Whoa! This is a great movie. It’s not cinematic, it’s not a mindblowing popcorn thriller flick or a heavy provocative drama that will floor you, it’s not an Oscar worthy piece of work either, no VFX or elaborate set design but this is a must-see for every teen out there struggling with confidence, relationship, and frustrations about life… a Christian-themed movie that doesn’t shove Jesus down your throat or try to convert you, instead.. it’s about accepting people for who they are without judging. The acting is decent, you can relate to the characters, the dialogue is surprisingly powerful for a film like this that often gets overlooked, and the message is the best part.
Ever since Jake Taylor was a kid, he was the type of guy you couldn’t help but like. For Jake, life is good. He has a ton of friends, a basketball scholarship, a hot girlfriend and a really bright future. Not much to get down about, right?
Enter Roger Dawson. He was Jake’s childhood best friend before Jake’s growing popularity pushed him out. Tired of not fitting in and having a place to belong, Roger walks onto campus and, with a gun in his pocket and pain in his heart, makes a tragic move.
Jake is devastated by what Roger has done, and something in him changes. In seeking answers in his own life, one question plagues him the most: Could I have saved him? He finds himself deeply compelled to reach out to kids on the fringe – kids who aren’t viewed as cool enough. But this decision among other things, threatens Jake’s world. He may lose his friends, his scholarship and even his reputation by asking “What do I want my life to be about?”
Teen suicide is a touchy subject. This could easily be a depressing artsy indie movie that kicks hope to the curb just to make room uncertainty but TO SAVE A LIFE written by Jim Britts is meant to cope with the things that teen have to face nowadays, none of the problems are far-fetched, in fact even the characters themselves are like everyday you and me people, at one point or another we’ve encountered someone who’s dealt with depression, someone who’s been bullied, someone who doesn’t feel like life wants them around anymore, and someone who can hide those demons really well.
Our teenagers these days have been made numb by teen angst dark romantic downers like Twilight movies, so it’s refreshing to finally see something like TO SAVE A LIFE that doesn’t shy away from heartbreak but approach it with a clear mind instead of by impulse. Britts’s lead character Jake is a guy asking why nobody is doing anything. As much as he wants to change, peer popularity pressure holds him back. Sadly, classification and discrimination among today’s youth like that still exists and TO SAVE A LIFE is basically saying that things needs to be different now.
It’s interesting to see the labeling of the groups. The Christians, the jocks, and Britts also tackle the stereotype surrounding Pastor’s kids who tend to be troubled and desperate for attention. This movie is not preachy, yes it does have biblical elements and advice you’d hear in church but I enjoy how Britts is emphasizing again and again that it’s not about religion, it’s not about blaming God, it’s not about just doing good, it’s not about not doing bad either..it’s about how you treat your fellow man, it’s about how far you should extend the definition of unconditional love and who it covers. Jake is just a teen that seems to have gotten everything figured out, but as soon as he enters the realm of questioning his path and accepting divine power, everything starts to come crashing down on him and the question remains in the end, what do you want your life to be about?
Everybody wants to be heard but can you be the ear that listens?
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this is the movie id like to watch. and Dear John. haha