Save Me - Theatrical Cover
by Robert Cary
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DVD details
Actor: Chad Allen, Judith Light, Robert Gant, Stephen LangDirector: Robert Cary
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 96 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2009-01-20
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: FIRST RUN FEATURES
DVD Reviews of Save Me - Theatrical Cover
DVD Review: Where angels fear to tread.
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember speaking with a local and respected politician who once said to me he was "fundamental in regards to faith" and that there was nothing wrong with believing in his principles so strongly. I wondered whether `fundamentalism' had indeed become a dirty word, and whether this was deserved or not, as I believed much the same. I too was, and to a large extent still am, fundamental about my beliefs.
"Save Me" tries desperately hard not to antagonise, and attempts in so far as is possible to bridge the divide between two extreme schools of thought. Ultimately one must choose a side as does the film, and in doing so cannot avoid the consequences of such a polarised subject. For me the naive sincerity of this church (and I believe they have some genuine concern and affection for gay men and women) ultimately undermines the depths of the hurt, alienation and desperation felt by many a gay man and women both spiritually and emotionally. The church just do not know, and though it believes it is the custodian of truth, it's knowledge is but a shadow.
Judith Light as the `mother' and `minister' of Genesis Ministries, attempts to relive her life and failure through the lives of young gay men she sees as broken and in need of salvation. The perverse irony is that she herself has lost her own gay son to suicide, after having thrown him out of the family home after confiding in her about being gay. For me the most debilitating and impotent tragedy of this film is that rather than acknowledge her part in his death, she continues to see his homosexuality as the cause of his death. Her words as she recounts the story to (Chad Allan) still resonate with me: "The day I told him to leave, was the last time I saw my son".
Ask any son who has been torn from his home, or the love of his mother (or any parent for that matter) of the impact of such an act, and a desperate story will emerge. The fact that the cause of that hurt is another person's religious conviction is for me an unacceptable denial that flies in the face of both religious principle and belief. Like many who fundamentally believe, Judith Light's character is of the opinion that if they show any form of compromise emotionally, physically or relgiously, that such would undermine their own salvation. For this reason they are stoic in belief, cold in argument, and removed from love.
Perhaps compromise is the wrong word, and instead one should use `apology'. I for one believe a great apology is due to many a gay man and women, especially those who have in their lives been subject to both a direct and indirect faith based hate, founded on the illusion of principle.
This is one of Judith Light's best portrayals, and whilst I was never a fan of her before, I am certainly one who respects her acting skills now. Ultimately this is a difficult subject matter to tackle, and the sea of emotion that results is often difficult to navigate. This is true of the story and one's own religious convictions, particularly for those that have found their own lives and stories entwined in such. For me this film addresses numerous `taboo' subjects, in that it portrays the reality that many gay men and women are spiritual and indeed broken. Furthermore, that brokenness has its root in the human failings of good men and women, whose ability to parent has been diminished, undermined and invalidated by a unbending and ill conceived religious belief. Rather than take ownership of their inheritance and failings, they divert attention away from themselves and their actions onto the internal struggles of their sons and daughters. Many of whom consider themselves to be Christian, and try in the best way they are able to follow Christ in a world that shows little sympathy for either their own internal war or their affections and loves.
The that fellow believers would participate in such a crass, naive injustice in the lives of others, is for me a `fundamental' betrayal of truth. In many instances the characters portrayed in this film (shown in a series of counselling sessions, where the audience is an unknown participant) reveal that their `silence is their self-defence,' and how the horror of loosing those they love is for them more important than finding themselves.
Chad Allan like Judith Light has a strong presence in this film, although his character at times frustrates you. Ultimately the entire subject matter frustrates, and this is why the film works for me. It's an honest attempt at dialogue, whilst it tries to reconcile the Christian right with the gay and lesbian community. There is still a long way to go, and in the interim far too many men and women suffer the indignity of such treatment, isolation and death (both emotional and at times physical).
A good film, which tackles a subject matter many dare not address. Well worth the effort and expense. The TV series "Prayers for Bobby" in which the same subject matter is addressed, and the 'repentance' of a mother (Sigorney Weaver)so elegantly portrayed, is another film to watch. For those that are interested, the book written by Bobby's mother on which the TV series is based, is profound and moving apology to her son.
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