Second Best
User Score
6.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4

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  1. roxw.
    Dec 2, 2005
    10
    This is a very funny and honest film, perhaps too honest for most people. it doesn't champion mediocrity, it rages against it and shows us how lazy we've become by settling for second best in almost every aspect of our lives. second best is an important cultural statement. it holds the mirror very closely to our faces. more real, more funny, and much better written than 'sideways'.… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
44 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 11
  3. Negative: 2 out of 11
  1. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Brad Slager
    60
    Two things make this worthwhile: The realistic relationship between Elliot and Richard, and Pantoliano playing against type and actually humanizing a possibly loathsome character.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: David Rooney
    60
    While Second Best is mildly engaging thanks largely to an appealingly self-effacing turn from Joe Pantoliano, writer-director Eric Weber's script could have used an extra polish or two.
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  3. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    70
    Sloppy but smart-enough-to-make-you-squirm comedy.
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