To Save A Life deals with real life. Strong themes of Anti Bullying, Acceptance, Teen Suicide & Teen Pregnancy. It’s about facing real issues, inspiring hope through connecting with others.
To Save A Life is a powerful, profound and inspiring movie about a troubled high school basketball player who comes to Christ when his childhood friend commits suicide and his girlfriend becomes pregnant.
This movie deals with some tough topics, but every aspect of it builds the case for faith, friendship and finding our way.
Opening Scenes
The movie opens with a scene at a funeral for Roger Dawson, a high school boy who took his own life & Jake Taylor, the most popular student and game-winning basketball star, is reflecting on his history with Roger. When Jake was young, Roger was his best friend. One day as they were running across the street, Roger saved Jake’s life by pushing Jake out of the way of an oncoming car, and Roger was hit instead which gave him a permanent limp.
After Jake secures a string of basketball victories, the most beautiful girl on campus, Amy, flirts with Jake and convinces him to ditch his pal Roger. Furthermore, Jake’s best friends on the basketball team will not let Roger come to any of their parties. After some time, the boys grew apart, with Jake moving onto the popular crowd, basketball, girls; to the point the boys never talked anymore and Jake acted like Roger was invisible. These memories cause Jake to realize he was part of Roger’s alienation.
Time for Change
After a wild party with his friends, Jake has sexual relations with Amy which end in chaos as the police bust the party they were all attending. Amy steals Jake's vehicle leaving him stranded. With no one else to call, abandoned by all his friends and girlfriend, too drunk to find his way home a desperate Jake calls Chris Vaughn, the Pastor that presided over Rogers funeral.
Despondent, and unhappy with the lifestyle he had been living, Jake accepts and invitation to go to the church youth group and after a time, Jake looks in a new direction for help.
New friends are sometimes not who you might expect them to be. Courtesy of OutReach Films
How the tables are turning, Jake's wild friends start to abandon him.
Jake also starts to take an interest in some of the so-called losers on the campus where he goes to school.
A youth pastor, Chris tries to help Jake with his guilt. Chris allows Jake to expresses his feelings of guilt and tells Jake that he remembered Roger as he once came to the youth meeting, just before Roger committed suicide. Chris is heavy hearted as he feels he failed Roger.
Pastor Chris, is there for Jake. Courtesy of OutReach Films
Have you ever felt that there was just too much stuff piling up, too much for you to handle?
Jake’s family is falling apart around him. His father is cheating on his mother and never sees any value in Jake’s achievements, everyone is fighting.
In the midst of all this, after not speaking to Jake for weeks, Amy comes over to Jake's with news. It turns out that Amy is pregnant. In a moment of desperation, Jake goes to his room and get’s on his knees to pray, yelling at God that things have gotten worse since he became a Christian.
The audience is captivated waiting to see how Jake’s situation is going to be resolved.
Tough Topics
This movie has some tough topics in it. The main one is the theme of the movie, teen suicide, with a boy firing a gun in the school and daring the guard to shoot him and another boy taking a razor blade to his arms. There is extreme alcohol use, implicit teenage sex, gambling, and drug use. This realistic view of high school life makes the story of connection and forgiveness much more powerful. It is hard to imagine someone would not be moved by this movie.
Jake's Got to find out, what it means to be a real friend. Courtesy of OutReach Films
We are taken through a process of forgiveness and acceptance. We are challenged to widen our societal perspectives, to think ‘Out Side the Box’. The theme of real friendship is highlighted and redeemed in this movie. We are moved and inspired by how real and how possible it would be, TO SAVE A LIFE.
This movie is especially for high school students, parents, grandparents, and everyone dealing with the problems of our fallen world. Appreciatively, This movie was written by Real Life youth pastor, Jim Britt.
To Save A Life Movie PosterCourtesy of OutReach Films
Here is a small peak at the movie: TO SAVE A LIFE
Starring: Randy Wayne, Deja Kreutzberg, Joshua Weigel, Robert Bailey Jr., Kim Hidalgo, Sean Michael Afable, Bubba Lewis, and Steven Crowder
To Save A Life Blu-ray Rating:
To Save A Life Blu-ray Cover
Have Your Say
Have you had the experience of helping out a friend through dark times? Has anyone ever had this kind of impact on you? SHARE your thoughts or story in the comments below.
