The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
Second Best
Drama · Family · 1994
The difficult relationship between a british postal officer and his adoptive son.
Movie details
Second Best
“A man who dreams of being a father. A boy disillusioned with life. Together they share a compelling story of friendship, trust, and hope.”
1994 Drama · Family 1h 45m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.8 / 10
Community rating
The difficult relationship between a british postal officer and his adoptive son.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Second Best?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
The Stray
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I Believe
Family · 2019
A 9 year old boy experiences God's power in a supernatural way.
It's a Wonderful Life
Drama · 1946
George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.
Skin
Drama · 2009
Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.
The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Drama · 2008
During a blizzard in 1964, Dr. David Henry delivers his son Paul with the help of nurse Caroline. But when Henry realizes his wife is also carrying a girl with Down syndrome, he hands the second child over to Caroline without his wife's knowledge. Henry's fateful decision yields grave consequences for his family over the next 20 years.
Losing Isaiah
Drama · 1995
Khaila Richards, a crack-addicted single mother, accidentally leaves her baby in a dumpster while high and returns the next day in a panic to find he is missing. In reality, the baby has been adopted by a warm-hearted social worker, Margaret Lewin, and her husband, Charles. Years later, Khaila has gone through rehab and holds a steady job. After learning that her child is still alive, she challenges Margaret for the custody.
The Son
Drama · 2022
A successful lawyer, with a new wife and infant, agrees to care for his teenage son from a previous marriage after his ex-wife becomes concerned about the boy's wayward behavior.
A Home of Our Own
Drama · 1993
In 1960s Los Angeles an energetic widow and her six children try to make a dream of theirs come true: to have a home of their own. They leave L.A. and head for the countryside, all the while facing numerous difficulties and obstacles during their journey.
The Hours
Drama · 2002
The story of three women searching for more potent, meaningful lives. Each is alive at a different time and place, all are linked by their yearnings and their fears. Their stories intertwine, and finally come together in a surprising, transcendent moment of shared recognition.
Death of a Salesman
Drama · 1985
Willy Loman, an aging, failing salesman, struggles to accept reality and his failure to achieve the American Dream.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Chris Menges
Written by
David Cook
William Hurt
Graham Holt
Nathan Yapp
Jimmy
Jane Horrocks
Debbie
Prunella Scales
Margery
Keith Allen
John
Alan Cumming
Bernard
John Hurt
Uncle Turpin
Court is in session
Put Second Best on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.