Every few months, youth pastors get a promotional box in the mail luring them to jump on the bandwagon of the next big Christian movie, book, conference or concert. Marketing madness bombards us with free promotional posters, T-shirts, devos, bookmarks, bumper stickers and more. Sadly, the Christian entertainment sub-culture often disappoints. I usually don't bite. I'm the boring youth pastor who tends to stick to the Bible as much as possible.

So, I was skeptical at first when the hoopla came out about the latest Christian-produced film To Save a Life. However, our youth group was due for a field trip; and I had heard great things. So we boarded a bus one Wednesday night and took a group of 50 high school students to the theater for some popcorn and a two-hour trip into the world of many teenagers today.

The movie quality was great; the acting quite good; and the plot tackled the issues in a real, non-cheesy way. There were moments of gut-busting laughter and applause, and other moments when we were holding back tears. Our group really seemed to enjoy the film.

Plot Synopsis:

Jake Taylor has it all: friends, fame, a basketball scholarship and the hottest girl in school. What could be better?

Enter Roger Dawson. Roger has nothing. No friends. No hope. Nothing but putdowns and getting pushed aside. Things couldn't get worse...could they?

Jake and Roger were best friends when they were kids, but the politics of high school quickly pulled them apart. Roger no longer fit in Jake's -- or anyone's -- circle; and he'd had enough. He walked onto campus with a gun in his pocket and pain in his heart and made a tragic move.

Jake's last-ditch effort couldn't stop Roger, and the sudden tragedy rocked Jake's world. Something breaks loose inside and sends him questioning everything. Most of all, he can't shake the question: Could I have saved Roger?

In a quest for answers, Jake finds himself looking for the next Roger and reaching out to the outcasts and lonely; but he quickly finds that crossing class castes threatens the world he has built. He could lose his friends, his girl, his dreams and even his reputation. Is it worth the price to find the answer to his ultimate question: What do I want my life to be about?

This is a story and film written by a veteran youth pastor from California. He attempts to capture accurately the challenges and pressures teenagers face daily.  One way the film does this is by leaving in scenes involving sex, partying, binge drinking, cutting, abortion, divorce and so on. The film earns it's PG-13 rating. While not shying away from the messiness, ugliness and complexity of some dark teen issues, the film brings a positive, redemptive message of hope and transformation.

So, while I have much good to say about the film's real portrayal of teenage culture, I have some other disappointments from a pastoral and theological point of view. Let me preface my disappointments with a disclaimer: Many Christian reviewers and youth pastor comments immediately complain that the gospel -- the sacrificial, sin-atoning death and resurrection of Jesus Christ -- was not clearly communicated in the movie. Before we make such judgments, we should ask: "What particular story and message was the artist/writer trying to communicate with this film?" Once we've identified the key message this film is trying to get across to teenagers, then we can assess fairly whether he or she succeeded or failed.