What was a small film in the United States, To Save A Life is a teen drama that is currently touring through churches in Canada. Despite the movie's Christian backbone, it makes a strong attempt to reach out problems that effect high schools everywhere: teen depression.
Years ago, Jake Taylor (Randy Wayne) left behind one of his closest friends, Roger (Robert Bailey Jr.) in exchange for popularity. But when Roger pulls a gun out at school and commits suicide, Jake is left wondering if he was part of the reason for his old friend's decision to take his life. Jake begins to open his eyes to see the people around him differently, realizing how much he once ignored and sometimes didn't even care about at all. He leads others to take example, realizing what it means to feel judged.
That would be the basic plot of the film, but it doesn't actually bring that to the audience's perspective until late into the first act. For the majority of the beginning, you'll know Jake is in pain, but it lacks direction of how he really wants to cope with it.
The actors bring talent to their performances, but it progresses with the film's story. It isn't until the middle that you'll feel like they're giving their best effort. The mentor figure, Chris Vaughn (Joshua Weigel) holds the strongest performance in the film.
The theme would revolve around how it feels to be ridiculed and socially rejected and the toll it takes on a person's character and self-respect. While the movie does retain the light echo of "Jesus can help you", it's reasoning will hit home for many viewers no matter where their religious or spiritual standing may be.
One of the film's most admirable qualities would be that for a "Christian" movie, it plays it as a realistic high school setting with all the qualifications: drugs, sex, drinking, swearing and self mutilation. It will hold itself back to keep with a certain degree of censorship, but with enough moxy to not feel holier than thou.
An emotional message that is surrounded by good acting, dialogue and musical style is what makes the movie stand out as coming very close to a film that could be enjoyed by all audience members. It certainly is an improvement compared to the standard setting of Christian films.
-Braydon K
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