The Second Civil War (1997): Cast & Plot
The Second Civil War is a 1997 war drama directed by Joe Dante, starring Jennifer Carlson as NewsNet Assistant, Elizabeth Peña and Beau Bridges. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 37m (97 min)
- Director
- Joe Dante
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Baltimore Pictures
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Second Civil War About?
The premise of The Second Civil War without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
An uncivil comedy that follows the fallout when a plane full of Pakistani orphans is sent to Idaho for permanent relocation. The state’s governor defies the president by sealing the border, and a sensationalist cable news show spins the move into a national controversy, polarizing public opinion.
The Second Civil War Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- dark comedy
- american politics
- american politician
- news channel
- american media
- television studio
- reference to pakistan
- border closing
- newsroom
- correspondent
- india pakistan nuclear war
- capitol building washington d.c.
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- press statement
- war refugee
- immigration wave
- immigration ban
- mass migration
- mexican immigrant
- political activist
- network
- armed civilian
- armed to the teeth
- out of control
- reference to the u.s. civil war
- u.s. mexico border
- mob of reporters
- female journalist
- love interest
- reference to a soap opera
- deadline
- military deployment
- u.s. military
- automatic gunfire
- automatic weapon
- reporting from under fire
- refugee camp
- encampment
- too late
- news reporter shot
- live broadcast
- gun violence
- misunderstanding
- grotesque
- man in uniform
- u.s. army general
- lovesick man
- army truck
- roadblock
- u.s. soldier kills u.s. soldier
- insubordination
The Second Civil War Cast & Characters
Jennifer Carlson leads the cast as NewsNet Assistant, with Elizabeth Peña as Christina Fernandez and Beau Bridges as Governor Jim Farley. Directed by Joe Dante; 34 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Joe Dante
- Jennifer Carlson as NewsNet Assistant
-
Elizabeth Peña as Christina Fernandez -
Beau Bridges as Governor Jim Farley -
Phil Hartman as The President
Also Starring in The Second Civil War
· 30 more- James Coburn Jack Buchan
- Ron Perlman Alan Manieski
- James Earl Jones Jim Kalla
- Dick Miller Eddie O'Neill
- Kevin McCarthy Chief of Staff
- Brian Keith General Buford
- Joanna Cassidy Helena Newman
- Denis Leary Vinnie Franco
- Kevin Dunn Jimmy Cannon
- Dan Hedaya Mel Burgess
- Roger Corman Sandy Collins
- Rance Howard Arnold Tooney, Jr.
- William Schallert Secretary of Defense
- Robert Picardo Godfrey
- Jerry Hardin Colonel McNally
- Belinda Balaski Graphic Designer
Show all 34 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Ben Masters Matthew Langford
- Richard Gross Militia Leader
- Jordan Bridges Farley's Aide
- Eve Brenner Elderly Militia Woman
- Shelley Malil Congressman Singh
- Scott Atkinson Young Militia Man
- Hank Stratton Blaine Gorman
- Andrew Hill Newman Chris Vincent
- Neil Roberts Tony Phillips
- Anthony Lee Steven Kingsley
- Larry Jenkins Kenya Nkomo
- Catherine Lloyd Burns Amelia Sims
- Alexandra Wilson Caroline Dawes
- Melissa Chan Mary Anne Wong
The Second Civil War Plot Summary
What happens in The Second Civil War from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a near-future United States, immigration has surged and the country has fractured into a patchwork of increasingly segregated communities. The Mayor of Los Angeles speaks only in Spanish, Rhode Island is populated mostly by Chinese Americans, and Alabama has a Sikh congressman. Politics has been simplified to wooing various ethnic blocs for votes, while cable news and social media feed a relentless cycle of fear and outrage, pushing viewership to dizzying heights on channels like NewsNet.
Full summary
The whole story of The Second Civil War, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Second Civil War?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the Governor of Idaho who orders the National Guard to close the state’s borders?
Cars in The Second Civil War
22 cars on screen, including the AM General HMMWV M1113 and the AM General M-35.
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AM General HMMWV M1113 Minor role -
AM General M-35 Minor role -
1993 Cadillac Fleetwood Stretched Limousine Minor role -
Cadillac M24 Chaffee Minor role
The Second Civil War Also Known As
23 alternative titles, including “Die Kriegsmacher” and “La segunda guerra civil”.
- Also known as
-
- Die Kriegsmacher
- La segunda guerra civil
- A Segunda Guerra Civil
- A Segunda Guerra da Secessão
- Втората гражданска война
- La deuxième guerre civile
- Borgerkrig direkte fra Idaho
- La Seconde Guerre de sécession
- Arhiste ton 2o emfylio horis emas
- A második polgárháború
- La seconda guerra civile americana
- Second Impact
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- Druga wojna secesyjna
- A Segunda Guerra Civil Americana
- Заговор против Америки
- Druga drzavljanska vojna
- En directo para Newsnet
- Det andra inbördeskriget
- 美國也瘋狂
- Cuộc nội chiến thứ hai
- Al doilea război civil
- Drugi građanski rat
- Druhá občanská válka
Seen The Second Civil War?
Movies Like The Second Civil War
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Civil War, Civil War (or, Who Do We Think We Are) and The Civil War.
The Second Civil War FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Second Civil War, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Second Civil War?
The Second Civil War runs 1 hour 37 minutes (97 minutes).
When was The Second Civil War released?
The Second Civil War was released on March 15, 1997.
Who directed The Second Civil War?
The Second Civil War was directed by Joe Dante.
More films by Joe Dante Who is in the cast of The Second Civil War?
The Second Civil War stars Jennifer Carlson as NewsNet Assistant, Elizabeth Peña as Christina Fernandez and Beau Bridges as Governor Jim Farley, among 34 credited actors.
Does The Second Civil War have a post-credit scene?
No. The Second Civil War has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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