“I just wish we lived in a world where street smarts equal book smarts,” says Jennifer Lopez in a new trailer for “Second Act.” The comedy sees the Golden Globe nominee playing Maya, a woman struggling to move up the chain at the big box store she works in.
Told that every manager has a college degree and it’s not easy for “a woman [her] age” to get a job, Maya feels stuck. “Ever look at your life and wonder how you got there? If you made different choices would you be happier?” she asks. But her loved ones won’t let her stay stuck in a rut. They create a fake résumé, college degree, and Facebook account — that includes Photoshopped pics of her with the Obamas — to score her an interview at a prestigious business on Madison Avenue. Maya is getting a second chance, and she makes good on it. She kills the interview, lands the job, and finds herself living the kind of life she dreamed of, complete with a swanky new apartment.
Despite faking her credentials, Maya is great at her job, but it’s hinted that her partner (Milo Ventimiglia, “This Is Us”) thinks she should come clean.
Lopez earned a Golden Globe nod for her performance in “Selena.” “Shades of Blue,” “Will & Grace,” and “The Boy Next Door” are among the former “American Idol” judge’s recent acting credits.
Check out the trailer to see Maya’s attempts to communicate in Mandarin — which she told her employers she’s fluent in.
Co-written by Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, “Second Act” opens in theaters November 21. The film co-stars Vanessa Hudgens (“Powerless”) and Leah Remini (“Kevin Can Wait”).
