Une vie à sauver

As someone who absolutely loves a good movie, I really enjoyed this film. It has a great message (people need people; people need God), good acting, a good storyline, and it really keeps your interest.

My group of 40-something women friends all thought it was well worth seeing. Judging by the size of the crowd (mostly teens), it won't be in theaters long,however, so see it immediately or be sure to get it on DVD as soon as it comes out.

The first 10 minutes I was skeptical....it was feeling like an amateurish attempt at film making. But that feeling was gone quickly. In fact, I would give the actual filming a 10. Some unique techniques were used that really made it a cut above. Also it was laugh-out-loud funny at times.

The story drags a little bit about 3/4 of the way through. And some of the drama could have been eliminated (such as Jake's parents' relationship). The dialog didn't flow at times, usually between Jake and Amy. And a few other flaws I can't mention w/o giving away the too much.

But overall this movie will make you want to treat those around you with care and concern, and will motivate you to watch for those among us who get lost. Every youth group leader should take their church kids to see this. It could literally change the world if even just a few kids began to reach out like Jake does in this movie.

Great message w/o preaching.

Let me start out with saying I was VERY surprised with the production value of this movie. I managed to catch an early showing on 10-22-09, and I have to Say this is the BEST (if not only) Christian film to hit theaters since The Passion.

Don't let the PG-13 rating scare you off, the rating is appropriate because of the serious issues that are dealt with in this film (divorce, teen pregnancy, drug use, and suicide), but nothing in the film is gratuitous. This is definitely a movie that a Junior High youth group could see without upsetting (most) parents, and the message is wonderful. The best part is this is not a film FOR Christians, it is a Family film without the cheesy 7th Heaven feel.

The laughs are there, and several times in the theater everyone was laughing, the bits of humor were natural and didn't seem scripted or forced, and that made for good pacing in such a serious film. Teens and young adult, both religious and otherwise, will be able to identify with many if not all of the characters in the film, and I was surprised to see such issues dealt with in this kind of film. The plot is not in any way predictable, and by the end hits closer to home than many will admit. Christians, fortunately, are not shown as all mighty know it all's of "The Word", but instead people just trying to understand life. Humans make mistakes and no one is perfect, not even in this film... not by a long shot.

The acting is top notch, the writing spot on, and you aren't hit over the head with all the preachy Christian rhetoric. This is a great film that will make you and your teens think, talk, and perhaps question their own morality (or lack thereof). If you want to see a quality family film in January check your local listings for this film, and you might learn something about yourself.

And I am a 25 year old male that just wanted to see a free movie.

First, I want to say that the movie I saw was almost nothing like its preview. I walked into the theater expecting a relatively dense, deep portrayal of guilt and doubt. This movie had very, very strong Christian overtones, to the point where my friends and I were laughing out loud - not because it was funny, or even because the scenes were cheesy, but that one thing after another kept adding up, and it was SO unbelievable and over-the-top.

The casting director for this movie needs to find another job. The two main characters were easily in their late 20's. The girlfriend is supposed to be super popular and desirable, but she is hunched-over and wrinkled. No high schooler looks like that. The "troubled kids" actually looked like real teenagers, and the styling in that sense was pretty realistic, but it only served to contrast even more with how old the other cast members were. There was an extra at the kegger that was easily in his early 40's. It was ridiculous.

But all of these things aside, my biggest complaint is that this movie had a real opportunity to explore some deep issues related to life, faith, and guilt. The main character had no soul. He was going through the motions of being hurt, angry, and confused, but I didn't believe it for a second. The only believable scenes were those that involved his parents. I don't completely blame the actor for this. I think it was largely the fault of the screenwriter. My hunch is that the screenwriter, who is a youth pastor, has had personal experience with parent trouble, how troubled teens act, etc. What he does NOT understand is how it actually feels to be a troubled teen (all of their diatribes were along the lines of, "Nobody understands me. I feel so alone." It never went much deeper than that.)

Even more, I am almost certain that this writer doesn't know what it feels like to experience heavy grief as a teenager, or to feel guilty or like he caused someone to do something horrible. He (and the actors) make a valiant attempt to imagine what it would feel/be like, but it falls so painfully short.

People who think this movie is an accurate representation of that kind of pain have most likely never lived it. I suspect the same could be said about the issue with the main character's girlfriend at the end of the movie, but I have never personally experienced that, so I can't say for sure.

In summary: If you are an average Christian churchgoer, particularly one that belongs to a slightly more modern church (say, one that uses electric guitars in the church band), than almost without a doubt I think you will really enjoy this movie. It speaks to your reality and might broaden a few minds. If you are a victim of childhood/adolescent trauma, a serious crisis of faith, or severe depression - all of which I have personal experience with - then I suspect you will find this movie falls disappointingly short.

Listen - although I understand the passion behind this movie, I'm not going to sing uncritical praises as some have. It has flaws but it's also not as bad as the weighted user rating suggests (at the time I wrote this review, it was hovering around a 4.6) However, after viewing it tonight, I would not say this movie is for the public at large (thus the undeserved 1 star ratings its garnered - which I believe is more a rejection of the worldview espoused by the film than an authentic impression of the movie itself).

Although I contest the sincerity of the low ratings, I think I know why: To Save A Life is produced by a church and it feels like it. Primarily - it's a film exhorting Christians to BE followers of Jesus rather than passive egocentric judgmental consumers. Secondarily - it's a powerful listening ear to the hurt, depressed and marginalized among us who may feel invisible to the cold world around them. It also empathizes with those who wrestle with fundamental questions of purpose and meaning. Where I appreciated this about the movie, I'm not too sure how well its narrative will translate to disinterested audiences. It might come across cliché or as religiously charged melodramatic propaganda. And I wouldn't blame anyone for feeling this way. Regardless, you can't go into a horror movie and expect a comedy. Know what to expect: It's a Christian movie.

That being said, for what it is (and what it was intended to be) my wife and I both thought it was solid. Narratively and artistically. Our 17 year old cousin Nathan agreed. I'm 30 and my wife is 29 so we're not too far removed from the high school experience ourselves. As Christians, we all found the story very authentic. The characters followed natural paths and the emotion captured never felt disingenuous. Dialogue can be tricky - and save a few perfectly-timed cliché moments and pedestrian deliveries, it was engaging and believable. We also appreciated the humility of Jim Britts writing - self-indicting the Church as a major contributor to the pain its trying to heal was both surprising and refreshing.

Also, this may sound lame, but I went in with the preconceived notion that this would be another 'rich white person' saves 'poor disenfranchised minority' movie. Ironic - I'm white - but for whatever reason, it's something I've noticed in movies and television lately and it's been bothering me. But To Save A Life isn't like that. When I saw the trailer, I almost wrote it off, thinking it would just carry the torch. Angry black dude kills himself. Stud white dude saves the day. I was pleased to be proved wrong as minorities play prominent positive roles in this movie and its not the rich white kid who rides off into the sunset as hero as you might have reasonably assumed. Turns out - dude needs saving too.

On a technical note, as someone who loves film (context - my favorites include Godfather, John Hillcoat's The Road, PT Anderson's Magnolia, American Beauty, Children of Men, Fight Club) I'm always mindful of the cinematography, editing, etc. I especially pay attention in Christian films - which are typically inept. But not so here. The crew should be proud.

No matter what harsh criticisms will eventually befall To Save A Life (there will be plenty), this movie exists for people who need to know they're not alone. Leaders and outcasts. The churched and unchurched. We all need saving.

7/10

Jake Taylor and Roger were the best of friends. Roger even saved Jake's life once which left Roger with a permanent limp. The boys drift apart during high school. Jake becomes the basketball star and starts going with cheerleader Amy Briggs. He abandons Roger to loneliness and bullying for his limp. Roger takes a gun to school and commits suicide. Jake feels guilty and lost despite getting a full college scholarship. Amy doesn't understand. His friend Doug pranks loner Jonny. Youth pastor Chris reaches out to Jake. Roger had gone to church but Chris failed to talk to him. Jake starts going to church and befriends Andrea which alienates Amy and his friends. Danny is the weed smoking cynical slacker son of the lead pastor. Jake's parents are getting a divorce. Amy is pregnant with Jake's baby. A date between Jonny and Andrea goes badly and he goes back to cutting. Danny overhears Amy's pregnancy and spreads the news in school. Next Danny pranks a fake bomb threat from Jonny getting him arrested.

There is no doubt that this movie tries to cover too much area with too many movie-teen issues. I do like how most of the issues are handled but there is simply too many of them. As far as Christian films go, this is better than most. The actors are somewhat charismatic. If the issues could be cut in half, this would allow more time for each issue to develop and resolved in the Christian way. It would also allow the movie to be a more manageable ninety minutes.