Startlingly direct if unavoidably preachy, The Second Chance takes aim at Christianity's racial divide and the corporatization of faith. Its message is simple: being a Christian requires more than just dropping a check in the collection plate every Sunday morning.

A movie-of-the-week treatment of race and class, the film credibly portrays the day-to-day workings of an urban ministry.

The crisply made feature delivers an involving if not always persuasive portrait of religious leaders in conflict.

Competently directed by Christian music producer Steve Taylor, it's 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.

As a film, 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.

Its message is sugarcoated in a schmaltzy, clichéd story line about Smith's conflicts with streetwise black minister (Jeff Obafemi Carr) - and sabotaged by hackneyed dialogue, sluggish pacing and a listless performance by Smith, who only springs to life when he's singing.

There are a lot of good messages in The Second Chance about how Christianity is a mix of love, both gentle and tough. Some of those, unfortunately, are lost in the uneven performances.