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I was familiar
with the work of writer Russell Davies only
through the series “Queer as Folk.”
Recently I had the opportunity to see the
mini-series “Bob & Rose”,
which I found to be delightfully fresh and
funny. What I was not aware of was that
Russell had it within to turn out a project
with an almost epic poignancy. I received
the DVD for the British Telefilm, “The
Second Coming”, knowing only that
it was about an average guy who thinks he’s
the son of God. I half expected it to be
a light comedy, but it was far from that.
“The Second Coming” is an amazing,
and I daresay realistic look at what might
happen if indeed today’s world was
introduced to Christ resurrected.
In “The Second Coming”, we meet
Steve Baxter (Christopher Eccleston) who
is just an everyday sort of guy. He’s
the type of guy who wouldn’t really
stand out in a crowd. One night, after a
bit of drinking, he and his friend Judith
(Lesley Sharp) share a kiss. He runs off
into the night and disappears for 40 days
and 40 nights.
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When he returns, he is babbling incoherently.
But as his wits return, with it comes the realization
that he is the son of God. At first no one believes
him, as you might expect, but when he begins to
show the ability to create miracles, their minds
quickly change.
From this point, Russell could have taken the
film into many different directions. It could
have been a comedy like the recent “Bruce
Almighty”, but he took an altogether different
route. Once the world realizes he is who he says
he is, he gives an impassioned speech, a ‘sermon
on the mount’ if you will. Surrounded by
police protection, he tells everyone that the
world is not as it should be and the time to change
is now. Only now there are no choices, no free
will. He proclaims that a new Third Testament
shall be written, one that will usher in a new
era of understanding. This is to be accomplished
in 5 days. He pleads with the people not to fight
amongst themselves, but to focus on the job at
hand. If this is not done, the end, as they say…is
nigh.
I found myself completely bowled over by “The
Second Coming.” I didn’t expect such
a strong, thought-provoking film. I have my own
particular views of Christianity and religion
in general, and this film really made me take
a hard look at the world and what is going on
in it today. So many points are brought up that
had me nodding my head in agreement, the most
compelling being the fact that most people realize
the world is in trouble and choose to look the
other way. They go home at night and close their
doors and close out the world. The really great
thing about this film is that you can look past
the religious overtones and see that there is
a need for change even if there were no God. (Though
for the record I believe there is…)
Everything about “The Second Coming”
just works. The script is incredibly well written,
and the dialogue never feels forced. I never felt
as though I were watching anything other than
real people, in a real situation. Of course, even
the best script can be bogged down by shoddy performances,
and there’s not a one to be had here. Christopher
Eccleston’s delivers, in my opinion, an
award-winning performance. From the moment he
reappears, you can see a difference in his demeanor,
which is brought on by his revelation. When he
speaks to crowds in the film, he does so with
such strength that he commands the screen. You
simply cannot take your eyes off of him. And Lesley
Sharp, who I saw recently in “Bob &
Rose”, is equally strong.
The DVD from Shout! Factory certainly does the
movie service. The transfer is extremely good,
which helps viewers appreciate the production
value of the project. Though it was made for TV,
it looks as though it could’ve been produced
for the big screen.
There are also a few extra features on this disc,
all of which are worthwhile. The commentary by
writer Davies and director Adrian Shergold is
a must listen. They offer up some interesting
stories, but what are more interesting are the
comments relating to some of the ideas and theology
behind the project. You may or may not agree with
everything they have to say, but the points they
bring up are as thought-provoking as the film
itself. The rest of the extras come in the form
of deleted scenes, which run a little over 30
minutes. I’ve never really been a ‘deleted
scene’ kind of guy, but it was interesting
to see what they chose to cut. Then there are
about 5 minutes worth of outtakes, some of which
are actually really funny.
“The Second Coming” was one of those
surprise films that turns out to be something
wholly (holy?) different from what I expected.
Normally the surprise isn’t a pleasant one,
but not in this case. It was far better than what
I expected, and am thoroughly glad I had the opportunity
to see it. I highly recommend this one, just be
prepared for some strong conversation, or perhaps
even debates, with friends and family afterwards.
Directed by: Adrian Shergold
Starring: Christopher Eccleston, Lesley Sharp,
Ashen Batti, Annabell Apsion
Extras: Deleted Scenes, Outtakes
Specifications: Widescreen
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: 2/17/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website
We'll give The Second Coming an A.
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