Second Chance Christmas

Caroline and Jack are a married couple who have gone opposite ways regarding their marriage. Caroline is hard-working, and Jack has lost his zest for work and life in general. Still, Jack's love for Caroline has never wavered. Caroline on the other hand, sick of Jack's slovenly ways and video game obsession, can't take it any longer and decides to file for divorce. On her way the attorney's office, she is hit by a car and ends up having retrograde amnesia. She can't remember Jack, her parents, or her friends and even what flavor of ice cream she likes.

This movie had quite a bit of drama mixed in with the tender and loving moments. Just when you think you can predict what will happen next, it will surprise you. I found the entire story quite realistic.

Jack's character is loving, kind, and caring while pre-amnesia Caroline was angry, driven, and judgemental. Post-amnesia, she realizes what kind of person she indeed is.

The two main actors had excellent chemistry, and I enjoyed the others as well, except for Charlene Tilton. I just didn't feel she fit the part of Caroline's mother.

There are multiple "Second Chance Christmas" titles. This one focuses around Caroline, an (initially) disgruntled over-achiever, Jack, her somewhat-slacker husband, and amnesia.

To avoid any spoilers, that's all you get of the plot. But all you need to know is... there are these two protagonists and five secondary characters... an assistant, two best friends (his) and two parents (hers.) Of these, all but two of the secondary characters pretty much lie the whole time. Caroline is the main character, supposed to be the one you're sympathetic towards, and she starts the movie off with forgery, a felony. (Even though he signed, it's still forgery if she mislead as to what he was signing.)

Christmas isn't actually relevant to the movie. It's barely a minor player. If there were "Groundhog Day Parties", this could easily have been "Second Chance Groundhog".

Despite all this, the movie is more about abandonment (or feelings there-of) than deception. This really screams "Ho ho ho!", doesn't it?

Even at the very end of the movie, mercifully less than 100 minutes in, we learn they're still keeping secrets from each-other. And, in a continued break from reality, they celebrate the suddenly-unveiled news rather than distrusting the deception... even though she mentions it.

There are worse movies. But this is pretty bad.

This Christmas comedy romance uses the Overboard formula and it works well enough. Amnesia strikes a woman about to divorce and the Odd Couple type pair get a second chance. Unlike the Groundhog Day thing which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. Living together is harder than falling in love.

Katrina Begin plays the lady who loses her memory after an accident. Tilky Jones is her messy husband. okay for the role with his dude speak - it actually suits the irresponsible guy persona.

Charlene Tilton - Lucy of Dallas is mom and she is quite nice to see on screen again.

Worth one watch.

Dude, just clean up after yourself, and pay attention to your wife! Then she wouldn't have left you. No girl wants to accept such a pigsty.

My high school creative writing teacher told us that amnesia is the lamest, most overused plot device there is, and that's the whole basis of this plot. If you can get past that, here it's an opportunity for new beginnings in a troubled young marriage, nothing new either, but for those who can't get enough of happy endings after 90 minutes of what amounts to do-it-yourselves couples therapy, this should do it well enough.

Standard.