The Second Chance (2006)

40% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
57% of users liked it
(78,765 ratings)

Two very different men are brought together and learn a mutually important lesson about the real function of a church in this drama. Ethan Jenkins (Michael W. Smith) is a man in his mid-thirties who after years of scuffling as a musician on the West Coast has decided to move back East and work with… More Two very different men are brought together and learn a mutually important lesson about the real function of a church in this drama. Ethan Jenkins (Michael W. Smith) is a man in his mid-thirties who after years of scuffling as a musician on the West Coast has decided to move back East and work with his father. As it happens, his father is Jeremiah Jenkins (J. Don Ferguson), a well known and respected minister who leads the flock at "The Rock," a massive "superchurch" where worship often looks more like a flashy multi-media presentation than a church service. Ethan becomes an associate pastor at The Rock, but it's clear he views his mission more as a business than service to the community, and Jeremiah decides his son needs to learn a bit more about what work at a church is all about. In the early '60s, Jeremiah helped found the Second Chance Community Church during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. The inner-city neighborhood Second Chance serves is now a crime-ridden slum, and Jeremiah sends Ethan there to assist pastor Jake Sanders (Jeff Obafemi Carr) as he tries to maintain an oasis of peace and hope in the middle of a gang-dominated war zone. Through Jake, Ethan gains some hard-won wisdom about the true nature of faith and service, and he tries to share his new knowledge with his father, whose new congregation is a far cry from where he started his mission for the Lord. The Second Chance marked the first feature film role for award-winning Christian musician Michael W. Smith. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Steve Taylor
Written By: Chip Arnold, Ben Pearson, Steve Taylor
Genres: Drama, Faith & Spirituality

In Theaters: Feb 17, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Jul 18, 2006
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Justin Chang, Variety
As divided as the two very different churches at its center, The Second Chance reps an uneasy marriage of spiritual conviction and dramatic expedience.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
[The film is] designed to launch Christian pop singer Michael W. Smith as a movie brand name. It doesn't really succeed at that, but it does manage to send a positive message in a pretty polished movie, a message aimed at regular church-goers.
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
[The film is] sabotaged by hackneyed dialogue, sluggish pacing and a listless performance by Smith, who only springs to life when he's singing.
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
A movie-of-the-week treatment of race and class, the film credibly portrays the day-to-day workings of an urban ministry.
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News
It's not the message that bothered me but the obvious way in which it's delivered.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Second Chance delivers its parable of spiritual growth with enough tender nuance that it doesn't merely preach to the choir.
Kam Williams, Upstage Magazine
A modern morality play whose positive messages are undercut by its pandering, paternalistic tone.
Kam Williams, Ellsworth American
A modern morality play whose positive messages are undercut by its pandering, paternalistic tone.
Peter T. Chattaway, Christianity Today
This may be a church movie, but it's one of the better ones.
Chris Thilk, Film Threat
There are a lot of good messages in The Second Chance about how Christianity is a mix of love, both gentle and tough.
Maitland McDonagh, TV Guide's Movie Guide
It is earnest, cliched, often awkward and unlikely to inspire anyone who isn't already thoroughly sold on its message of salvation through community activism.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
... a sincerely (if not exactly subtly) performed spiritual drama with a faith-based lesson in humility and the practical charity of offering a helping hand.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Dannielle A

I love the arogance of the pastors, the leasson they learned: "love your enemy." The humility when they washed one another's feet. That part brought me to tears. I love how the white pastor was clueless and ignorant, caught up in his own little world, and the black… More
I love the arogance of the pastors, the leasson they learned: "love your enemy." The humility when they washed one another's feet. That part brought me to tears. I love how the white pastor was clueless and ignorant, caught up in his own little world, and the black pastor who cared deeply for the drug dealers and prostitutes.
William G

A modest Jesus-fish-out-of-water story.
Jay R

Pretty Well done, good message and not dumbed down... i liked it
Erin C

I actually thought this was a good movie (I had my doubts). The Christianity aspect drew me in, but the story line held my attention.