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I know I'm a bit late, but here is my review for "To Save A Life"
To Save A Life’s general focus maybe on the teen demographic, concentrating on the real life peer pressures, popularity and other problems adolescents face on a daily basis, but it also conveys strong messages to adults as well. It deals with the delicate issue of personal sacrifices that we all must make sometimes. Their tragedies and benefits.
Naturally the movie will be regarded as distinctly Christian, garnering sharp criticism for it’s mix of religion with a familiar plotline that most will find cliché. If you can watch it impartially without paying too much attention to the aforementioned items and tolerate the cliché, you’ll find that anyone who sees To Save A Life (Christian or non-Christian) can (or will) change their attitude about certain things in their lives.
If you’ve seen the trailer, you have a basic idea of what this story’s about. Jake Taylor(Randy Wayne) has everything a typical teenage boy would “die” for- tons of acceptance into the “cool” crowd from being a basketball star, drawing universal admiration from the school populace. And Amy Briggs (Deja Kreutzberg), the hottest girl in school. The film actually opens with the funeral of Jake’s childhood friend Roger who without, Jake never would’ve made it in basketball in the first place.
Unfortunately as Jake’s star status increases, he decided that being Roger’s friend was a liability and severed ties. It culminates in a tragedy that literally thrusts Jake into reexamining and possibly, even changing his life- much to the chagrin of Amy and the “in” crowd.
Naturally this does not happen immediately as Jake’s guilt from practically pushing his best friend out of his life builds gradually. Further complications include a troublesome home life involving parental relationships, causing even more mental pressures.There are plenty of teens who can identify with these heartaches.
Randy Wayne portrays the American teenager as you would expect without being unbelievably upbeat, which is a plus in making the movie watchable. He, like many of us, have fought or are presently fighting, a war within ourselves usually after a heart wrenching calamity( think of Haiti).
Deja Kreutzberg’s Amy is the typically snobbish type you love to dislike at first. It’s not hard to realize that she’s one major reason why Jake breaks his bond with Roger. As part of the cool regime, she’s the catalyst for her future boyfriend’s initiation.
New Song Church youth pastor, Jim Britts is perfectly qualified to pen To Save A Life. His experience with young people and their difficulties manifests itself in the script.He explores many facets of teen angst channeled through the other characters, yet always keeps the main focus on Jake.
Cinematographer Brian Baugh makes his directorial debut with a straight film that speaks to young people about real problems. Doubtless, there will even be some Christian teens who find it a bit too commonplace, but To Save a life is relatable to everyone who has ever faced crucial decisions that will effect their lives forever.