosexual tendencies and ends up getting pregnant. Score one for abstinence-only sex education! So he's shipped off to a 'pray the gay away' camp and she ends up pretty much a pariah in her Christian high school, treated with that special brand of supportive, "love the sinner, hate the sin" kind of judgemental attitude that most Born Agains have mastered. It's a clever film that exposes the hypocrisy of religion, while also celebrating the kind of Christians who behave in a way that Jesus Christ probably would have wanted to see in his followers. Jena Malone turns in a grounded performance in the lead role, with Mandy Moore proving her abilities as an actor by playing the self-righteous, judgy head Christian.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
