A Second Chance
A couple with a tumultuous romantic past finds married life to be just as difficult.
The film earned $9.3M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
A Second Chance (2015) reveals meticulously timed dramatic framework, characteristic of Cathy Garcia-Sampana's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 10 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.8, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Characters
Cast & narrative archetypes
Andreas
Anne
Simon
Tristan
Signe
Henrik
Main Cast & Characters
Andreas
Played by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
A police detective struggling with his infant son's illness who makes a morally devastating decision
Anne
Played by Maria Bonnevie
Andreas's wife, a mother dealing with postpartum depression and their son's medical crisis
Simon
Played by Ulrich Thomsen
Andreas's police partner and closest friend who becomes complicit in his actions
Tristan
Played by Nikolaj Lie Kaas
A troubled young boy suffering severe abuse in his home, whose fate becomes entangled with Andreas
Signe
Played by Lykke May Andersen
Tristan's mother, trapped in an abusive relationship and struggling with addiction
Henrik
Played by Thomas Bo Larsen
Signe's abusive partner who violently mistreats Tristan
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Andreas patrols Copenhagen with partner Simon, appearing as a dedicated detective with a stable home life. His wife Anne is heavily pregnant, and he radiates confidence in his role as protector and soon-to-be father.. Structural examination shows that this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 15 minutes when Andreas and Simon respond to a domestic violence call and discover an infant (later identified as Tristan) living in horrific conditions—malnourished, neglected, in immediate danger. The image of the suffering child haunts Andreas.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 32 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This shows the protagonist's commitment to Andreas's infant son dies suddenly from SIDS. This devastating loss shatters his world and transforms his entire reality. He crosses from the world of order and normalcy into a realm of grief, irrationality, and moral compromise., moving from reaction to action.
At 63 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 49% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat False victory: The swap succeeds. Andreas and Anne believe they have their son back (Anne is unaware of the truth), and Andreas has saved an innocent child from abuse. The immediate crisis appears resolved, but the moral cost and risk of discovery loom., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 97 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, The truth threatens to surface—either through investigation, Anne's growing suspicions, or Andreas's own crumbling psyche. The house of lies collapses. The "death" here is the death of Andreas's moral identity and the life he tried to construct through deception., shows the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 105 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. Andreas gains clarity—whether through confession, confrontation, or acceptance. He synthesizes his role as protector with the reality of his crime. He must face the consequences with whatever truth or resolution he's found., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
A Second Chance's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs structural analysis methodology used to understand storytelling architecture. By mapping A Second Chance against these established plot points, we can identify how Cathy Garcia-Sampana utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish A Second Chance within the drama genre.
Cathy Garcia-Sampana's Structural Approach
Among the 2 Cathy Garcia-Sampana films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. A Second Chance takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Cathy Garcia-Sampana filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Cathy Garcia-Sampana analyses, see Hello, Love, Goodbye.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Andreas patrols Copenhagen with partner Simon, appearing as a dedicated detective with a stable home life. His wife Anne is heavily pregnant, and he radiates confidence in his role as protector and soon-to-be father.
Theme
During a conversation about child welfare cases, Simon or a colleague remarks on the impossible moral choices they face: "Sometimes the system protects the wrong people." This foreshadows Andreas's future transgression.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of Andreas's world: his loving marriage to Anne, their anticipation of their first child, his partnership with Simon on the police force. We see their professional routine responding to domestic calls in troubled neighborhoods.
Disruption
Andreas and Simon respond to a domestic violence call and discover an infant (later identified as Tristan) living in horrific conditions—malnourished, neglected, in immediate danger. The image of the suffering child haunts Andreas.
Resistance
Andreas reports the case and the child is temporarily removed, but legal procedures require the baby be returned to his parents. Andreas debates intervening further but follows protocol. Meanwhile, Anne gives birth to their son, creating parallel lives of joy and horror.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Andreas's infant son dies suddenly from SIDS. This devastating loss shatters his world and transforms his entire reality. He crosses from the world of order and normalcy into a realm of grief, irrationality, and moral compromise.
Mirror World
In his grief, Andreas obsessively monitors the abused child's situation. He witnesses continued neglect that the system fails to prevent. The suffering infant becomes a mirror for Andreas's lost son—a second chance he cannot save through legal means.
Premise
Andreas descends into moral ambiguity. He surveys the negligent parents, plans his impossible action, and ultimately executes the baby swap—placing his deceased son with the negligent couple and taking the living, abused infant home to Anne, who believes this is their child recovered from death.
Midpoint
False victory: The swap succeeds. Andreas and Anne believe they have their son back (Anne is unaware of the truth), and Andreas has saved an innocent child from abuse. The immediate crisis appears resolved, but the moral cost and risk of discovery loom.
Opposition
The psychological toll intensifies. Andreas must maintain the lie to Anne, his colleagues, and himself. Suspicions may arise, guilt accumulates, and the fear of discovery grows. His relationship with Simon becomes strained as Andreas grows paranoid and distant.
Collapse
The truth threatens to surface—either through investigation, Anne's growing suspicions, or Andreas's own crumbling psyche. The house of lies collapses. The "death" here is the death of Andreas's moral identity and the life he tried to construct through deception.
Crisis
Andreas confronts the full weight of what he's done. In his dark night, he must decide whether to confess, continue the lie, or find another path. He grapples with whether his actions were justified love or unforgivable transgression.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Andreas gains clarity—whether through confession, confrontation, or acceptance. He synthesizes his role as protector with the reality of his crime. He must face the consequences with whatever truth or resolution he's found.
Synthesis
The finale brings resolution: legal consequences, confrontation with Anne and Simon, and the determination of the child's fate. Andreas faces justice—legal, moral, or both. The film resolves the central question of whether his actions constituted love or crime.
Transformation
Andreas is fundamentally transformed—no longer the confident protector of the opening, but a broken man who learned that grief can corrupt even the most righteous intentions. The final image likely shows him accepting consequences, having lost everything he tried to save.