SECOND NATURE (2003)

Oh my word, is his whole life an elaborate government experiment?!

Imagine you're involved in a fiery plane crash that takes the lives of your wife and two little girls. You lay, burned and bandaged, in a hospital bed for months, then wake up looking like Alec Baldwin. Sound made up? Just wait til you hear the rest.

Second Nature follows Paul Kane (Baldwin) from the time he wakes up in the hospital until the lights go out again. It seems the crash has damaged his memory, but Paul's got a clingy psychologist who talks him through everything and watches him like a hawk. She seems so thoughtful and protective, but things begin to look sinister soon enough. I just about drove myself crazy trying to figure out why I knew the psychologist, so I'll just tell you that it's Louise Lombard from Hidalgo looking a whole lot cuter than she did when she tried to charm the pants off Viggo.

Paul's confusion intensifies when he goes home. Some memories play in his mind like movies, while other parts of his life are a complete blank. But when Paul gets a call sending him out on a hit, he responds as though it is his (wait for it) second nature. What is up with this guy? Was he a sweet family man or a cold blooded assassin? Even he doesn't know anymore, but when it's time to pull the trigger, he can't quite bring himself to do it. This sets the bad guys on his trail, and leaves Paul running for his life.

With the help of the trusty psychologist, Paul does his best to unravel the mysteries of his existence. Why are the words Chilly Willy tattooed on the inside of his lower lip? Why is the woman he remembered as his wife in the instructional safety film on the airplane? Is she an actress? Oh my word, is his whole life an elaborate government experiment?! Could it be that he was really a lumpy-looking, mouth-breathing, sociopath from death row that they gussied up with plastic surgery and brainwashed?! Holy crap. That would explain a lot.

Second Nature is not as well-developed or as gripping as it should be, but it's a decent movie in its own way. If the story were tighter and the pace a little faster, it might have proven to be quite a thriller, but alas, it never really rises above its made-for-TV status. Even so, watching Alec Baldwin do anything for two hours is nothing to complain about. He's especially kittenish and endearing as he makes strides in occupational therapy, and I'd watch him relearn the ways of the humans any day.