Despite the fact it was way down on my list o’ movies to see, I caught the new comedy Second Act (because I overslept and missed the showing of all the movies I wanted to see first). This is a bit of counter-programming against the big blockbuster movies this Christmas. And… well.. not much else to say in preamble.

Second Act stars Jennifer Lopez as an assistant manager at a big box store who has bigger and better ideas than all the college educated men who get promoted over her. She made mistakes as a teenager that continue to haunt her later in life… like not going to college and a few other important (but spoilery) things. But then someone fakes her resume and creates a fake social media footprint for her and she gets hired at a big corporation under false pretenses. But she has the street smarts necessary to become a success… if only she can avoid getting caught.

Yeah, this is an alright movie. The comedy is a little week but did make me smile and chortle a few times. But where it succeeds at all is in a second act plot twist about family (that isn’t in the trailers) that I really liked and was the engine that drove any real enjoyment I had in the movie. The film, as it happens, has real heart and charm… when it’s not about what it’s ostensibly about. The whole drama over the fake resume is kind of pointless and an arbitrary ticking timebomb that could have been rewritten to something less gimmicky.

I liked the cast too. It co-stars Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens, and Milo Ventimiglia who all bring warmth and heart. It also has Charlyne Yi, who isn’t a big name or anything but was Rori’s best friend in Gilmore Girls… so this is an unlikely reunion with Milo Ventimiglia (if that matters to you). And, hey, that’s Larry Miller and Treat Williams! When did they turn into old men? Egads!

So, yeah, if you are looking for something a little more down to earth and human for the remainder of 2018, this isn’t a bad film. It’s not a great or even particularly good comedy, but it is a pretty fair heartwarming drama about family connection. I’ve seen worse.

Score: 75