The Second Chance (2006)

Some times there is a certain serendipity to stumbling on a movie. I had been walking down the street in New York 's financial district and I passed a homeless man selling various goods on the street corner. Most people, myself included, paid him no mind. I tried my best to not get involved but I did and the result was I picked up a DVD of this movie, because he seemed to be rather certain I "needed to see it". I gave him a couple of bucks and I went on my way to the seaport. A couple of nights later I sat down to watch it and was rather surprised at how good the film really was. In a weird sort of way the man was right, I needed to see this film.

The plot of the film has a well to do white minister going to spend time at the church where his father started. The visit was prompted by the young black minister at that church, an up and coming fellow, saying some insensitive things at the church of the white minister's dad, whom he felt had grown out of touch with his roots and the community where he started out. Over the course of the film the two young ministers, who are friends, get closer and find a common ground with each other and life.

I can't explain it well, but this is a great little film about people being people regardless of color. It's about how skin color isn't important and how knowing where we came from is necessary for finding the future. Its a wonderful film that isn't really about race or religion but about life and people. Its a film to make you feel really good.

I don't think there is a mistake anywhere in the film. The performances are on target, the emotion is real and the story is nice. I don't know if its one of the best films of the year but it is one the great finds. It's a movie about ideas and teaching a lesson that doesn't preach or feel forced. It's a movie that everyone should see, because even if you're like me and think you won't like it, you will.

This is the sort of movie you really need to see.

(Actually the ones who should see this film are other filmmakers because it's the way you should make a movie a "message" movie like this and not have it feel fake.)