The trailer for The Second Chance, the feature directorial debut of former Christian pop satirist and music producer Steve Taylor, is now online at the movie’s official website.
I was a huge fan of Taylor’s in my teens and early 20s, and, after interviewing him at a couple of local music festivals some ten years ago or more, I interviewed him over the phone eight years ago when he first announced his intention to direct a movie (under the rumoured title Saint Gimp — click here for a wacky animation test) under the aegis of the now-defunct Squint Entertainment. So I’m definitely curious to see what he does with this film, which would appear to follow an entirely different concept.
But I have to admit I’m not sure what to expect of this movie; the basic subject matter, the title, and the casting of Michael W. Smith in the lead role all seem to indicate that this will be just another Christian movie for Christian audiences, the movie equivalent of a CCM record. I hope I’m wrong. But, well, let’s just say I was always hoping Taylor would be for Christians what Napoleon Dynamite (2004) director Jared Hess turned out to be for Mormons — the guy who broke out of his religious subculture through sheer force of quirk alone. And this movie seems considerably more limited — both artistically and in terms of its audience potential.
At any rate, the movie opens in the U.S. in mid-February, and with any luck it might open in Canada, as well — although independent Christian films only rarely get simultaneous releases here.
FEB 17 UPDATE: My review is now up at CT Movies.
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