IMDb > Second Serve (1986) (TV)

Second Serve (1986) (TV) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   74 votes
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Down 5% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Anthony Page

Writers:

John Ames (novel)
Gavin Lambert (writer)
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Contact:

View company contact information for Second Serve on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

13 May 1986 (USA) more

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Sport more

Plot:

Fact-based story about tennis pro Renee Richards, whose player status was challenged in 1976 when it was revealed that she was a transsexual... more | add synopsis

Plot Keywords:

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination more

User Comments:

You'll be hooked more (8 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Vanessa Redgrave ... Richard Radley / Renee Richards
Martin Balsam ... Dr. Beck
William Russ ... Josh
Alice Krige ... Gwen

Kerrie Keane ... Meriam
Richard Venture ... Dr. David Radley
Reni Santoni ... Dr. Roberto Granato
Louise Fletcher ... Dr. Sadie M. Bishop
Jeff Corey ... Dr. Harry Benjamin
Alan Feinstein ... Bill
Nina Van Pallandt ... Danielle
Michael Cavanaugh ... Gene Scott
Kenneth Tigar ... Ross
Alison La Placa ... Nightclub singer
Ray Girardin ... Grigsby
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Additional Details

Also Known As:

I Change My Life
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Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Lorimar Telepictures more

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Ugly Betty: Brothers (#1.15)" (2007) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
You'll be hooked, 28 February 2004
Author: Peter Blight (pete3194@msn.com) from Melbourne, Australia

This is a telemovie, but make no mistake about its quality. There are better production and performance values here than in many big screen Hollywood flicks.

Get it if you can! I'm lucky enough to have found an ex-rental copy many years ago.

Vanessa Redgrave delivers a performance characteristic of her extraordinary body of work - stirring, believable, assured, compelling - in fact you will wonder where the 90 minutes went as she takes you on an incredible trip through the life of an extraordinary individual.

Redgrave is totally convincing as a man, and as the movie progresses she remains totally convincing as a woman who was once a man. She clearly has enormous empathy for the difficulties faced by Richard Radley in his long and arduous quest to live the life he wants, as Renee Richards.

There are some other fine performances in this film (Louise Fletcher, however, is surprisingly stilted) but it is Vanessa Redgrave's breathtaking portrayal that makes this movie unmissable, and will make you forgive the glib, all-too-convenient telemovie-style moments of plot development, of which there are mercifully few.

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Full cast and crew Company credits IMDb Biography section
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