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Vendredi, mai 28th, 2010
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I watched this film with glowing extreme initial expectations… hoping that this so-calleld “Christian” movie would finally shatter the “Christian movie” stereotype I had near to… well… disapprove and interrogate. With Steve Taylor at the helm… I understanding, “Maybe. Fair maybe…”
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Truthfully — it exceeded all my expectations. Smartly written, smartly directed, and even well-acted… for the most section.
(I shouldn’t even notice it as a righteous “Christian” movie. It’s fair a advantageous movie. Period. I believe a lot of people will indulge in this film.)
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Michale W. Smith does a glowing suited job playing the talented music minister, Ethan Jenkins — the son and successor-to-be of the successful Pastor Jeremiah Jenkins, senior pastor of The Rock (Mega) Church and founding pastor of the inner city church, The Second Chance.
Smith plays an fascinating character. While his fill road to success may have been paved by that of his father, he wants to do the good thing and has a kindly heart. A bit naive, perhaps, in his concept of life and ministry, he is greatly affected by what he sees and experiences at The Second Chance Church when he is sent there by a miffed church board as “punishment” for being a cramped to loose with the church’s live television broadcasts.
Jeff Carr is very charming and convincing as the passionate - “in your face” - and somewhat jaded-by-reality Pastor Jake Sanders. He believes strongly in the ministry of the Second Chance Church in his community — but he’s allowed his infuriate and his temper to cloud some of his decisions and judgment. (Sanders’ tongue is actually what gets Ethan Jenkins in inconvenience when Jenkins gives him some air-time on the The Rock’s live televised program — “Well, then… you can impartial withhold your damn money!”)
Jenkins and Sanders are then forced to work together. Sanders’ inner-city contrivance of “ministry” is sometimes more than wide-eyed, open-mouthed Jenkins can swallow… (When Sander slams a drug-pushing gang-member up against the fence and threatens to rupture his arm if the gangster doesn’t let his petite brother “out” of the family business… well, Jenkins hardly knows what to do with himself.)
Both Jenkins and Sanders go through some blooming valuable yet believable changes as they learn from each other — perhaps Jenkins moreso from Sanders. And even Ethan’s father, Pastor Jeremiah Jenkins, has to face the reality that even though his ministry at The Rock has gone global, he has forgotten where it all started… leading the movie’s climax to a heartfelt and satisfying “conclusion.”
Pick it up. It’s a valid flick.
When youre a Christian boy, whos outlook is a limited skewed friends can be attractive hard to arrive by. In those moments of loneliness, when the television cant have your time. You sometimes turn to the voices that manufacture so considerable sense. For me it was Michael W. Smith and Steve Taylor. Smith I discovered when I was 10. His album Go West Young Man wore out my cassette player. I knew every word and sang every song, Id even build on droll shrimp concerts in my room. The simple lyrics touched me, encouraged me, and I also found that at Bible camp if you can learn all those Michael W. Smith songs the girls will pay attention to you. My early teens were shaped by these lyrics and forever changed my world conception.
But alas we grow up, my Christian tapes were thrown into a drawer and Nine Streak Nails and Nirvana became the music I rocked out too. I really started doubting if any of this religion stuff was worth a hill of beans and then Christmas 1994 came and I opened a brightly colored package that had an modern video in it. It was Steve Taylors belief video called “NOW THE TRUTH CAN BE TOLD” it introduced me to a man who was one share Lenny Bruce, One piece the Clash, and three parts John the Baptist. Steve Taylor was the one man I wanted to be like, the one man whose music answered questions and convicted me. I screech you I never would have survived my teenage years without him and weve never even met.
Then I grew up I got into Christian Radio and I have had an opportunity to meet many of the stars in the genre. Ive eaten lunch with Greg Long, had Bart Millard brand a banana I sold on Ebay, and Im on hugging terms with Steven Curtis Chapman. But when I got to meet Michael W. Smith at Radio City Music Hall, all I could say over and over again was it was an honor to meet you as my knees shook. I had become a thirteen year boy again. Dont ask me about what happened when I sat five feet away from Steve Taylor at a lunch sponsored by the film Im about to review. I was stuck in some pointless icebreaker utilize and I belief it would be outrageous to jump up and cause a scene, also I was shaking so distinguished I dont know what I would have said if I met him anyway. So alas I havent gotten to talk to him yet. But one day I may be able too and that would be awesome.
All this to say I have been eagerly awaiting THE SECOND CHANCE. A film that was written and directed by Taylor and starring Smith. Imagine my two childhood heroes making a film together. It was too remarkable for me to have. Unfortunately my job pulled me away from the Unusual Jersey premiere so I borrowed the DVD screener from work and watched it with my wife as the Unique York Metropolitan location got hit with 2 feet of snow.
THE SECOND CHANCE follows Ethan Jenkins (Michael W. Smith) a suburban pastor whose life is unprejudiced getting comfortable. He had a successful recording career that ended in rehab, and has since taken the associate pastor gig at The Rock, his fathers mega-church deep in the heart of suburbia. When Ethans methods bag in the method of the church boards plans he is sent to The Second Chance Community Church. Its a diminutive inner city church Ethans father started when Ethan was a child and hes there to learn and gape. Second Chance is in the middle of the inner city and is presided over by Pastor Jake (Jeff Carr), a stale pro basketball player who is trying to effect his community from the pickle of gangs and drugs. Its an uphill battle and he sees Ethan as unbiased another suburban do-gooder that will leave when the going gets tough. Can these men work together? Will Ethan stick with Pastor Jake? Or will other insidious plans cause a rift in the hood?
THE SECOND CHANCE is a film with very lofty goals. Its a film that reveals one of the biggest problems that is plaguing the Christian Church in America: racial and class seperation. There is a scrape with terms like “Gloomy Church” and “White Church.” and “Rich Church” and “Bad Church.” Theyre fraudulent. There is only one church and we all should be invited. Ethan and Jake are two souls caught in the middle. Ethan is out of his comfort zone at Second Chance and Jake is tired of the Suburban church throwing money at his neighborhood problems and not helping out. Does the Second Chance film succeed in opening our eyes to the problems in our absorb backyard? It does.
Director Taylor fills his film with rich shimmering characters. But at times his actors cant glean into them. For instance I particularly loved the sassy women playing the choir leader. She has such a puny role and yet she fills it with color and realism. Other performers objective arent as skilled and the dialogues they have sound like dialogue and not sincere life conversations.
As for the two leads, Smith and Carr give competent performances. Both are first time film actors and against the odds grow into their characters. There are a few moments early on that felt a limited wooden but as the film progresses I bought their relationship, and them as the characters.
The major flaw with the film is the long winded first act. The script dumps a lot of place conflict on the chronicle and the long slither around the hood confused me a slight. But then there is this scene with Smith, a limited child, and a paper plate. WOW! Taylor and Smith nail it. This was a tiny moment in a lot of disjointed clutter that was perfect. I hoped for more objective moments like that and they definitely came. If you are a Christian and are not moved by the foot washing scene that comes later in the film Id doubt your faith (oh Im fair kidding) .
I also liked that the film had a kindly natured sense of humor. There were moments when I saw Taylors wit and respectable natured ribbing poking out. Trust me you wont witness at prayer and a lottery effect the same procedure again.
But how will this admittedly “Christian Film” play to the unchurched masses? I dont really know. It feels more like an exhortation to the Christian Community and I wonder how someone on the outside would be able to follow it. That is not a negative. If this film gets the Christian community to enter into a discussion about how to fix a vast divide between the rich and awful, between the Dusky Church and the White Church, then I applaud it. But it is also a safe explore into what goes on inside the Christian community and may cause those who dont quite understand to ask questions and there is nothing inappropriate with dialogue.
THE SECOND CHANCE is not a perfect film, but it tries and it has guts. Moreover its watchable and more importantly fair. I liked it an applaud all interested. Now everyone go to Amazon.com and trim them out of Chagall Guevara CDs, this was Taylors early 90’s rock band. Trust me its the greatest album ever