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Saved! Picture 5
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Saved! Full Production Notes "Heaven Help Us."
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 Chapter 4: Christian Jewels and Other Gems"It was really a delight to get this group of actors together," says Stern. "It's our dream cast, and every actor we approached basically agreed right away. What's even more remarkable is that they stayed with us for at least a year of on-again, off-again start dates." Jena Malone, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Heather Matarazzo, and Mary-Louise Parker were among those who stayed on board during that year. Mandy Moore, Eva Amurri, and the rest of the cast were signed closer to the beginning of principal photography.
As for Dannelly, he was on the same casting page as the filmmakers right from the beginning. "I wanted and needed to cast Saved! with very talented, very smart actors who could relate to and understand the story," he says. "A lot of the cast has already had some big experiences in their lives, so they understood what it meant to go through hurdles. They came to us already informed."
Though it's very much an ensemble piece, the character at the center of Saved!'s comedic storm is Mary, played by Jena Malone. "I always thought Jena was an incredible young actor," says Stern. "The first thing I saw her in was Bastard Out of Carolina and she gave an unbelievable performance. Everything I have seen her in, she brings such a truth, honesty, and depth of soul ` when we met her we knew instantly we'd found Mary."
Dannelly gives credit to Malone for doing such a great job with such a multi-layered role. "In her own life she's already had to make some very grown-up choices, and she was familiar with what that meant," says Dannelly. "It works well for her character because Mary goes through such a huge decision-making process and journey of self-discovery. And Jena had such good insight into the character. I literally cried when I met her because she explained the story to me from her perspective and it was so right on."
In describing her attraction to the piece, Malone says, "I had never read a script like Saved! and I loved it. I love the humor and comedy, but also the really interesting sentiments about loss of faith and the idea of being an outcast ` they combine to make this really interesting story. That drew me to the script."
Above all, Malone loved her character's journey throughout the film. "When the audience meets Mary Cummings," she says, "she has already started questioning things. Although she is still best friends with Hilary Faye, you can see something is a little off.
"In every young person's life," she continues, "there is a point when you have to question your foundation before you start building the walls for your own house. Mary's foundation, which she was born in and has grown up with, was a specific faith: Christianity.
But she's starting to question it, and circumstances propel that questioning even further, which eventually leads to a breaking down of faith. In the film, she goes through that process as well as everything that goes along with it ` anger, sadness, hurt, confusion, and, ultimately, joy at finding what works for her."
To play Mary's influential best friend, Hilary Faye, the filmmakers went after actress and music star Mandy Moore, though they admit they thought it was a long shot. "Mandy is a golden girl at the moment; she's being offered many, many projects," Stern says. "But we sent her the script, and seven days later she committed to the movie. I have never had an actor come onto a project so easily and joyously as Mandy. It was incredible."
Moore originally heard about the story through her pal Heather Matarazzo. "I'm really good friends with Heather," Moore says, "and for months I remember her talking about this movie. For the longest time I thought it was a drama until I finally got my hands on the script and read it and was just on the floor in hysterics laughing ` and I wanted to be a part of it.
"Besides the fact that the script was unbelievably well written, I wanted the opportunity to work with this cast." Moore continues. "It's an amazing cast of young people my age. Jena, Macaulay, Patrick, Heather, and Eva ` they're all people I really respect and admire. That was the clincher."
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