Second String

The nice thing about this down-to-earth-hosed-over-qb-wins-the-big-one film is that your wife doesn't walk into the room just as a very foul word comes pouring out of the tv set. In fact, she'll enjoy it with you because there are no drugs, outrageous sex, or make-me-sick-and-shudder bone crunching neck snapping hits ala "Any Given Sunday" happening here. Jon Voight starts off as the despicable coach one can't help but detest (pompous control freak), but he then surprises you by confessing his shortcomings to the miracle game winning 4th string qb he cut from a previous team, realizing that loose cannon (improvising) qbs CAN win games, ala Johnny Unitas, Fran Tarkenton, and Doug Flutie. It is not deep, but definitely predictable, and is still a watchable, easy going, low-paid-guys-with-heart-DO-win, kind of dvd rental. This NOT Ben Hur! A good rainy day at home or drivein (good luck) film. Don't think so hard. Relax.

One of the better "underdog" sports movies. Voigt is strong and believable. Bellows is good but as others noted, T Polo's character is shallow and forgettable, like her contrived performance (her lines are strained) G Eads is better here than on CSI and he gets big points for making the viewers dislike him. Even though its predictable, this is much better than "The Replacements" and other films with this premise. Worth watching? you bet.

In the year 2000 (keep in mind, this is two years ago, not four), two men had the motivation to create the most miraculous piece of art on this side of the Mississippi.

Thanks to Jere Cunningham and Tom Flynn, the world can now enjoy Second String, a delicious TV movie depicting a tale of a rag-tag gang of second stringers (thus the title) who are thrust into the position of starters due to an order of bad oysters.

Because of the motivational direction of both the director Robert Lieberman and the Buffalo Bills' last minute QB, Dan "Give 'em hell" Heller (portrayed by Canadian actor, Gil Bellows) the oft Super Bowl snake-bitten Bills find themselves in the ultimate position.

With an intriguing mix of internal and external conflict, a love story, comraderie that only the fine sport of football can bring, and an overall theory that the underdog can compete, Second String is an excellent movie worthy of viewing every possible moment that it appears on TNT.

The only thing potentially bad about this production is the spelling of the Costume Designer's first name, Jenifur Jarvis.

I thought the movie wasn't too bad, but George's part was too small. His character was a jerk, but it is nice to see that he can play parts other than the studly nice guy! Gil Bellows was good, also. I haven't seen him too much since Ally.

Being a Bills fan, I originally found it annoying that they made a movie about the Bills and the losing of four superbowls. But once I began to watch, I felt really connected. It was actually nice to see the "Bills" win the superbowl, and I must say, that for a TV movie it was actually very well done. Gil Bellows as the QB, and Jon Voight as the old-school Coach did a very fine job. 8 out of 10