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Parents' Guide to

A Second Chance: Rivals!

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Predictable, family-friendly sports story has bullying.

Movie PG 2019 89 minutes
A Second Chance: Rivals! Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 2+

Based on 1 parent review

addy R.
addy R. Parent of 10-year-old
August 22, 2023
age 2+
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

In A SECOND CHANCE: RIVALS!, Maddy (Emily Morris) is a champion gymnast who suffered a back and ankle injury in a fall from the balance beam and is still waiting to recover fully so that she can begin to train again. Flashbacks of her fall reverberate through the film and seem to affect her ability to move on. Distraught, she leaves home to be with her old coach, Bev (Carmel Johnson), who ropes Maddy into coaching her junior girls' team as they approach a championship. Judges seem to favor "city" teams, and North Flinders, Bev's "country" team, is consistently losing to the Aerials from the city, a team coached by former mean girl and Maddy rival Becky (Elysia Markou). Although her team has talent, the members don't train enough to beat the more polished teams. Maddy realizes that the fears caused by her injury may hold her students back. Can she help them succeed?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (2 ):

A Second Chance: Rivals! is utterly predictable but suitable for kids, and those interested in gymnastics may find it fun. On the scale of standards for dialogue, acting, and directing, this ranks low. All problems are solved a bit too easily. Bullies admit wrongdoing and apologize immediately. A girl developing an eating disorder simply agrees to end her body dysmorphia when someone tells her to. Girls who don't work hard enough just agree to work harder. Those who were enemies make up. If only life were this easy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the difficulty of being a competitive junior gymnast. What do you think are the most important qualities in high-performing junior athletes?

  • Why do you think Maddy is reluctant to teach her students more difficult skills?

  • How do you think Maddy's decision to start competing again affects the students she coaches?

Movie Details

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