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Second String

Second String

She believed in him. Now he must believe in himself to lead the team to the Super Bowl.

TV movie2002100 minMidcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Director
Robert Lieberman
Starring
Jon Voight, Gil Bellows, Teri Polo, Richard T. Jones

American football coach Chuck Dichter has worked wonders with the Buffalo Bills, and is even confident to crown his career with a Super Bowl victory, but before the play-offs an oyster food-poisoning wipes out his first team for a month. Dan Heller, an insurance salesman and former college quarterback, who was hired -relactantly, but his wife twisted his arm- just for practice, now has to captain and train a bunch of rookies and old-timers against the hardest adversaries. Dichter decides to sign up triple Super Bowl-winner Tommy Baker in Dan's place...

Where to watch

Where can I watch Second String?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Second String to rent or buy on Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Rent / Buy

Buy · $10.99

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Second String?

Second String earns 1 badge: Feel-good.

Reception

Is Second String worth watching?

Second String's Midcredits score is the 41st percentile of all films, from 587 ratings across 3 sources. 41% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

41st percentile

Better received than 41% of films

46th percentile among Comedy40th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)43rd
Approval (how many liked it)39th

60 /100

43rd percentile of all films

49th percentile among Comedy43rd percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.1 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

41% liked it

39th percentile of all films

43rd percentile among Comedy37th percentile among 2000s
41% rated it 7–1059% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

33rd percentile

587 ratings across platforms

26th percentile among Comedy26th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 24% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A low-budget, predictable TV movie about a second-string quarterback who leads an unlikely playoff run, with football inaccuracies that casual fans may overlook.

Fans praised

  • underdog story with heart and leadership lessons
  • likeable cast led by Gil Bellows and Jon Voight
  • entertaining trick plays and cameo appearances

Detractors panned

  • unrealistic game situations and script holes
  • low-budget look and predictable plot
  • derivative compared to The Replacements

What stands out

ActingDivisive60

Voight and Bellows deliver, but some supporting roles feel shallow

Emotional impactDivisive55

underdog triumph resonates with fans, feels forced to others

EndingDivisive55

predictable but satisfying for fans of the genre

CharactersDivisive50

QB's leadership arc praised, supporting roles shallow

PacingDivisive50

relatively tight for a TV movie, but drags in places

Effects and spectacleDivisive40

low-budget action, trick plays add minor fun

Plot and storyDivisive35

heavily derivative of The Replacements with implausible game logic

OriginalityDivisive25

formulaic underdog sports narrative with little new content

Watch experience

What is Second String like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It has a few laughs and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
HopefulTriumphantJoyful
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its underdog sports story straight, with earnest emotion despite limited resources.
The rideThe mood is consistently optimistic and light, building toward a triumphant climax during the playoff and Super Bowl games.
StructureThe story unfolds in a straightforward chronological order, following the team's journey from crisis to triumph.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

The answer rests on this: Feel-goodHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a warm, uplifting feeling of the underdog triumphing against the odds.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeAn insurance salesman and former college quarterback leads a team of second-stringers to unexpected playoff success after food poisoning sidelines the starters.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how a group of overlooked individuals redeem themselves through teamwork and proving their worth, with a focus on collective bonds.
StanceThe film celebrates the underdog triumph and the bond formed by the team, without critical irony.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanIn transitRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Mark Mothersbaugh
SettingBuffalo Bills football season, playoffs and Super Bowl
MusicMark Mothersbaugh's score supports the upbeat underdog story with classic orchestral tones.

Content guide

Is Second String okay for kids?

As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at intense (67/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (67/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (6 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Second String have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Second String?

Cast

Jon Voight
as Coach Chuck Dichter
Gil Bellows
as Dan Heller
Teri Polo
as Connie Heller
Richard T. Jones
as Gerry Fullerton
Garcelle Beauvais
as Larissa Fullerton
George Eads
as Tommy Baker
Charles Malik Whitfield
as Lenny Voyles
Lamont Johnson
as Ernie Weathers
Ingo Neuhaus
as Randy Johnson
Shawn Woods
as Curtus Hooks

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Second String?

Movies like Second String include The Big Green (1995), D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996) and Hoosiers (1986). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films that feel triumphant, and several are films about redemption.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 12 share its story type: sports underdog. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Second String?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: sports underdog. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.