- Actors: Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens, Treat Williams, Milo Ventimiglia
- Director: Peter Segal
- Writers: Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham
- Producers: Jennifer Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Justin Zackham, Benny Medina
- Disc Format: NTSC, Subtitled
- Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1)
- Subtitles: Spanish, English
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
- Number of discs: 2
- Rated: Parents Strongly CautionedPG-13
- Studio: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: March 26, 2019
- Run Time: 103 minutes
Second Act
earned a certain amount of respect from me, but that had more to do with film
history and marketing choices than the quality of the movie itself. Although
the promotional material sold the film as a comedy about class differences,
there are plot twists that quickly veer the narrative into more melodramatic
territory. And I don’t use the word melodrama as an insult, but rather as the
genre which was popularized in the 1940s, primarily dealing with stories of
motherly love and loss. Sadly, Second Act is the rare exception of a film that
doesn’t spoil these reveals in the trailers.
There are
certainly benefits to allowing the audience the privilege of experiencing the
narrative as it unfolds, but there are some who might feel cheated by the
marketing. On the other hand, just because the film adds drama that isn’t seen
in the trailer doesn’t mean that the comedy is missing. Unfortunately, the
comedy is every bit as awful as the trailers make it seem, mostly just cramming
slapstick gags and dark humor in places that they don’t fit. The film feels as
though it is trying to please too many different tastes, and ends up a muddled
mess because of it. While some of the melodrama works, the comedy nearly always
fails, and the social message sold by the trailer gets completely lost halfway
through.
That social
message of the movie begins as a commentary on the injustice of opportunities
provided to those wealthy enough to afford higher education versus those with
practical life experience. Maya (Jennifer Lopez) is a 40-year-old employee of a
grocery store, turned down for a management position despite her years of
service and experience with the company. The manager hired (Dan Bucatinsky) has
a business degree without any experience in the store, so the film goes out of
its way to make him seem like the enemy. Even worse, Maya is seen as heroic as
she disrespects her new boss simply because she doesn’t agree with him or the
decision to hire him. In reality, Maya’s behavior is fowl, regardless of
whether she is deserving of the raise or not.
But the one
thing this film doesn’t do (along with following through on the social
commentary) is punish bad behavior. In fact, it is nearly always rewarded.
Although Maya is forced to quit her job at the grocery store, she is rewarded
with a fancy new job after lying on her resume about her education, experience,
and basic abilities. In most movies, this would be an opportunity for humor as
the protagonist attempts to hide the truth, until eventually facing the
consequences of their deception. But in Second Act, the mistakes and bad
behavior is mostly just rewarded, even to the point that a presentation ending
in the death of a dozen doves still results in a sale.
Part of the
problem seems to be a disconnection that the jokes have from the drama of the
movie. It feels as though the humor belongs in a completely different film, and
that is a film I don’t want to see. None of the jokes work when Lopez is trying
to make them land, whether it is physical humor, facial reactions, or deliver
of clever lines (which are sparse, to be fair). While Lopez struggles to make
even the halfway decent jokes mildly amusing, there are several supporting
actors who have a much easier time, in particular Leah Remini as the
loud-mouthed best friend and Alan Aisenberg in a musical-free performance.
The Blu-ray
release of Second Act comes with a DVD and a digital copy of the film, along
with the extras on the disc itself. There are four promotional featurettes, though
they don’t provide any real insight into the production. Most are very short
and work at promoting the film’s stars more than the film itself.
Entertainment Value:
5.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
Special Features: 3.5/10
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