The Biblical “Book of Ruth” was the inspiration for “Ruth & Boaz,” a modern, semi-faith-based romantic melodrama from the fantasy factory that is Tyler Perry Studios.

Ruth isn’t a widow who bonds with her widowed mother in law, meeting the rich Boaz as she gleans his barley fields. Here she’s an Atlanta rapper on the lam with the woman who might have been her mother-in-law had Ruth’s fiance lived long enough to marry her. Ruth picks grapes for a wealthy vintner in Tennessee wine country and catches the eye of the bottler Boaz with her beauty.

Actress turned writer-director Alanna Brown’s (“Trees of Peace”) film of a Michael Elliot, Cory Tynan script takes us from a dangerous Atlanta music scene, where performers do what they’re told and honor their contracts or else, to the rural outskirts of Nashville, where a Black winemaker can make a mark with the family winery and the mostly-Black workforce can let off steam by going line dancing in the Country Music Capital, Nashville.

It’s got moments of eye-rolling fantasy, absurd plot twists and lots of faith-based voice-over and face-to-face advice from widow Naomi (Phylicia Rashad) to singer-turned-wine-picker Ruth (singer-actress Seraya of TV’s “Empire”).

“Sometimes God’s angels don’t wait for an invitation.”

At least this corny, formulaic “collision course with destiny” drama is short and sweet-natured, and the Book of Ruth connection shows some imagination.

Ruth Moabley and her singing partner Breana (Nijah Brenea) are on the cusp of stardom. Their hip hop act, The 404 (Atlanta’s area code) has the sex appeal and sonic pop to break out. Their manager Syrus (James Lee Thomas) has a lot invested in them. He’s counting on that So So Def Records “eight figure deal” in the offing.

But Ruth isn’t sure about this tiny-costume/suggestive lyrics/grinding dancing future. We see the crucifix she always wears. And she feels the disapproval of her fiance’s mother Naomi, who isn’t subtle in suggesting her son Marlon (Chaundre Hall-Broomfield) could do better.

Bailing out on Syrus is not allowed. When Marlon and his dad (Gregory Alan Williams) are murdered in a “car jacking,” Syrus flat out tells Ruth he did this.

Rather than run to the police, she runs off to Pegram, Tennessee with grieving Naomi, whom she keeps in the dark about her role in losing her husband and son. They’ll live in the half-ruined farmhouse Naomi left behind when she married well and moved to the Big City.

Beautiful Ruth will learn to cut and crush grapes, sing just enough as she works to raise an eyebrow from her fellow farmworkers and catch the eye of Boaz (Tyler Lepley of TV’s “The Haves and Have Nots” and “Harlem”), the owner who is sure he’s got a vintage coming to market that will make his winery famous and successful.

The film’s many Biblical allusions are in names — Ruth Moabley (Biblical Ruth was from Moab), Syrus (Cyrus) and Eli and Bo Azrah, nicknamed “Boaz” — in the way Boaz washes Ruth’s feet (it’s for wine-crushing, in this case) and in the lessons of love imparted in many, many snippets of voice-over narration or sage pronouncements from Naomi.

“Love is patient and kind, but love can also break your heart.”

It’s a shallow, corny story with absurd twists — the way Syrus keeps admitting to crimes, of course Naomi’s old church comes by to fix up her house, Ruth “going viral” by covering Avicii’s “Wake Me Up” in a country bar, Boaz just happening to be pals with producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

The usual Tyler Perry Studios sheen of affluence coats the production and removes the story from reality and fails to sugar-coat half-hearted dialogue-writing.

“Like I said before, I TOLD you.”

Seraya sings and handles the spotlight well enough. The character may be thinly developed,. A smorgasbord of screenwriting cliches make up Ruth’s background. But our star never lets us doubt her musical destiny.

There really is a Tennessee Wine Country, so kudos for finding a story that fits that setting. But with “Ruth & Boaz,” it’s the dull, predictable and ever-so-chaste fantasy romance that’s the hard sell.

Rating: TV-14, threats of violence

Cast: Seraya, Phylicia Rashad, Tyler Lepley, James Lee Thomas, Nijah Brenea, Walnette Carrington and Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds.

Credits: Directed by Alanna Brown, scripted by Michael Elliot and Cory Tynan. A Tyler Perry Studios release on Netflix.

Running time: 1:33