Saved! The Hollywood Doctrine
I am a mere mortal with conservative values. So sue me. But Saved! is one of my favorite movies of all time. I come from a southern background and grew up in an area where Non-Denominational Christians and Born Agains or better known as “Jesus Freaks” (not meant to offend anyone, it’s just what they’re referred to down south) are in great supply. It is a religious satire telling the story of a pregnant teen named Mary struggling to find her place in her religious community. Among the animosity that the main character is met with, and the religious blaspheme that is rampant throughout the film, there is a message given that is often times a touchy subject and taboo in the religious community.
This movie is a revolutionary portrayal of religion at its “best”. It blatantly displays the hypocrisy of religion. The purpose of religion is to Christ-like and have a unconditional love of your neighbor and this movie tries to exploit that point showing the people within organized religion who profess to be religious many times don’t live up to their own standards and how easy it is for them to be hypocrites of epic proportion due to the fact that they don’t want to be scrutinized and ostracized for their shortcomings. This movie shows these people will become the opposite of Christ-like in their behavior towards others and will do anything to save their “Christian” image.
The main storyline of this movie is of Mary’s best friend (Mandy Moore) is trying to “save” her and some of her outcast friends from the fires of eternal damnation and hell. In retrospect, the irony of it all is that the best friend is the one that needs saving. The best friend ends up lying, stabbing people in the back and terrorizing the school just to prove her point of “Christ’s love prevails” when in the end she was doing the complete opposite.
My favorite scene in the movie is one that embodies the movie as a whole. Mandy Moore kidnaps her pregnant friend and tries to perform an exorcism on her. Mary tries to run away and as she is doing so tells Mandy Moore that this is not what Christ is all about and Mandy Moore then proceeds to throw the Bible at Mary, screaming, “I am filled with Christ’s love!”
In the end, we all are imperfect in our religions and this movie perfectly portrays the concept that we are all different and we all have our own personal struggles and we must all find a way to understand our meaning in life. I think it’s great that this matter is approached in a lighter manner. Although it could be seen as blasphemous, it is refreshing.
Is it ok to make so public this taboo subject of hypocrisy in religion? Should we not make light of this serious subject? Is the commercialization of religion having an effect on how people portray religion in the media? Talk to me. Don’t crucify me.
Here is a link to the trailer
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/dor/objects/676666/saved/videos/saved-trl_wide.html
Hypocrisy is everywhere, and that includes religion. This movie, like many others, is just taking that point and exaggerating it. Although the subject of hypocrisy is, yes, somewhat taboo, it also is real, so why not depict it?
ReplyDeletePart of religion (at least the Christian religion) is about repentance. We make mistakes... do things that go 'against' our religion then we correct those wrong doings by referring back to religious principles we've been taught. It's simple and is repeated over and over and over. Seems like this movie is just a showing of Matt. 7:1-5 Hollywood style. (That's the story about the mote in thy brother's eye and the beam in thine own eye)
I agree that this portrayal is refreshing and I think it just proves the already known fact that not everyone is perfect.
Ok. First I just have to make sure that I don't just go on and on about how much I LOVE this movie! I'm from the South as well so I know all about born again Christians! I think more films should explore the hypocrisy in religion. Well, not really IN religion, but IN some religious people. I think they take themselves too seriously and it's healthy for people to learn how to laugh at themselves. And I don't think that the show is making light of religion, but it is making fun of serious Bible thumping zealots. And I think it sends a nice message of acceptance.
ReplyDeleteI don't recall seeing this movie, but I am quite aware of the hypocrisy in relgion. I have discussed this with my parents before. I grew up in Texas where religion is all around me and people professed to be Christian and criticized others for not behaving in a Christ-like way, when they themselves acted the same way. I remember one time in particular when I went to a Wednesday night bible study with a friend from a different church. Another girl was rude to her the whole time, and what she said when she got in the car was funny to me because this girl that I was with acted just like the girl she was criticizing half the time. She said, "I can't believe she calls herself Christian. People who are Christian don't act like that." The girl who was saying this did things much worse, I found out later, than the person she was criticizing.
ReplyDeleteIt's always so strange to me that we go completely against Christ-like behavior when we call ourselves Christian. I think Mormons are, in general, very judgemental people. They see someone's children going down the wrong path and criticize like crazy. I don't know if they are trying to make themselves feel better about the imperfect lives they are leading or what. Guess what everyone? Let the person without sin cast the first stone. Hypocrisy surrounds religion, and I think it's important to point this out and make light of it so that people will truly become aware of how ridiculous they sound when they are criticizing people for the same thing they did just yesterday!
So I have never seen this movie but I can relate it to my life growing up. I grew up in Portland, Oregon and there were a lot of mormons but also a lot of baptist. We would often have disscusions how people say they are christian but then the night before they were drinking and doing drugs. It really bothered me when people would claim they are Christian but not even go to church. I'm not trying to be judgemental, but if you are going to say you are Christian or Mormon you should try your best to be like that. I know I'm not perfect but if you are going to preach your religion on others, you have to back it up.
ReplyDeletetest
ReplyDeleteOk, now that it works...
ReplyDeleteI think that Saved! is the perfect demonstration of hypocrisy in religion. It shows that many people are too focused on being something other than what they truly are inside, and I think Deity in any form loves that person for who they are. There is not a need to be perfect, but a striving to be perfect. The principle teaching in any faith is to love others and try to help them grow closer to thing that are spiritual and uplifting. If they are in the paths of sin, it doesn't mean they should be shunned. All it means is they need further help and strength from those around them