Don’t let the flat title throw you. And don’t be tempted into believing you know what you’re in for by the mildly saccharine song at the start of “The Second Chance.”
Director Steven Taylor’s debut feature about the thorny relationship of a suburban megachurch to its urban sister sanctuary earns its second opportunity to make a first impression.
In a growing stream of Christian-focused features, “Second Chance” delivers its parable of spiritual growth with enough tender nuance that it doesn’t merely preach to the choir.
In this tale of two young ministers – one white, one black – trying to figure out what Jesus really would do, money and power square off against poverty and social justice. Personal and institutional arrogance wrestle compassion and humility. Race stands front and center, speaking to the evolving demographics of many of America’s Protestant churches.
Christian music artist Michael W. Smith plays Ethan. Newcomer jeff obafemi carr is Jake Sanders.
Son of church maverick Jeremiah Jenkins (J. Don Ferguson), Ethan is ready for his close-up. He’s just published a book. His choir hits the high notes each Sunday. He’s got a loving fiancée and every expectation that he’s next in line for the pulpit.
Ethan is no hypocrite, but he’s grown comfortable. When he turns a moment of community service into a photo opportunity, he just can’t help himself.
His father’s church doesn’t hide its light under a bushel, either. The Rock is going global even as it grows neglectful of its original sanctuary.
The Second Chance church sits in a neighborhood desperate for some urban renewal. The Rock’s congregation could use some compassion renewal.
Jeremiah was the original pastor at Second Chance. There, he brought along Jake. Now the former basketball player, who spent some time in jail, is the church’s pastor and his community’s most loving hothead.
Invited to attend a service at The Rock, Jake and wife Amanda sit smiling on the platform of the predominantly white church. Then Ethan makes this boneheaded intro: “Let’s give them a hand for all the hard work they’re doing in the worst part of town.” It’s no surprise when Jake takes the podium and pokes the congregation in its eye.
“The Second Chance” pulls the curtain back on church politics. Spiritual practice and business practices can clash in the sanctuary’s boardroom. And outside it: A board member is negotiating with the unnamed city to sell the inner-city property for a baseball stadium.
When The Rock’s board – all men – meets to discuss Ethan, one member tells Jeremiah, “He doesn’t need a sermon, Jerry. He needs his wings clipped.” That trimming comes when Jeremiah sends Ethan to spend time at Second Chance.
“The Second Chance” could easily have concentrated on the transformation of the privileged Ethan, but the writers intend this to be Jake’s movie too.
Their conflicts, shared struggles and growth provide plenty of opportunities to reflect.
*** | “The Second Chance”
PG-13 for some drug references|1 hour, 44 minutes|DRAMA|Directed by Steve Taylor; written by Taylor, Chip Arnold, Ben Pearson; photography by Ben Pearson; starring Michael W. Smith, jeff obafemi carr, J. Don Ferguson, Lisa Arrindell Anderson|Opens today at the U.A. Colorado Center.
