Jennifer Lopez is a fascinating study in movie stardom. When she tries to stretch her wings, the actress has mixed results. For every stand out performance (i.e. Out of Sight), there is one that misses the mark (The Boy Next Door). But when she stars in a film that is in her wheelhouse, for lack of a better word, if the script matches her charm and talents, it is movie manna. That is firmly the case with her latest, the STX Films produced Second Act.
The film from director Peter Segal (50 First Dates) is also quite inspiring, especially for those working jobs that they wish they could just grow wings and fly away. Sure, it involves quite a bit of truth-stretching, but what Lopez’s Maya proves is that if you are confident that once you get that foot in the door, your intelligence and hard work will make up for what you lack in education and experience. I mean, who cannot identify with that?
Lopez is Maya, and she has been working at one of those big box stores (like a Target) and overall, is quite happy—if not professionally satisfied. She has a boyfriend, who is a gorgeous and generous man, Trey (Milo Ventimiglia). They have a happy home together. She has a best friend in Joan (Leah Remini, Lopez’s real-life BFF too!). But Maya has regrets. She got pregnant in high school, gave the child up for adoption and then got her GED. She never went to college, and time and time again, life is proving to her that that was a mistake.
A management position opens at her store and everyone believes she’s a lock for the job. Then, those in charge of hiring tap a Duke University grad for the position and that does it. Maya cannot handle this anymore. Her relationship with Trey falls apart and our girl drifts into a deep rut.
Maya believes that there is no way she can get ahead without that elusive diploma. And at 40, she’s not about to start in college somewhere. Even if she wanted to, how would she pay for it? It’s sad, but true and she is firmly stuck in a life Catch-22. What’s a girl to do?
Good thing for her, her BFF’s son, Dilly (Dalton Harrod), is good people. He creates an online social media profile for his mom’s BFF and next thing you know, she receives a phone call that asks her to come in for an interview at the corporate headquarters for a big-time retailer, Franklin & Clarke. This is completely out of the blue. When she arrives at the locale, she is whisked in immediately to the top. She’s interviewing with Clarke (Treat Williams) of the organization’s moniker! During the interview, Maya discovers that there is a lot she didn’t know about herself, such as her Harvard education and her proficiency in Mandarin! Maya just goes along with the ruse because, well, why not?! She is offered the job and takes it, firmly believing that her experience and talent will carry her through. Meanwhile, Clarke’s daughter Zoe (Vanessa Hudgens)—who works for her dad—is simultaneously fascinated and taken aback by Maya.
It is an interesting premise for a film. No names here, but I’ve known people who have fudged the facts on their resume, knowing that the truth would never get them the job. Yet, if they were just given the opportunity with the position, their intelligence and work ethic would allow them to triumph and flourish. All we need, sometimes, is an opportunity and our natural talents can carry us through the rest of the way. It is in that vein that I believe Second Act will resonate will many. The film did decent box office in its theatrical run and should do extremely well on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download formats.
Justin Zackham and Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas’ script is well put together. I like the fact that Maya’s down in the dumps period costs her her relationship with Trey. After all, this film has a rom-com feel to it and if she’s happy with her man, the “rom” part of “rom-com” would be missing. Of course, as Maya works her way into this job, Trey’s presence starts to become more present and therefore, the audience gets a bit of that romance that otherwise would have been missing. See, this is right in Lopez’s wheelhouse and is largely one of her best in the genre in years.
It is also the rare comedy that raises questions of an ethical variety that could not be more appropriate for today’s working world. With so many potential applicants tossed in the trash bin before even getting the interview opportunity, Second Act is timely. We live in a time where algorithms are the first line of hiring for so many companies. A live person doesn’t even get a chance to look at a resume until the computer sees certain boxes that need to be checked. Many of us feel the same way as Maya and believe that if the door was just left open a crack, we could storm our way through it and triumph. It’s all about getting that opportunity and Lopez’s latest film shows, in the most entertaining and charming of manners, that if you believe in yourself, the (fabricated) truth shall set you free. Of course, I am not advocating lying on resumes … this is entertainment folks. I’m just saying that it is fitting for the world we live in today.
Second Act is also one of those films that will spark one of those silly smiles that last an entire movie. It is a joyous experience from beginning to end and when Lopez is firmly in her zone, there are few that are as effective as her. Think her turn in Maid in Manhattan. It is just pure joy and in today’s world, we all need a whole lot of joy … don’t we?!
How it all works out is right out of the Hollywood textbook, but that’s OK. The entire ride is so entertaining and everyone in the cast brings their fun-meter that is running into the red. As such, the viewer is in for a surprise treat that might even do something magical—inspire you to try to make your life better and embrace your own Second Act.
Speaking of inspiration, the bonus feature The Empowering Women of Second Act gives us an inside view of how the ladies of the film came together and served as uplifting sources for one another. The viewer also gets the impression that this was a filmmaking experience, for all involved, that will stick with them for years to come. I’m telling you, it’s a great surprise and this featurette is just one of many that reinforces the joy that is the Second Act experience.
Chemistry is impossible to fake and often friends on film fail the connectivity test and the rest of the film, especially in a comedy-romance like this one, falls on deaf ears as a result. Friendship On and Off Screen spotlights how it’s done right when two real-life best friends (Remini and Lopez) work together on screen as BFFs and movie magic occurs at the highest levels. That is never a given. There have been plenty of real-life lovers who failed to create cinematic chemistry and also many BFFs who play friends onscreen that no one buys. I’m telling you, chemistry on the screen is hard. Friendship On and Off Screen shows all how to achieve greatness as only true talents can. Hearing Lopez and Remini wax poetic about their friendship and their working friendship is a lesson in movie making magic that is pure gold.
Working with the Ones You Love, speaking of moviemaking magic, is a behind-the-scenes featurette that illustrates that “fun factor” I keep referring to when addressing the qualities of Second Act. The entire cast clearly had a blast making this movie. That old adage that if the actors are having fun, so too will the audience, has never been truer than what we see with Second Act.
Last, but in no way least, Connecting with Milo Ventimiglia is another featurette that stresses that cinematic chemistry thing I keep highlighting. Lopez and the This is Us star have fireworks for chemistry that watching them love each other, fall apart and then find themselves anew is one of the great joys of the entire movie. Well, that and watching someone show that “street smarts” are as important as “book smarts,” when it comes to professional success.
Film grade: B
Bonus features: B