Buoyed by grass-roots support from Christians, youth groups and some Christian retail stores, the faith-based, teen-oriented movie To Save a Life debuted at No. 15 at the weekend.

Produced by evangelism and church resource organization Outreach and distributed by Samuel Goldwyn Films, the movie drew $1.5 million from 441 theaters nationwide, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com. The Los Angeles Times said the movie had "a decent opening" despite its limited release. The film, which cost only $500,000 to produce, saw its strongest ticket sales in smaller markets, the newspaper observed.

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic elements involving teen suicide and drinking, To Save a Life--starring Randy Wayne (The Dukes of Hazzard, The Last Hurrah) and Deja Kreutzberg (CSI Miami, Law and Order)--and revolving around an all-star athlete forced to make major changes in his life to help others received mixed reviews.

The Los Angeles Times said "this smartly calibrated film pulls off something rare by presenting religious commitment as something that's not only potentially healing and elevating, but also kind of cool." The Orlando Sentinel noted that "for folks looking for those messages in a movie that packs more PG-13 heat than Fireproof, To Save a Life delivers." But The New York Times said "forget the lame performances and arch, preachy sentiment; the movie's sham hip-hop and spurious alternative music alone should keep teenagers away."

In addition to online networking--which included promotions by Mardel Christian & Education--more than 200 "Lifeline Squads" had pledged to each pre-sell a minimum of 1,000 tickets to the film over the weekend, while 2,500 youth groups nationwide had planned to take their students and friends to view the movie, the To Save a Life Web site said.

"The non-traditional release pattern is highlighted by success in markets like Burleson, Texas, Oceanside, Calif., Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Evans, Ga., which make up the top grossers for To Save a Life this weekend," said Samuel Goldwyn Films, which also distributed the surprise hit Fireproof nearly two years ago. Outreach will continue its grass-roots campaign to have the film shown in more theaters throughout the country.

Click here for more information on To Save a Life.

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