Mandy Moore's "Saved"

The following is part of an article that is running in USAToday's Life section. Singer Mandy Moore, who is quite popular with today's youth (from what I am told) will be in a film titled "Saved," which will apparently mock teenage Christians:

"Moore's upcoming films include the Michael Stipe-produced black comedy Saved, due in March, in which she plays "a seemingly perfect, all-American, Christian girl who deep down inside is actually kind of evil. She uses her faith to take advantage of people. Her goal for the year is to save the one Jewish girl who goes to this Christian high school."

I am very disappointed to read this, for I fear that students like Abby will be singled out for even further mocking by their peers. I am also disappointed, though not surprised, to see that the film is being produced by Michael Stipe (of REM) who has made it clear that he is both gay and an atheist. I would have hoped, however, that he would not have stooped down to the level of making a film that apparently mocks teenage Christians.


mozier

Hi mozier...I read that article too, and share your reaction. I'm sorry to see this.

I had previously appreciated Mandy Moore because she seemed to project more of an innocent and sweet-spirited image that the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera. Also, she was said to be open to the Christian message when she played a sweet Christian girl in the movie "A Walk to Remember."

As for this movie, "Saved," I think this is the one that the Christian band the Elms dropped out of, after realizing the true nature of the movie.

I posted something about it here a while back...I'll do a search and try to find it.

Here is the article from several months ago:

This from Focus on the Family's "Culture Clips":

The script for a new film titled "Saved" (currently in production and starring Mandy Moore) originally called for The Elms, a Christian band, to play themselves in a scene at the high school prom. Band manager Craig Jager said his band was not amused by the script's mocking spiritual tone. "It's over the top...it really goes overboard with the Christian jargon," he said. Elms vocalist Owen Thomas posted a statement on the band's website saying that their decision not to perform was made because being part of the film would have required them "to condone and support things we're wholeheartedly against,moral and spiritual issues...We're not ready to forfeit our loyalty to those things." Several Christian musicians in the Vancouver area (where the film is being shot),were asked to fill in for the Elms, but they too turned down the "opportunity."

For more on The Elms: www.theelms.net

What was extremely sad is that Mandy Moore used to claim Christianity. Looks like the pop culture killed another one(in a way)

this just makes me more worried for those in the secular realm of entertainment who are Christians... Clay Aiken being the first to come to mind... it doesn't look like it's working... the world seems to be winning Christians over, instead of the other way around

Here's the plot synopsis:

Plot: Good girl Mary (Jena Malone) can’t believe it when she gets pregnant by her newly-gay boyfriend. She also can’t believe the actions of her popular, relentlessly devout best friend, Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore), who's looking after her wheelchair-bound brother Roland (Macaulay Culkin), attempting to convert adamantly Jewish Cassandra (Eva Amurri), and trying to snag cute newcomer Patrick (Patrick Fugit), a hip skateboarding missionary. By the time Mary’s secret is revealed, Hilary Faye has gone to extremes to get the outsiders expelled from school, with spectacular results, and Mary is forced to decide what’s worth believing in the first place. In this dark comedy, a young, talented cast comes together to get Saved.

I use to have respect for Mandy Moore, but now that I have heard this my respect for her is gone. She has sold out just like the rest of them, in hollywood.

In Christ Name
Ashley

Actually, I never heard Mandy Moore claimed to be a Christian. People may have jumped to that conclusion because she isn't as openly provocative as Britney/Christina et al; and because she played a Christian in "A Walk to Remember."

The Christian band, Switchfoot, had a few songs on the soundtrack of "A Walk to Remember," and Mandy even sang a duet with Switchfoot lead singer Jonathan Foreman on a song he wrote. As I remember, at the time Jonathan Foreman mentioned in an interview that he had been able to witness to Mandy and some of the other people involved in the movie, and that they had been receptive to it.

Another interesting note...about Jessica Simpson, who stars on "The Newlyweds" reality show on MTV with her husband, 98 Degrees' Nick Lachey.

I had always heard Jessica was a Christian and that her father was actually a staff member at a large Baptist church in Texas. She made a big deal out of retaining her virginity until marriage, which I think is great.

However...I'm told on "The Newlyweds" she is often depicted drinking alcohol and even sometimes drunk. Apparently she recently told a caller on the Larry King Live show that she was never raised to drink alcohol, but now that she's grown up, she doesn't think it's wrong as long as she doesn't do it to get drunk.

My son told me that he's seen her intoxicated on the show at least a couple of times...even one time telling her husband, "Nick, I'm drunk!"

Now, whether or not you believe it's OK to drink alcohol, I think Jessica is setting a terrible example for her young fans. Many of them have followed her and interacted with her on her website, on which she often spoke about the virginity issue.

She has sold herself as a wholesome young woman, and whether she likes it or not, she is a role model to her young fans.

Not that this is any of my business, but why do you let your son watch MTV? It is one of the most worldly channels on the television. There is cussing and unmoral dress on that channel, I really don't it is a good thing for a person to be watching.

Cindy: And she was also, unfortunately, raised by a pack of French poodles:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/978317.asp?0bl=-0

Originally posted by UnashamedYouth:
What was extremely sad is that Mandy Moore used to claim Christianity. Looks like the pop culture killed another one(in a way)

Click to expand...

She's still a Christian. Just because she comes out with a movie some don't like, that doesn't make her less so.

Now, as far as the movie itself, if I learned anything from the anti-"Bruce Almighty" ilk, it's to wait until the movie is reviewed. As with Bruce Almighty, it's quite possible the presuppositions about the movie is wrong.

As a Christian, I feel the best biblical course of action is to reserve judgement until someone of my acquaintence has seen and given an opinion of the film. If I were to make a judgement now, I'd be guilty of spreading rumor and gossip, which we as Christians are forbidden from doing.

Originally posted by Kayla:
Not that this is any of my business, but why do you let your son watch MTV? It is one of the most worldly channels on the television. There is cussing and unmoral dress on that channel, I really don't it is a good thing for a person to be watching.

Click to expand...

Hi, Kayla. I personally strongly disapprove of MTV as well. My son is a grown man (23 years old), doesn't live with me, and I have no control over what he watches. He is a Christian and not an MTV fan himself, but he has apparently watched some things on there occasionally.

ok she's a Christian who is acting more and more like Brittany Spears... so... um... lets see oh yeah that's just a "Hollywood Christian"

last I checked Oprah claimed Christianity too... Southern Baptist of all things... as does Mr. Bill Clinton...

personally I think they have Christian backgrounds but once it got too hard to be one then it's like forget it.

Bill Clinton is a baptist?

We need to always remember what a Christian is: Christ-like!!!

Originally posted by BM:
We need to always remember what a Christian is: Christ-like!!!

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No, Christian MEANS "Christ-like". Christian IS a person who has accepted Jesus as personal savior. There are many faithful Christians who don't always act it. The very fact that there are folk on this board belittling and gossiping about a movie which they have not yet seen proves it.

I'm just curious whether or not Mandy Moore claimed to be a Christian in the first place or if we just assumed she was because she was portraying herself in the same light as Britany Spears and Christina Aguilera.


As for Jessica Simpson, I've only seen clips of her show but I honestly can't believe how much seemingly contradicts the image I thought she was putting out in the media. Even beyond her drinking exploits, I'm thoroughly amazed the girl was not aware of what a mop was, or the simple fact that your home is not magically cleaned when you leave clothes and other things strewn about the floor. Seems like to be that if she thinks she's old enough to drink alcohol and what not, she should be old enough to act like a mature, responsible adult.

Whatever we do, we can only pray for them, and not judge them.

I would largely agree with Johnv on this one. There is no sense in protesting the movie before the trailer is even out. I will admit I am a fan of Mandy Moore. I also will admit that I have been less than comfortable with many of her pseudo-religious stances over the last couple of years. However, I don’t think Mandy Moore’s morality or character should be on trial until the movie is actually released. I graduated from a private Christian school, a school where if a girl became pregnant (not a common occurrence, but it happened nonetheless) the school and its students treated her much like the movie’s plot describes (to the extent of kicking her out of school). This was something I strongly disagreed with. I am continually shocked to see how we as Christians will treat someone (many times, other Christians) in their time of need, just because they made a mistake. Gosh, I am glad God doesn’t treat us like we treat our fellow Christians. I don’t say this to defend Mandy Moore. Even though she went to a Catholic high school and hints at being religious, we can not make assumptions about her faith. However (and this is my main point), instead of boycotting the movie or making an uproar about Mandy Moore’s involvement in it, maybe we, as Christians, should take a step back and look at just how accurate the movie might be and maybe gain a feel for how our commonly held legalistic, judgmental, and self-righteous attitudes portray the love of Christ to nonbelievers. Now, I have to include this disclaimer: I also have not seen the movie. If it is completely sac religious, then I will remove my foot from my mouth and bow out gracefully. But just in case the movie isn’t as bad as we want it to be, or even if it is more truthful than we want it to be, we should be able to accept that with an open heart.

Below is less condemning plot summary of the movie taken from www.comingsoon.net :


"Good girl" Mary (Malone) and her popular, influential best friend, Hilary Faye (Moore), are starting their senior year at the top of the social structure at American Christian High School. But when Mary finds out she's pregnant, Hilary Faye and her devoted "disciples" turn against Mary and the school labels her an outcast. Her senior year quickly turns into a nightmare. It's as an outcast, however, that she finds true friends - other students the school doesn't quite know what to do with. In this sweetly subversive comedy, a group of strangers band together to navigate the treacherous halls and make it to graduation, ultimately learning more about themselves and finding out what it truly means to be Saved!.

I'm personally not a big fan of Jessica, I watch the newlywed show kind of regularly if nothing better is on and all I see in her is a whinning, spoiled brat who basically has everything handed to her, her husband Nick annoys me too, so why do I watch it?? HAHAHA I have yet to figure that out. I do have to say though, as much as I've seen the show (and it's been alot) I rarely see her drunk or even drinking, perhaps her dingy, hairbrained moments are being mistaken for drunkeness Haahaha. Man, why can't they play back to back re runs of Cosby's during that show.

Joan