Mark (Chad Allen) is addicted to casual gay sex and cocaine. When he hits bottom and tries to commit suicide, his brother checks him into Genesis House, a Christian 12-Step "recovery facility" that specializes in "sexual brokenness." It is supported by a local fundamentalist church and run by Gayle (Judith Light) and Ted (Stephen Lang). The approach they use is to convert homosexuals to Christ and then to wean them off their "lifestyle choice." They use Scripture, group sharing, and communal work to give these young men a new path in life.

Scott (Robert Gant) takes a special interest in Mark while at the same time he is trying to receive some love and affirmation from his dying father who thinks he is going to Hell for his homosexuality. Gayle singles Mark out because he bears a resemblance to her son, a gay man who committed suicide after she rejected him. Mark's roommate Lester (Robert Baker) is a lonely soul who watches the newcomer's friendship with Scott grow and wants to experience the same thing for himself.

Robert Cary directs Save Me and makes the most of a screenplay by Robert Desiderio, Craig Chester, and Alan Hines which, fortunately, swerves away from stereotyping the Christian couple or the young men they are trying to help. It does reveal the flaws inherent in the futile attempt to "cure" their homosexuality. And as far as the preaching of the Gospel goes, a lot more would be accomplished by trying to have everyone be like Jesus rather than to just believe in him.

The film benefits immensely from the emotionally powerful performance by Judith Light as Gayle, a domineering woman who is still trying to come to terms with her guilt. Her relationship with Ted, her second husband, is convincing, and his loving and tender approach to the young men in their care is commendable, especially in light of his own past as an addict.

Three outstanding scenes depict the powerful yearning for love that animates the main characters. One involves the emotional breakthrough Gayle has with Mark as they are enjoying a snack together while doing an errand. The second shows Scott holding his father's hand and listening to him use a biblical passage from Leviticus to curse him. And in a third scene, Mark reads I Corinthians 13 aloud in a church service. Save Me stands alongside the top-drawer documentary film For the Bible Tells Me So as a film that can build bridges of understanding between gays and the Religious Right.


Special DVD features include interviews; deleted scenes; a photo gallery; biographies; and a resource guide.