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The Second Civil War

Play trailer Poster for The Second Civil War TV-MA,  1997,  1h 37m,  Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 62% 29 Reviews Tomatometer 61% 500+ Ratings Popcornmeter
62% Tomatometer 29 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
The media, the White House and the world watch as Idaho's governor (Beau Bridges) closes borders to a planeload of Pakistani refugees.
The Second Civil War

What to Know

Critics Consensus

The Second Civil War mingles biting political satire with broad humor and witty performances, delivering laugh-out-loud moments even as some tasteless excess undermines its otherwise scathing impact.

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Critics Reviews

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John Leonard New York Magazine/Vulture Mar 23, 2026
While The Second Civil War seeks to mimic the cognitive dissonance of a fragmenting political culture, it's too much like brain surgery by lobbing grenades at a tumor. Go to Full Review
Hal Boedeker Orlando Sentinel Mar 23, 2026
The Second Civil War suffers from excess, an unclear purpose and a wildly fluctuating tone. Go to Full Review
Ann Hodges Houston Chronicle Mar 23, 2026
What might have been a devilishly clever satire of politically incorrect proportions soon takes a course that does all that cleverness in. It turns silly and ugly. It turns to sex and violence. Go to Full Review
Maj Canton Radio Times Mar 23, 2026
3/5
Dante piles on the social satire without resorting to preachiness. Go to Full Review
Tom Jicha South Florida Sun-Sentinel Mar 23, 2026
One of the most provocative, entertaining TV movies ever. Go to Full Review
Citizen Staff Ottawa Citizen Mar 23, 2026
The movie fragments jammed together here make for interesting but ultimately disappointing fare. Go to Full Review
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The Second Civil War

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Joe Dante

Director

Beau Bridges

Gov. Jim Farley

James Coburn

Jack Buchan

Phil Hartman

The President

Dan Hedaya

Mel Burgess

James Earl Jones

Jim Kalla

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The Second Civil War

The Second Civil War (1997) The Second Civil War (1997) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The media, the White House and the world watch as Idaho's governor (Beau Bridges) closes borders to a planeload of Pakistani refugees.
Director
Joe Dante
Producer
Guy Riedel
Rating
TV-MA, R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 2, 2018
Runtime
1h 37m
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