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Second Best

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.

1994105 minPG-13Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Director
Chris Menges
Starring
William Hurt, Jane Horrocks, Prunella Scales, Keith Allen

The difficult relationship between a british postal officer and his adoptive son.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Second Best?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Second Best streaming on Tubi (free).

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Second Best?

Second Best earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Hopeful.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Second Best worth watching?

Second Best's Midcredits score is the 76th percentile of all films, from 3K ratings across 4 sources. 67% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

76th percentile

Better received than 76% of films

79th percentile among Drama78th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)75th
Approval (how many liked it)75th

68 /100

75th percentile of all films

78th percentile among Drama78th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.1 — solid but not unanimous.

67% liked it

75th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 1990s
67% rated it 7–1033% rated it 1–6

Critics 100% · Audience 79%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

69th percentile

3K ratings across platforms

72nd percentile among Drama63rd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 38% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$19K
Domestic gross$86K
Worldwide gross$86K

33rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-paced, small-scale drama about a lonely middle-aged man adopting a troubled boy, anchored by strong performances from William Hurt and the child actor.

Fans praised

  • William Hurt's portrayal of an emotionally incomplete man finding fatherhood
  • Chris Cleary Miles' piercingly realistic performance as a traumatized boy
  • Quiet, intimate atmosphere that lets heart-codes unfold

Detractors panned

  • Slow pacing that feels sterile and TV-movie like
  • Caricatured supporting characters and melodramatic flourishes
  • Obvious treatment of subtle ideas, lacking depth

What stands out

Acting78

Hurt's sensitive still quality, Miles' raw naturalism

Emotional impactDivisive74

Genuinely moving for fans, emotionally sterile for detractors

Characters73

Realistically flawed, though some caricatured side characters

EndingDivisive70

Fulfilling for those who invested, unsatisfactory for others

Atmosphere68

Quiet, intimate, sometimes oppressively sterile

Plot and story65

Adoption journey with turbulences, but criticized as thin or obvious

Originality60

Unusual adoption angle and bachelor father figure

Pacing42

Deliberate to a fault, often called too slow

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Second Best like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and uplifting: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to be moved and come out lifted.

It takes its time and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and uplifting.

Moods
MelancholicHopeful
Heaviest: middle
Register
Tender · 13% of filmsWarm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its emotionally difficult material with earnest sensitivity, avoiding irony or distance.
The rideThe film maintains a melancholic and often tense atmosphere as Graham and James struggle to connect, with moments of warmth and hope breaking through.
StructureThe story unfolds in a mostly linear sequence of Graham's adoption process, but incorporates flashbacks to James's troubled past, especially his mother's suicide and father's imprisonment.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

The answer rests on this: HopefulBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you with a sense of hope for the relationship, tempered by the lingering sadness of the boy's lost childhood and the man's earlier loneliness.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rebirth
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13% (this title): Redemption 3% (this title) · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Redemption: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).

13% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a lonely man who adopts a troubled boy, focusing on their emotional healing and the man's personal growth; the central arc is about finding love and acceptance, fitting the rebirth archetype of redemption.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsGrief · 6% of filmsSelf-worth · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the painful process of forging a parent-child bond when both carry deep emotional wounds, and the struggle to feel worthy of love.
StanceThe film questions whether an adoptive parent can ever fully replace a biological parent, and whether love can overcome past trauma.

The world

ContemporarySmall townDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Simon Boswell
SettingA small Welsh village, a postal substation, and the homes of the characters.
MusicThe score enhances the emotional intimacy without overwhelming the naturalistic performances.

Content guide

Is Second Best okay for kids?

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • UK12
  • Canada14A
  • Czechia15+

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Second Best have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Second Best?

Cast

William Hurt
as Graham Holt
Jane Horrocks
as Debbie
Prunella Scales
as Margery
Keith Allen
as John
Alan Cumming
as Bernard
John Hurt
as Uncle Turpin
Nerys Hughes
as Maureen
Alfred Lynch
as Edward
James Warrior
as Senior Social Worker
Nathan Yapp
as Jimmy

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Second Best?

Movies like Second Best include Volver (2006), Evelyn (2002) and Wild Rose (2018). Of the 4 closest matches, half are redemption stories, and all are stories about parents and children.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Second Best?

7.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: parent. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.