Second Chance

Doctor John Holland tells Ruth Warrick she is terminally ill. In a daze, she walks halfway home, sits in the park and reviews her married life with John Hubbard, from newlyweds active in the Church, to her present state, financially and socially prominent, but alienated from her son and the Church.

It's one of the movies that William Beaudine directed in this period for the Protestant Film Commission. While it's heavy-handed in its message for an agnostic Jew like me, its message is sound, the script is cogent and the roles are well performed.

It's of most interest to me that Hugh Beaumont plays the minister. He's one of the actors I knew from childhood for his performance on TV's Leave It To Beaver. Little did I know then that he actually was a Christian minister, had graduated from USC with a Master of Theology degree in 1946, and ran a lay ministry throughout his acting career.

If you are content to sit through this orchestrated indoctrination vehicle good luck to you. I understand times were different in 1951 but this is now 2019 and I fully appreciate that humans need to belong to a tribe so I will temper my words about this movie and suffice to say I found most of it boring and simplistic. I was raised in a Catholic family until I reached the age of reason which was when I was about ten. I admit I am now a Pantheist and find most if not all organized Religions to be outdated and handicaps to living a fruitful and rewarding life. On a lighter note where on earth did they get the hideous wallpaper for the hallway and stairs.