Product Details

• Actors: Tom Amandes, Isabel Glasser, Kelsey Mulrooney, Terry Moore, Stuart Whitman
• Directors: James Fargo
• Writers: Arthur Martin Jr., Daniel A. Adams
• Producers: Terry Moore, Alan J. Mintz, Jerry Rivers, Jesse L. Upchurch, Norm Wallerstein
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Bridgestone
• VHS Release Date: September 14, 1999
• Run Time: 107 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1563716151
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,289 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From the back cover

Based on a true story, Second Chances is the uplifting tale of a little girl's physical and emotional reawakening after a car crash claims her father and her spirit. The accident leaves 10-years-old Sunny Mathews (played by award winning child actress Kelsey Mulrooney) unable to walk without crutches. However, the damage to Sunny's legs pales in comparison to her emotional wounds, which cause her to withdraw from life and everyone around her. Miraculously, things begin to change when Sunny and her mother Kathleen (Isabel Glasser--Pure Country, Forever Young) move next door to a horse ranch run by one-time rodeo star Ben Taylor (Tom Amandes--The Long Kiss Goodnight). Sunny's recovery begins as she develops an affinity for Ben, and a love for a mean-spirited, crippled horse named Ginger. This inspirational family film also stars Academy Award winning actor Stuart Whitman, Academy Award nominees, Theodore Bikel and Terry Moore, plus Charles Shaughnessy and Madeline Zima from television's The Nanny.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEST MOVIE EVER!!, February 15, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Second Chances [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Hello I am 9 years old! And this movie is defintly for horse lovers in my age range! I saw it on tv and wanted it so bad!! I kept on looking for it and now is my victory!! It's about a girl who hurts her leg and moves to a moter home after her dad and her are in a car crash and she's hurt on her leg and the dad died! She found that there was a horse farm behind her house!! then she gets in a pen with a horse that nobody can handle ! The horse rears!(remeber she is on a crutch from her leg). The guy says get out kid you'll die from her!! Than the horse stops rearing and LET"S HER PET HER! It was a mericale! I cannot tell you the rest beacuse it will take away the suprise but I want to thank everyone who made and put this on tv! I loved it so much! I cannot tell you how much!! So I hope Sunny(the girl or acter) get's to live a horsey life! And ginger the horse live's long!!
Thanx a million! This is succcccccchhhhhhhhhhhhh a ggggrrreeaattt mmoovviiee!!
It brought me (a girl) and my brother come to sad and happy tears! It's a real tearpuller!!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Movie for Kids to learn compassion and healing, November 21, 2006

By 

K. Agee (Mt. Juliet, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Second Chances [VHS] (VHS Tape)

My daughters (Ages 10, 8, and 4) and I caught this movie on the local Trinity Newtork last night. We were all glued to the set to watch this heartfelt movie. I was pleased with the story line and actors. I was quite taken by the deep sense of compassion and forgiveness that the main little girl character, Sonny, portrayed in the end towards another little girl. As a horse owner, I did catch the fact that the writers used a male horse at times to portray the female horse "Ginger" in the script - however, my daughters did not catch this until I pointed it out to them. As well as they used an Arabian at one point in time to show "Ginger's" fancy movement, when in fact the horse Ginger was "said" to be a Quarter Horse breed. (Again, most people would not pick up on this and neither did my girls) Also, having over 30 years of horse experience including barrel racing, I know that it is highly unlikely that a little girl could jump on a powerful horse the first time and ride fast barrels like was shown in the movie... But this did not at all affect my daughters as they watched since kids of course are natural dreamers to a point of being unrealistic (which is a good thing). I highly recommend this movie if you're interested in wholesome story line. Note: there was a couple of times the word "dang it" was used in the beginning. There is also one scene in the beginning where Ben, the main adult character (cowboy at the ranch) strongly shakes the little girl Sonny, when she has gone into a presumed-dangerous horses pen without permission. It should be noted that this movie shows how Sonny chooses to disobey at least 3 times, and thus, suffers the consequences of doing so. As a parent, I liked how the movie shows kids that there ARE serious consequences to their disobedience. Excellent movie that I will get a copy of.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars One of the few horse movies to feature barrel racing, January 4, 2005

By 

Staci L. Wilson "Author: Animal Movies Guide ... (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Second Chances [VHS] (VHS Tape)

When 10-year-old Sunny Matthews (Kelsey Mulrooney) is crippled in a car accident that took her father's life, she's bereft. Then she meets Ginger, a horse who's been through his share of troubles. Together, the two form a bond and find a mutual talent for barrel-racing competitions. Although no care whatsoever was taken with the continuity of the horses who portrayed "Ginger" this uplifting kid flick is entertaining enough.

Staci Layne Wilson