Deseo cumplido

You will laugh, but for all the wrong reasons. This movie is horribly written, produced, and poorly acted. If I could give it negative stars, I would. The entire production of this movie just seems completely phoned in.

The only favorable reviews you will see are from the "Yay Jesus" crowd. Personally, I am not interested in watching a movie for salvation, I am watching it for entertainment, which this film fails horribly at delivering.

If you want to watch a movie simply to laugh at how bad it is, this is the one for you.

Pros: There are none. Cons: This movie.

10/10 cringe.

Watching this film is getting stabbed in the head.

More up to date and significant than previous movies. Parents should be more cool.Its way too obvious. Clearly B actors.

David A.R. White who was the big teen star of Christian oriented films starred in this Nineties version of It's A Wonderful Life. As the George Bailey of the piece, White plays Dan Burgess whose Christian lifestyle has caused him to miss a whole lot of the more fun aspects of high school life or so he thinks.

His Clarence visits him and gives him a day in which he sees what life would have been like had he not become a believer and head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in high school. It's not quite what he expected.

The message is more forced and more theologically formal in Second Glance, but it still contains the universal truth that Henry Travers spoke in It's A Wonderful Life, that it is indeed strange how one life can impact on so many and an awful hole is left you take a good someone out of the mix.

George Bailey was a late thirty something with a wife and four kids and dealing with some real issues, economic and social as well personal in It's A Wonderful Life. Young Dan Burgess is dealing with a lot of teen angst, but his problems aren't any less real. And in his teen life he's had an impact like George Bailey, more than he realizes.

Except for young Mr. White, the acting in the rest of the cast is pretty lame and some of the situations are a bit forced. But Frank Capra had some of the best players around in his film and a top flight script. David A.R. White actually in this film does come across as you might have envisioned a teenage Jimmy Stewart.

White is a talented player and probably could have a career in mainstream films. I suppose it's a credit to his convictions that he's chosen to stick with religious films.

I do wonder how Mr. White might deal with a Gay/Straight Alliance forming at his school. I guess no one wanted to tackle that issue.

But the late Frank Capra was still alive when Second Glance came out and since he didn't sue anyone for plagiarism, I guess he saw the work as a sincere if flawed form of flattery.

A few of my fellow writers have covered this movie's plot elements so I will stick to some of the cuff remarks...

1. This is entertaining - but not for the reasons you'd think. It's cheesy but somehow still watchable.

2. Tamra, Daniel's love interest has to be about thirty. The Christian girl that Dan ignores is way cuter.

3. Muriel stole his shirt from Mr. Spock. Also, if my guardian angel looks like Muriel I'm going to have to apply for a transfer.

4. Okay... so apparently... Dan is responsible for his parents' divorce! What kind of horrible guilt trip is that?! Muriel says that it was Dan's prayers that kept his parents together. I just thought that was absolutely ridiculous. Listen, I can pray for my parents as much as I want but the only way they'll stay together is if they decide they're going to do it.

5. I'll echo the atheist's comments on how this movie portrays non-Christians. Apparently they're all slovenly bullies.

6. For something positive - David White is a decent actor. He gives the movie a little bit of credibility, even if he is the only one. He pretty much holds this film together on his own.