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Saved! Picture 7
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Saved! Full Production Notes "Heaven Help Us."
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 Chapter 6: New Kid on the BlockIn describing the project's appeal to him, Fugit says he relished the idea of working with such an accomplished young cast, especially on something they all believed in so much. "I really liked the people that were involved," Fugit says. "In fact, although the script read really well, I think the cast even helped bring the script up to another level."
Fugit's character, Patrick, is the minister's son, a "new kid on the block" recently returned from missionary work with his skateboard in tow. He's an attractive, outgoing kid who immediately gets the attention of all the ladies. "Patrick has been away and comes into school new, the captain of the Christian skateboard team," says Fugit. "He does what he truly believes in and does it for himself, especially after his missionary experiences. What he finds so attractive about Mary is that she is an outsider; she speaks up for herself and questions her beliefs, which is something he can relate to because he's gone through it himself." Those same qualities are what convinces Mary that Patrick's the guy for her.
One of the strongest champions of the project from its inception, smart young actress Heather Matarazzo is referred to by Stern as "the cheerleader of the script amongst young Hollywood." As mentioned before regarding Mandy Moore, Matarazzo helped get many young actors interested in the project in the first place.
Matarazzo points to the honest emotions depicted in the script as the principal motivator behind her serious commitment to the project. "What struck me about the script," she says, "was its honesty and passion and the fact it explained how to avoid putting yourself in a box, to challenge ideas and beliefs. It's pretty much all about love and acceptance, for other human beings and for yourself. Through that you get your spirituality ` it's not about pushing it down someone else's throat."
Matarazzo's character is Tia, the "Christian Jewels" wannabe who finally gets to replace the disgraced Mary as one of Hilary Faye's disciples when Mary is "banished." "Tia is the most manipulative and destructive of the bunch," Matarazzo explains. "Although Mary calls her a `low-wattage bulb,' Tia's actually funny, cunning, and witty ` and she ends up being the most manipulative and destructive of the bunch."
Finally, Eva Amurri was cast to play the most flamboyant of the school's outcasts, Cassandra Edelstein. Like the others, Amurri immediately knew she wanted to do the film. "The script was so funny and well written; I just loved it," she says. "I knew I had to audition for this role." She was so determined, in fact, she flew herself to Los Angeles specifically to audition for the filmmakers.
It was a good thing she did. As they recall, Amurri's initial script reading floored them. "At 17 years of age, she had this amazing power and charisma," says Stern. "We looked at each other and said, `Oh my God, we've found the perfect Jew for our Christian high school.'"
"Eva came in and brought all this life to her character, whereas other people had approached it somewhat glibly," adds Dannelly. "To me she was a really special find."
"Cassandra is the only Jewish girl at American Eagle Christian High School," Amurri continues, "and she is an outsider in a lot of ways in order to compensate. She's the rebel: she smokes, she drives a purple Javelin, and she's pretty intense. She's very spunky."
In doing research screenings of Saved!, the filmmakers found that audiences responded very positively to Cassandra ` a testament to Amurri as well as the writers that brought the character to life in the first place. When discussing the film after one such screening, Stern recalls a teenager who remarked, "If you really look at Cassandra, even though she's Jewish, you realize she's one of the most `Christian' characters."
During the film, Cassandra feels herself drawn to Hilary Faye's wheelchair-bound brother, Roland. Amurri feels Cassandra's attraction to Roland is only natural. "She is attracted to him because he's also on the outside," she says. "His sister overshadows him because she is very controlling, and I think Cassandra is sympathetic to that. Also he doesn't judge her, which is really important to her."
Next Page: A Band of Angels
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