The Case for Second Chances
Today’s episode is about movies that deserve a second chance.
We’ve all seen movies that we don’t enjoy and will likely never watch again. But, sometimes we get a second chance to see a movie, and for whatever reason, it was better this time around.
What about movies that we enjoy, but no one else seems to? Can you think of a movie that got mixed or bad reviews and you didn’t understand why?
For today’s episode, we each chose a movie that we feel might deserve a second viewing. We could have chosen a movie we didn’t like the first time around, or an unpopular movie that we enjoy.
Movies Mentioned today:
The Decoy Bride (2011)
Starring David Tennant (Dr. Who, Broadchurch), Kelly MacDonald (Brave), and Alice Eve (Before We Go)
This film takes place in Scotland on the fictional island of Hegg.
Lara Tyler (Eve) and James Arbor (Tennant) are a famous couple attempting to get married in a private ceremony. Despite their best efforts, the paparazzi have followed them even to the remote island of Hegg in Scotland. Katie (MacDonald) is a local woman who agrees to pose as a decoy Lara Tyler during the ceremony. However, due to some confusion, James and Katie end up getting married by accident. Lara, trying to evade media attention, has gone into hiding as the newlyweds need to find a way to divorce.
It earned a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, 6.2/10 on IMDB, and 42% from Metacritic
Cars 2 (2011)
Directed by John Lasseter and Brad Lewis
This was the first Pixar movie to not earn an Oscar nomination. Monsters University (2013), The Good Dinosaur (2015), and Cars 3 (2017) also fall into this category.
This was also the first Pixar sequel that was not part of the Toy Story franchise
Lightening McQueen (Owen Wilson) and Mater (Larry the Cable Guy/Daniel Whitney) head to Europe to race in the World Grand Prix. Things go awry when Mater gets mistaken for an American spy and his focus is no longer on helping McQueen with the race.
It earned a 40% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.2/10 on IMDB
A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
This Nickelodeon Studios film starred Jim Carey (The Mask) and was directed by Brad Silberling
It is a loose adaptation of the book series by Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler)
Thomas Newman composed the score:
Wealthy orphans Violet, Klaus, and Sunny must navigate an unfriendly world after the sudden death of their parents. They are placed with an evil and eccentric “relative” named Count Olaf, who seeks to take their fortune. Surrounded by unhelpful adults, the children must look to each other to save themselves from danger. This movie was adapted from The Bad Beginning, The Reptile Room, and The Wide Window.
**We were not intending to compare the movie to the TV show. Where the movie succeeded, the show did as well in almost every case. It’s our opinion that the show is a fantastic adaptation that covers the source material better in many respects.