'SAVED!' Culkin plays paraplegic in religion-comedy film

Going to high school gave the child star a much-needed break from acting.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Macaulay Culkin is a normal, well-adjusted 23-year-old guy. Really.
"Contrary to popular belief, I've never been to rehab," Culkin says. "What else haven't I done? I've never been to jail, never been arrested. All the child-star clich & eacute;s. I've actually tried very hard to avoid them all."
A remarkable feat for one of the richest, most famous child stars in Hollywood history, who endured a nasty custody battle between his parents, quit acting at 14, got married at 17, divorced at 19 -- and struck up a friendship with Michael Jackson along the way.
Culkin is easing back into the public eye with a supporting role as a cynical, paraplegic student at a Christian high school in "Saved," a caustic but warmhearted comedy about faith and intolerance.
Culkin actually went to high school during his much-dissected hiatus from acting. Along with his "Saved!" co-star, Jena Malone, he attended the Professional Children's School in New York.
"It's one of these schools where young professionals, young people who have jobs, whether it be acting or dancing or professional rollerblader, can go and have their work sent to them on the road," he said. "So half the time people weren't there because they were working."
Despite its educational shortcomings, high school was a valuable, almost cathartic experience for Culkin, allowing him to keep a low profile after five years of stratospheric fame sparked by hit movies like "Home Alone."
"I just felt like a human being," he says. "How else are you going to act like a human being if you've never had a chance to be one?"
Brief marriage
During this time, one of the more bizarre episodes in Culkin's life occurred: his marriage to actress Rachel Miner, before either of them had turned 18.
Culkin makes no apologies. "I don't think we were trying to pretend to be anything other than we were. We were just in love. I mean, big deal," he says. "It's not that uncommon [to marry at 17], it's just that under these particular circumstances, people thought it was kooky and weird."
Speaking of weird, what about Jackson?
Culkin gives what he calls his standard answer about the child-molestation charges: "It's unfortunate." He also points out that he hasn't spoken to Jackson in several months.
But he's not so naive as to not understand why Jackson is perceived as a strange individual.
"He's been away from a lot of humanity for a long time. I mean, it's not like he can walk down the street anywhere in the world. So sometimes he's socially awkward, and so he doesn't quite get it when he says something and everyone's like, 'Hey, that's crazy!'"
Culkin, on the other hand, seems disarmingly sane when discussing his life and work. He quit acting after a string of bombs, all released in 1994: "Getting Even with Dad," "The Pagemaster" and "Richie Rich."
"When I stopped, I wasn't going to do it again," he says. "It wasn't fun anymore, and it hadn't been in a while, and I'd been saying for a good year or so that I wanted to stop, and it just seemed like no one was listening."
But in 2001, his retirement ended when he made his London stage debut in "Madame Melville," about a teenager seduced by his French teacher. He then starred as the murderous, drugged-out "club kid" Michael Alig -- smashing all that remained of his cute, wholesome persona -- in last year's "Party Monster."