Saved!

After some "backsliding," we use to rededicate ourselves to our podcast by discussing Susan's pick: 2004s "Saved!" starring Jenna Malone, Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Eva Amurri, Patrick Fugit, and Mary Louise Parker. "Saved!" tells the story of Mary Cummings (Malone), a senior at a fundamental Christian school who learns her boyfriend is gay. Believing that Jesus will restore her purity, Mary has sex with him in an attempt to rid him of his homosexuality. The plan doesn't work. Mary's boyfriend gets sent to a Christain rehabilitation center, and Mary ends up pregnant. Mary must deal with her shaken faith and hide her pregnancy to stay in school and avoid being bullied by her ex-friend, the uber pious Hillary-Faye (Moore.) Susan and Greg discuss the teen satire's themes of religion, faith, hypocrisy, and questioning of one's deeply held beliefs. They also disucss the performances of the cast and the much darker ending written initially for the film. As usual, Susan and Greg also talk about the one plot that took them out of the movie in "I Have Questions" and share their top three favorite scenes.