The Second Coming
by Adrian Shergold
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Actor: Ace Bhatti, Annabelle Apsion, Christopher Eccleston, Denise Black, William TravisDirector: Adrian Shergold
Brand: SHOUT FACTORY (UNDER GENIUS)
Editor: Tony Cranstoun
Producer: Ann Harrison-Baxter
Producer: Nicola Shindler
Producer: Russell T. Davies
Writer: Russell T. Davies
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 145 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-02-17
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Shout Factory Theatr
Product features:
- In this controversial hit mini-series from the UK, Steve Baxter, an ordinary guy, is found incoherent by the English roadside, mumbling that he's the Son of God. After staging a miracle, complete with media coverage, he tells the world that mankind must write its own Third Testament or face Judgment Day in five days time. Pandemonium develops as people try to understand what is happening. Exci
DVD Reviews of The Second Coming
DVD Review: Compelling Drama from Maverick Writer-Producer
Summary: 4 Stars
This 2003 UK made-for-TV movie attempts to deconstruct Western sacred myth, plays around with established religious dogma, and hopefully shakes up people's worldview a bit. The Second Coming does fall flat here and there, but it (mostly) hits the high bar that it's set for itself. This is the kind of thought-provoking drama that US viewers have to import, as most American networks wouldn't touch the subject matter with the proverbial ten-foot pole.
Steve Baxter (Christopher Eccelston) is in every sense a nobody: an ordinary doofy-looking bloke living in Manchester, England, working in a video store. A scene at the beginning of the film establishes his painful lack of success with women, and he's barely begun to work up the courage to approach the one woman who really interests him: his newly divorced mate, Judy (Lesley Sharp). Their just-budding romance is interrupted when out of the clear blue, he's hit with a revelation that he is, in fact, the son of God.
After wandering on a moor for forty days, Steve returns to Manchester and begins announcing who he is. His friends worry that he's gone off his rocker, but he immediately attracts the interest of the Vatican, as well as a handful of demons. To convince people of his divine bona fides, Steve stages a miracle in a football stadium, and once he has the attention of the world's media, announces that humanity has five days to produce a third testament. He doesn't know specifically who'll write it or what form it will take, only that he'll know it when he sees it.
A lot of The Second Coming deals with notions of faith and doubt, belief and skepticism. People's reactions to Steve are shaped very much by their spiritual outlook--not only in his circle of acquaintances but in the world at large. There are wonderful mock news reports of people rioting and protesting and even killing themselves over his revelations, and it all rings very easy to believe, given the current state of the world. Some people react with violence and hysteria, while others completely brush off Steve as a crackpot. It's those people in the middle, not sure of what to believe, whose reactions are the most interesting. Steve's dual humanity/ divinity provides a nice thread throughout the story: he can work miracles, but he's also an ordinary guy who needs to eat and sleep and use the bathroom.
The script (Russell T Davies) is for the most part tightly focused and moves at a fast pace, with good development for all the main players. The dialogue is razor-sharp and thought-provoking and very funny, in a dry, ironic English way. Davies doesn't hold back many punches in his exploration of what's wrong with humanity: greed, apathy and laziness, lack of concern for others, violence, intolerance. Conventional, organized religion takes quite a beating. Nobody is mocked for having faith, but the overwhelming message of the story is that people have to take responsibility for themselves (one excellent exchange of dialogue points out that we don't need a miracle to cure world hunger; people can do that themselves--if they want to). There's also a refreshing emphasis on the importance of free will.
The drama builds nicely to a fairly gut-wrenching denouement, but the final ten or so minutes disappoint. The resolution is apt to anger a lot of viewers, but it's not offensive so much it's pat. The movie spends two-plus hours delving into the complexity and ambiguity of good and evil, then offers a solution that seems absurdly simplistic. Such a terrific buildup deserves a more satisfying payoff.
Another problem is that the demons don't have much to do, apart from sowing dissent. They have a nice, creepy buildup--and their prime mover, Johnny Tyler (Mark Benton) is a multifaceted embodiment of that soul-draining evil, self-pity--but their motives, when revealed, seem tacked-on and spurious. There's a suggestion that their primary modus operandi is fostering despair, but this idea isn't developed to its full potential. There's also a subplot involving Steve's mortal father Frank (Peter Armitage) that serves no purpose except killing off a supporting character; anyway, Steve's otherworldly paternity doesn't add much to the story.
Despite these quibbles, The Second Coming is well worth checking out, particularly for the performances of its cast. Every actor in this production does knockout, class-A work. Eccleston rules the show as Steve: warm, funny, vulnerable, giddy with his new discoveries, overwhelmed by his role and sense of responsibility. He puts across every emotion wonderfully, with terrific body language and expressions, rarely missing a note or overplaying anything. He has a great foil in Lesley Sharp, whose portrayal of Judy is wholly sympathetic: her love for Steve never wavers, despite her doubts about his mission. Again and again, it's Judy who asks the big, important questions, and Judy who cuts through the confusion to find the answers--even when the final truth comes to her at great personal cost. Ahsen Bhatti does good, solid work as Steve's best mate, Pete. In a nice touch, nobody in the cast is physically stunning, which makes a lot of sense given the film's earthy, warts-and-all view of humanity.
The directing (Adrian Shergold) is crisp and economical and incredibly effective, and Murray Gold's modern, edgy score adds a lot of dimension. The look of the film is mostly gritty, urban-industrial realism: dirt and garbage and old buildings and hole-in-the-wall pubs. The production has a distinctive look and feeling and energy that enhances the whole notion of God-among-the-ordinary. The film has a mood and vibe that immediately sells its world to the viewer--not an easy thing to do, but it looks effortless here.
I would recommend this film with only the reservation that some may find the ideas it presents offensive; I'd suggest a rental before a purchase. The ending is a letdown, but there's plenty of strengths to outweigh the weaknesses. If you're looking for a challenging and thought-provoking piece of entertainment, I'd recommend giving The Da Vinci Code a pass and checking out The Second Coming instead.
Description of The Second Coming
In the mini-series opener, Christopher Eccleston stars as Steve Baxter, a man who is found incoherent by the English roadside, mumbling that he's the Son of God. His old school friend, Judith (played by The Full Monty?s Leslie Sharp), thinks he?s gone mad.Steve quickly discovers it's not easy to convince everyone that he's the Second Coming, and decides to stage a major event in a soccer stadium to gain the world?s notice. A miracle ensues, and he tells onlookers that mankind must write its own Third Testament or face Judgement Day in five days time. Pandemonium develops, inflamed by a full media-circus, as people try to understand what is happening. Excitement, fear, cynicism and violence erupt everywhere, as the drama speeds towards its surprisingly powerful conclusion.
? Written by Russell T. Davies, award-winning creator of the popular Showtime series Queer As Folk and Bob & Rose.
? Program first aired in the US on BBC America in October 2003.
? The ITV airing in Britain outdrew the TV debut of Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and met with both critical acclaim and controversy.
? Stars Christopher Eccleston (The Others, Elizabeth, Cracker) and Lesley Sharp (Bob & Rose, The Full Monty.)
? Nominated for a mini-series award at the Monte Carlo TV Festival.
? DVD features director?s cut which includes additional 40 minutes of exclusive material.
? Presented in original widescreen format.
? Audio commentary by writer Russell T Davis and director Adrian Shergold.
Actor Christopher Eccleston (28 Days Later) is superb as a modern-day messiah in this captivating drama written by Russell T. Davies, author of the original British Queer as Folk series and the lovely Bob and Rose. Eccleston plays Steve Baxter, a mild-mannered, Manchester pub-crawler called one night to his true destiny as the second Son of God. After a couple of convincing miracles, the world looks to Steve for guidance, but he gives mixed signals: on one hand, he calls for a Third Testament to establish a foundation for living in the modern age; on the other, he predicts an imminent Judgment Day. The confusion causes mass mayhem, and Steve's disciples, especially an almost-but-not-quite love of his life (Lesley Sharp), try to make sense of the conflict while preventing devils, in human form, from undermining his mission. Ultimately, Davies's story concerns profound questions about human freedom and choice. --Tom Keogh
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