Having watched a lot of Christian movies, I was not expecting too much in cinematography or the acting quality when I first started watching the indie film "To Save a Life" with Randy Wayne starring as Jake Taylor and Deja Kreutzberg as Amy Briggs. I will have to say I was impressed on both fronts and found the movie to be one of the best Christian movies I have watched.
"To Save a Life" deals with the process of Jake's conversion to Christ following the suicide of a close childhood friend he had abandoned after becoming a successful high school basketball star--a friend who had saved Jake's life by jumping in front of a moving car. It shows Jake living a party life as a sports star with his girlfriend Amy and how the suicide of his friend weighs on his conscious while he begins to explore Christianity. Through all of this, it covers many of the real-life challenges that many teens experience.
The movie is rated PG-13 because of mature thematic elements of teen suicide, teen drinking and drug use, disturbing images, and some sexuality. It is a movie geared toward teens and focuses on issues such as teen loneliness and suicide, alcohol and substance abuse, teen pregnancy and abortion, parental divorce, hypocrisy at church, peer pressures at school, and self-infliction by cutting. Though the viewer does not witness any direct sexual activity, there is an instance of implied sexual intercourse when Jake goes into a room with Amy at a party as well as a few other minor implications of sexuality.
Overall, the movie speaks directly to teens on issues they are dealing with around them on a daily basis. The moral message is that without Christ there is little meaning to life, and that it is when you turn away from the world to follow God that you find true meaning. Though the movie implies that you will still have problems as a Christian, it shows that God is there with you helping you through your troubles. It also emphasizes that you can help others by treating them with respect and concern.
I would highly recommend this movie for all teens because I feel it speaks to them directly and will definitely have some type of impact on them in a real way. It is not a fluffy interpretation of Christianity, but instead a real portrayal of what the Christian church offers with both its faults and its blessings. It is what the teen sees at church and the world around them and conveys to their heart that the real issue is not the church, but their own personal trust in God.
Robert King - Robert King is an ordained minister and published author with a theological education. His writings have been featured in both Protestant ...
