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Is this the golden age of faith-based cinema? Two years ago, Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ shattered box office records. That same year T. D. Jakes drew attention with his drama Woman, Thou Art Loosed. Last year a little film called The Gospel had a respectable run, and, as expected, The Chronicles of Narnia is a huge hit. Things are already afoot in 2006: In January, the missionary drama End of the Spear opened in theaters. And in February, Christian singer Michael W. Smith made his motion picture debut in The Second Chance, which is now available on DVD.

A simple film about faith, race, and reconciliation, The Second Chance doesn't feature big special effects or an epic storyline. But it may be the most relevant of the recent crop of religious movies, because it tackles complex issues of everyday church life. For many viewers, in fact, it will hit extremely close to home.

At its heart, the movie is a tale of two churches—one white and one black. The Rock is an affluent, mostly white, suburban megachurch. The Sunday crowds are big; the music and multimedia are cutting edge; the missions programs are massive. Yet The Rock's pastor, Jeremiah Jenkins, seems strangely detached. Ethan (Smith), Jenkins's son and The Rock's image-savvy worship minister, is set to inherit the senior pastor role, but a scandalous episode prompts the church's elders to ship Ethan to its inner-city "satellite congregation," Second Chance Community Church.

Jake Sanders (jeff obafemi carr*) is Second Chance's street-smart pastor. A tireless community servant, Jake works hard to keep his church going while confronting the social ills and economic disparities in his mostly black neighborhood. He resents the arrival of Ethan, with his fancy car and "cash can solve anything" attitude. But the two men slowly bond as they face street gangs, their own prejudices, and those who would sell out the church for political gain.

The Second Chance may be a bit unsettling for those expecting an unambiguous "message movie," which is why Smith insists, "I wouldn't necessarily call this a Christian film." Yet, by zeroing in on the mundane facets of church life and shattering our culture's stereotypes of evangelical believers, it's probably the most believable Christian film we've had in a long time.

Director Steve Taylor, better known for his work as an artist and producer in Christian music, dreamed up the idea for the film six years ago over cups of coffee with screenwriters Chip Arnold and Ben Pearson. But things really took off when Smith and jeff obafemi carr, a prominent Nashville thespian, were recruited for the starring roles.

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