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Second Best ()


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Graham, a lonely Welsh postal worker, adopts James, a troubled ten-year-old boy. Graham always wanted a son, but James loves his biological father too much to give Graham a chance. Will the two be able to accept each other as family?

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Cast verified as complete

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Graham Holt
Nathan Yapp ...
Jimmy
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John
Chris Cleary Miles ...
James
Doris Irving ...
Adoption Shop Volunteer
James Warrior ...
Senior Social Worker
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Debbie
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Edward
Rachel Freeman ...
Elsie
Gus Troakes ...
Jeffo
Mossie Smith ...
Lynn
Martin Troakes ...
Colin
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Graham, age 20
Paul Wilson ...
Colin, age 20
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Bernard
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Jimmy, age 3
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Mary
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Margery
Jennifer Whitefoot ...
Tina
Jubal Bright ...
Leggo
Colin Bufton ...
Rusty
Richard Storr ...
Jed
Owen Shepherd ...
Fang
Richard Murray ...
Vernon
Ross Edwards ...
Pimple
Bryn Askham ...
Chris
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Eric
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Mrs. Hawkins
Adam Wills ...
Graham, age 12
Shirley King ...
Enid
Giles Emmerson ...
Vicar
Mrs. George ...
Self
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Maureen
Philip Swancote ...
Policeman
Ann Morrish ...
Lizzie
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Percy
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Staff Nurse
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Uncle Turpin
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Alice
Tessa Gearing ...
Mrs. Hilliard

Directed by

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Chris Menges

Written by

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David Cook ... (novel)
 
David Cook ... (screenplay)

Produced by

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Judy Freeman ... associate producer
Dixie Linder ... assistant producer
Arnon Milchan ... executive producer
Sarah Radclyffe ... producer

Music by

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Simon Boswell

Cinematography by

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Ashley Rowe

Editing by

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George Akers

Editorial Department

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Jay Coquillon ... second assistant editor
Dennis McTaggart ... first assistant editor

Casting By

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Susie Figgis

Production Design by

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Michael Howells

Art Direction by

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Roger Thomas

Set Decoration by

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Sam Riley

Costume Design by

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Nic Ede

Makeup Department

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Ivana Primorac ... hair stylist / makeup artist
Jenny Shircore ... hair designer / makeup artist

Production Management

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Victoria Pearman ... executive in charge of production
Michael Solinger ... post-production supervisor
Chris Thompson ... production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Max Keene ... second assistant director
Stuart Renfrew ... third assistant director
Waldo Roeg ... first assistant director

Art Department

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Kevin Bailey ... head scene painter
Wayne Day ... stand-by carpenter
Samantha Heskia ... assistant art director
Brad Lochore ... art/construction coordinator
Totty Lowther ... production buyer (as Totty Whately)
Graham Nunn ... assistant carpenter
Graeme Purdy ... property master
Steven Wilson ... head carpenter

Sound Department

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Peter Best ... supervising sound editor
Ray Gillon ... stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Peter Glossop ... production sound mixer
Dominic Lester ... assistant dubbing mixer
Luke Menges ... assistant sound editor
Bob Mullen ... first assistant sound editor
Robin O'Donoghue ... dubbing mixer
Martin Trevis ... boom operator
Ean Wood ... sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department

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Simon Alderton ... stand-by rigger
Andrew Bailey ... electrician
Clive Coote ... still photographer
Simon Finney ... focus puller
Kevin Fraser ... key grip
Jeremy Gee ... camera operator
Andrew Long ... best boy
Oona Menges ... clapper loader
Chris Plevin ... focus puller
Peter Robertson ... steadicam operator
Xandy Sahla ... camera operator: time-lapse photography (as Alexander Sahla)
Alex Scott ... gaffer
Andy Shuttleworth ... steadicam operator
Richard Stevens ... electrician
Richard Stone ... electrical rigger
Chris Thompson ... generator operator

Casting Department

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Sarah Bird ... additional casting
Suzy Freeman ... extras casting (as Suzanne Freeman)
Romany Turner ... casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Camilla Fiddian-Green ... wardrobe assistant
Stewart Meachem ... wardrobe supervisor

Location Management

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Nick Dunne ... location assistant
Guy Tannahill ... location manager

Music Department

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Simon Boswell ... music arranger
Christopher Essex-Hill ... orchestral contractor
Simon Gabriel ... music arranger
Jupiter Sen ... music editor
Neil Thomson ... conductor

Script and Continuity Department

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Penny Eyles ... script supervisor

Transportation Department

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Gerry Gore ... transportation captain

Additional Crew

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Shauna Beal ... assistant: Milchan
Mary Daley ... assistant to director
Bobbie Johnson ... production accountant
Deborah Leakey ... assistant accountant
Andrew Litvin ... runner
Jason Miles ... chaperone
Matthew Nasatir ... assistant: Ms. Pearman
Tori Parry ... production coordinator
Patty Reid ... assistant: Milchan
Guy Roderick ... children's workshop
Jake Rose ... production executive (as Jacobus Rose)
Peter Thompson ... publicist
Damiano Vukotic ... production assistant
Joan Washington ... dialect coach
Shirley Wright ... tutor
Joanne Yapp ... chaperone

Thanks

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Bonnie Daniels ... thanks
Carol Dantuono ... thanks
Dena Fischer ... thanks
Birdie George ... thanks
Herbie Gwilt ... thanks
Rene Gwilt ... thanks
Pat Johnson ... thanks
Tony Johnson ... thanks
Caryn Landau ... thanks
Bill Matheson ... thanks
Adam Platnick ... thanks
Steven Reuther ... thanks (as Steve Reuther)
Howard Vaughan ... thanks
Sally Vaughan ... thanks

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Graham Holt is a lonely middle-aged man who runs a postal substation in a small village in England. He decides to adopt a son. James is the troubled youth he gets with the assistance of social worker Debbie. James has been in an orphanage for years since his mother committed suicide. He adores his outlaw father John, sent to prison not long after the mother's death. Can James learn to love Graham? Can Graham settle for being second best? Written by Reid Gagle

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Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Le deuxième père (France)
  • Probezeit (Germany)
  • Difícil elección (Spain)
  • Dwóch ojców (Poland)
  • セカンド・ベスト 父を探す旅 (Japan, Japanese title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 105 min
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Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia Several reviews claimed that this film is set in Wales, and a Welsh town was the chief location for the movie, but the setting is, in fact, never specified and the accents of the actors in the film cover a wide area across Britain. Although the American William Hurt was praised for learning a Welsh accent, he actually sounds more like an Englishman from the West Country. It is noticeable that all the road signs seen in the film are only in English, whereas road signs in Wales are always in both English and Welsh. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Only You/Second Best/Pulp Fiction (1994). See more »
Soundtracks Imagination See more »
Quotes [Remembering his mother's death]
Graham: Dad wasn't making much sense. His hands were like injured birds looking for a safe place to roost.
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