"Second Nature" demonstrates how sexism wears poorly on men and women. In his first feature length film, co-writer/director Michael Cross creates a gender equity fable where women have the power that men have in society today. (This film premiered at the Napa Valley Film Festival only three days after Donald Trump bested Hillary Clinton for President of the United States, despite Trump's comments denigrating women on "Access Hollywood" and in speeches, interviews, debates, and tweets.)
Written before the Trump election, this film is set in small town America and depicts Amanda Maxwell, played by Collette Wolfe ("Interstellar"; "Hot Tub Time Machine"), running for mayor against Bret Johnson, played by Sam Huntington ("Superman Returns"; "Being Human"; "Sully"). Using the plot device of a magic mirror, Amanda and Bret are transported to a female dominated world where people say things like "woman-up" instead of "man-up," and a Hooters-like restaurant is now called "Peckers" where beefcake men must wear skimpy uniforms and are hit on constantly.
Writers J.C. Ford, Edi Zanidache, and Mr. Cross choose to depict daily displays of gender inequity through comedy, as opposed to taking on the subject from a larger perspective with a mix of more drama. This is somewhat effective but made the level of comment on society one note. There are so many male-female power dynamic clichés that could be used that I sometimes wondered how they decided to depict some and not others.
Mr. Huntington turns in an appealing performance never overacting as a sexist pig at the beginning of the film, only just a regular straight guy who accepts the male dominated society in which he was born. Ms. Wolfe also never portrays her character as a helpless female, but as a straight woman competing against men in a male dominated world.
While I think this film might have been better as a dramedy, as opposed to straight comedy, "Second Nature" works as a light hearted send up of gender roles in a nation where some need to be reminded.
Due to the timeliness of the subject matter, I highly recommend this film for film festival competition. If I was still writing script coverages for a film studio, I would recommend this film be picked up for distribution in the U.S. for streaming services and a limited release in theaters in urban and suburban centers where Hillary Clinton was the top candidate, because of the timeliness of the subject matter.
Written before the Trump election, this film is set in small town America and depicts Amanda Maxwell, played by Collette Wolfe ("Interstellar"; "Hot Tub Time Machine"), running for mayor against Bret Johnson, played by Sam Huntington ("Superman Returns"; "Being Human"; "Sully"). Using the plot device of a magic mirror, Amanda and Bret are transported to a female dominated world where people say things like "woman-up" instead of "man-up," and a Hooters-like restaurant is now called "Peckers" where beefcake men must wear skimpy uniforms and are hit on constantly.
Writers J.C. Ford, Edi Zanidache, and Mr. Cross choose to depict daily displays of gender inequity through comedy, as opposed to taking on the subject from a larger perspective with a mix of more drama. This is somewhat effective but made the level of comment on society one note. There are so many male-female power dynamic clichés that could be used that I sometimes wondered how they decided to depict some and not others.
Mr. Huntington turns in an appealing performance never overacting as a sexist pig at the beginning of the film, only just a regular straight guy who accepts the male dominated society in which he was born. Ms. Wolfe also never portrays her character as a helpless female, but as a straight woman competing against men in a male dominated world.
While I think this film might have been better as a dramedy, as opposed to straight comedy, "Second Nature" works as a light hearted send up of gender roles in a nation where some need to be reminded.
Due to the timeliness of the subject matter, I highly recommend this film for film festival competition. If I was still writing script coverages for a film studio, I would recommend this film be picked up for distribution in the U.S. for streaming services and a limited release in theaters in urban and suburban centers where Hillary Clinton was the top candidate, because of the timeliness of the subject matter.