Mark (Chad Allen) is a troubled man taking refuge in drugs, alcohol, and frequent gay sex with prostitutes. He feels his life is going down the drain, and at the end of a very rough night he attempts to commit suicide. When he wakes up in the hospital, Mark's older brother (Paul Scallan) tells him he is no longer welcome at home. His homosexual "lifestyle choices" have broken the heart of Mark's mother, and he will not be welcome until he decides to "get straight." At this point, Mark is checked into The Genesis House, a Christian organization dedicated to turning gay men into ex-gays.
The Genesis House is run by middle-aged married couple Gayle (Judith Light) and Ted (Stephen Lang). They attempt to welcome Mark, but Mark is suspicious. He says he is going to run away. "You're free to do so. We don't lock our doors here," they reply. Mark suspects that they will attempt to brainwash him. "We only want to help you overcome these problems through the love of Jesus Christ," they say. After a while, Mark slowly agrees to go with the program, and is surprised when he begins to feel like he is being "cured." However, are the positive vibes coming from the feel-good program he's participating in, or from his increasingly comfortable relationship with friendly Genesis House resident Scott (Robert Gant)? The next thing you know Mark and hunky Scott are enjoying cigarettes and gay sex.
"Save Me" establishes an agenda from the beginning, crosscutting between a day in the life of Mark and a group of Christians at Genesis House. The performances are all strong. Chad Allen is natural and convincing, Robert Gant has considerable charisma, Judith Light turns a potentially one-dimensional character into a real human being, and Stephen Lang steals every scene he is in. But the biggest stars are the ideas, which dominate the film in a powerful way and overwhelm the technical aspects. The film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was later picked up for distribution by independent studio Fine Line Features. It screened at over 6 film festivals and has drawn positive reviews from Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Time Out London and other publications. The DVD is available with two different covers. One features Allen holding a crucifix to his head as if it were a gun, and the second shows Allen wearing a shirt and tie with a heavenly light shining on his face. Jeff Cardoni composed the music. Robert Desiderio wrote the screenplay from a story by Craig Chester and Alan Hines. Robert Cary directed.
