SAVED (DVD)

Director: Brian Danelly (no major film work)
Starring: Jena Malone, Mandy Moore, Macauley Culkin

This is about as entertaining and enjoyable as teen comedies get. It is vaguely formulaic as it's centered on a clique of girls ruled by the most snobbish, dictatorial girl in school, and the various outcasts periodically trying to get in, or get out of that group. It's much better than the formula though. Most importantly, it takes the formula and gives a serious twist before it even begins. You see, these teenagers aren't in public school, they're in a small baptist school where popularity translates into saving the most souls, and most loudly praising the word. The queen bee, as it were, is Mandy Moore - the most soul-savingest of the bunch. On one hand this film was really enjoyable to watch, funny, and interesting. On another, it was rather obvious in its treatment of religion (and this is coming from an atheist). Rather than somehow touch truths about how religion funnels societal outcasts into it's arms, or how religion often (like a cult) desperately pushes its adherants into isolation and ignorance of the greater world, this film says things like: Gays are okay since god made 'em, or it's not right to hate teenage mothers. Okay, maybe I'm being far too harsh on this teenage flick... Like I said, I must admit that it was funny, interesting, and far better than the average teen comedy.

Standouts: Not quite Clueless good (in terms of teenage flicks), but solid in many ways. Blowouts: Obvious lessons learned: "Gay's are okay." Thanks, Hollywood.

Grade: B