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It is common with films of this sort to say that the two protagonists learn from each other, but most of the learning here is done by Ethan. It is true that Jake has his flaws—he has a huge chip on his shoulder, for one thing, and could probably stand to be a little more gracious in general—but the film seems ready to overlook them because it is through them that his righteous anger expresses itself. On the few occasions when characters do criticize him, their criticisms seem desperate or self-serving, and thus they don't really "stick" to Jake the way that Jake's criticisms stick to Ethan. And there is certainly nothing in the film's characterization of Jake that reeks of a need for change on his part, not like the many signs of wealth and affluence that are bestowed on Ethan.

Ethan and Jake have a run-in with a gang member

That said, Jake does show some interesting contradictions that could be worth teasing out. For example, he encourages a refugee with a family to humble himself and accept a minimum-wage job at Wal-Mart, even though he was a professor in his former country; yet he objects to the mayor's plans for a new stadium, complaining that the only economic benefit it will bring to his neighborhood is to give the kids jobs selling hot dogs. It is also interesting to note that, while one of the white characters speaks fondly of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the black minister quotes Malcolm X, a Muslim, in one of his sermons.

Details like these make The Second Chance something to talk about, and the film could very well spark some interesting and even necessary discussions. It helps that the film is also skillfully made, from the hand-held camerawork to the note-perfect soundtrack (courtesy of Smith, with help from John Mark Painter and others) and the performances; Smitty in particular acquits himself well in his first major acting role. However, bits of dialogue still sound a little church-movie-ish, and the film's tone and theme, overall, are a bit on the tidy side. Those of us who had hoped that Steve Taylor would be for Christians what Napoleon Dynamite's Jared Hess was for Mormons—a filmmaker who broke out of his religious subculture through sheer force of quirk alone—will have to wait and see what he does next. For now, though, this may be a church movie, but it's one of the better ones.

This film is opening in limited release. For a complete listing of theaters, click here.

1. What do you think of the way the two main pastors are portrayed? Do you find it easier to identify with one than the other? Does your perception of them change over the course of the movie? If so, how? If not, why not?
   
   
2. After Ethan leads worship at the mega-church, his father says to the congregation, "Who says church has to be boring, amen?" What does that say about the film's portrayal of that church as a whole? How does it contrast with the message Jake gives immediately afterwards? How does this compare to the scenes where Ethan plays the piano at Jake's church? Does the size of the church make a difference? Can you imagine Jake saying, "Who says church has to be boring, amen?"?
   
   
3. Why do you think Pastor Jake encourages the refugee to humble himself and take a low-paying job, while objecting to the new stadium because local kids will sell hot dogs? Do you think he's being inconsistent?
   
   
4. Jake says he doesn't object to overseas missions, but thinks "the home front should take priority, is all." Ethan replies, "You mean your home front." Does Ethan have a point? Does Jake have a point? How should we balance local and faraway missions?
   
   

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