Link:
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2004/06/21/tw.savedreview.0621.html

June 21, 2004

Saved!

The lowdown: Mary (Jena Malone) is a good evangelical Christian
girl. She attends a private Christian high school, is a member of
her school's prayer squad and her mom recently was recognized as her
city's top Christian Interior Decorator.

However, when Mary finds out her boyfriend is gay, she decides to
sacrifice her virginity in an attempt to change his sexual
orientation.

Soon, the worst nightmare of every teenage girl occurs: She's
pregnant. While attempting to hide her pregnancy from her friends
and the high school faculty, she befriends Cassandra, the school's
notorious rebel and only Jewish student, who is dating a boy in a
wheelchair (Macauley Culkin).

Mary soon finds herself questioning her rigid faith, and defending
herself from judgmental friends and adults while taking her
pregnancy to term.

The bottom line: A plethora of serious societal issues are addressed
with constant humor by a great cast. It is an entertaining movie
that keeps you thinking after leaving the theater.

The good stuff: A star-studded cast complements a wonderfully
designed plot. The actors portray their characters perfectly.
Significant issues - such as teenage pregnancy, religious fanaticism
and homosexuality - pervade the core of this movie. Add Culkin
smoking in a wheelchair and one humorous scene after another and
you've got a devilishly funny flick.

The other stuff: Evangelical Christians are treated too
simplistically, such as the character of Hilary Faye portrayed by
Mandy Moore. These characters are portrayed as one-dimensional to
better serve the purpose of humor in the movie, but are not always a
true reflection of what most evangelical Christians believe.
However, the movie does embrace a message of compassion and
acceptance of society's outcasts that is central to Christian belief.

The details: Rated PG-13 for strong thematic issues involving teens -
sexual content, pregnancy and mild language. Playing at Cinemark.

The final grade: A-

- Adam Stater, Marist High