Second Act Best Movie Quotes – ‘The only thing stopping you is you.’

Starring: Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini, Annaleigh Ashford, Vanessa Hudgens, Milo Ventimiglia, Freddie Stroma, Dan Bucatinsky, Treat Williams, Larry Miller

OUR RATING: ★★★☆☆

Story:

Romantic comedy directed by Peter Segal in which the story follows big box store employee, Maya (Jennifer Lopez), who is struggling with frustrations from unfulfilled dreams. However, when she reinvents her life and her lifestyle, this gets her the chance to prove to Madison Avenue that street smarts are as valuable as a college degree.

Our Favorite Quotes:

Best Quotes  (Total Quotes: 37)

[as Maya is getting ready to go to work]
Trey: That’s a hot outfit.
Maya: I need to look professional.
Trey: Relax, okay? Everyone there loves you.
Maya: I just, I don’t know if I can do this. Every manager at our company has a college degree.
Trey: Yeah, well, I’d argue that fifteen years experience is worth, what, ten degrees?
Maya: Not to these people.
Trey: Oh.
Maya: But thank you.

Maya: I prepared for this meeting for weeks.
Weiskopf: And you did great.
Maya: Look, I’ve put fifteen years of my life into this store. And after becoming assistant manager six years ago, sales have increased at a record pace.
[to Arthur]
Maya: Look, I mean no disrespect, but what do you know about this store, or the people who shop here?
Arthur Coyle: I specialize in team building.
Weiskopf: Arthur got his MBA from Duke. I think you’ll find he’s the best man for the job.
Maya: No, sir. I am.
Weiskopf: Where did you go to college, dear?
Maya: I have my GED.
Weiskopf: I respect that. I do. But we have minimum job requirements in place for a reason.
Maya: And what is that reason?
Weiskopf: I want you to know how much we value you and your loyalty.

[giving a speech about Maya at her birthday party]
Trey: And anyone, any corporate dickhead who doesn’t appreciate just how amazing this woman is, well, babe, as they say…
Everyone: “It ain’t over until it’s over.”

Maya: Screw them.
Joan: Yeah, screw them. Who?
Maya: Them. The educated people in their fancy houses, who name their kids after fruit, and climb Kilimanjaro.
Joan: Yes, screw them.

Maya: I mean, doesn’t it make you crazy that just because you didn’t get a degree when you were eighteen, you don’t qualify for a job when you’re freaking forty?
Joan: Well, first of all, who said life is fair? Right? I mean, come on, your godson going to Stanford on a Google scholarship, that kind of helps to even things out, don’t you think? Come on, Maya, it’s a title. It doesn’t define you.
Maya: Says the woman who can’t say her son’s name without mentioning that he’s going to Stanford.
Joan: This is true. Okay. Alright.
Maya: I mean, and you should. You should. It’s amazing.

[making her wish for her birthday]
Maya: I wish that we lived in a world where street smarts equaled book smarts.

Joan: Hey, uh, some lady called for you. Um, something about a job interview from F&C.
Maya: Franklin and Clarke?
Joan: I don’t know.
Maya: The ones who make half the stuff on aisle seven, eight, and eleven.
Joan: Oh. Okay.
Maya: I didn’t apply for a job there.
Joan: Uh, alright, you pulled it out of me. You remember your birthday wish?
Maya: What? Dilly?
Joan: He used your legal name, don’t worry. He put you up for some jobs. He did.
Maya: I didn’t ask him to.
Joan: Okay, alright.
[referring to Arthur]
Joan: Well, you know what, you can either grow some balls, or spend the rest of your life with Lord Bag-of-Dicks.

[at her job interview with F&C]
Anderson Clarke: Your resume interests me. You come from sales?
Maya: Fifteen years. I’m sorry, what is this position for?
Anderson Clarke: I’ve often thought that sales should have a greater voice in product development.
Maya: I couldn’t agree more.
Anderson Clarke: I mean, the market’s only getting more competitive.
Maya: And consumers are only getting smarter.
Anderson Clarke: Oh, yes, they are. You live here in the city?
Maya: I’m in between apartments.
Anderson Clarke: Family?
Maya: Just me.

[at her job interview with F&C]
Maya: I realize that my credentials aren’t typically what…
Anderson Clarke: Oh, you are right about that.
[looks at her resume]
Anderson Clarke: Harvard undergrad, magna cum laude. Then there’s your philanthropy, all the work with the Peace Corps. And of course, you have got to see her Facebook page.
Zoe: Her Facebook page?
Maya: My Facebook page?
[turns the laptop around to show a photo of Maya pointing to Kilimanjaro]
Anderson Clarke: I have been training for Kilimanjaro for months.
Maya: Is that right?
Anderson Clarke: Well, Zoe? What do you think?
Zoe: I think I’ve seen enough. Thank you for coming in, Maya.
Maya: Yeah, okay. Thank you.

[after her interview at F&C]
Joan: Oh-oh. She doesn’t look happy.
Otto: She doesn’t look happy.
Maya: I’m not happy.
Joan: They didn’t like you?
Maya: No, they thought I was very accomplished, given my MBA and my stint in the Peace Corps. Who can blame them?
Joan: Peace Corps?
Maya: Yeah, it’s all right there on my Facebook page.
Joan: But you’re not on Facebook… Dilly!

Joan: Did you create a Facebook page for Maya? And do not lie.
Dilly: Yes.
Joan: Okay, that was easy.
Maya: But it wasn’t just Facebook.
Dilly: Okay, give me some credit. This is a work of art. I mean, I gave you a completely new identity. You’ve got your own WIX site, and it’s got social and corporate.
Joan: What?
Maya: Why, Dill?
Dilly: Well, for your birthday. I mean, you said you wanted to be fancy, so I just like Cinderella’d your ass.
[Joan smacks Dilly on the back of his head]
Joan: Oh, alright.
Dilly: I was going to use your porn name, but you don’t even use your legal name anymore, so…
Maya: My porn name?
Dilly, Joan: Yeah, first pet, first street.
Joan: Mine’s Fluffy Valley.
Dilly: Okay, so it’s a whole new you, but it’s still you because it’s your real name. I’ve got everything. I’ve got your school records, employment history. I mean, the FBI couldn’t debunk this, so it’s basically real.
Joan: Except it’s bullshit.
Otto: Yeah, it’s bullshit.

Maya: That was F&C. They want to hire me.
Joan: Shut up. I thought that skinny bitch kicked you out of her office?
Maya: She did. I mean, I basically trashed their entire skincare line.
Joan: Maybe that was a test to see if you were a straight shooter. The lie got you in the door, but you got the job, baby. I mean, come on. You could do this. You could do this.

Joan: Hey, who’s the champ?
Maya: What?
Joan: You’re the champ.
[she lightly slaps Maya in the face]
Joan: Come on, who’s the champ?
Maya: What?
Joan: Who’s the champ?
Maya: Huh?
[she slaps Maya again]
Joan: Come on, wake up. Who’s the champ? Let’s go.
[she slaps Maya again]
Joan: Who’s the champ?
Maya: I‘m the champ?
Joan: You’re the champ.
[she slaps Maya again]
Joan: You’re the champ. Yeah. Come on.
[as Joan goes to slap Maya again, Maya hits her back]
Maya: Stop!
Joan: Alright, just go.

Arthur Coyle: Are you quitting?
Maya: Best of luck to you.
[Maya turns and starts walking away]
Arthur Coyle: Best of luck to you. It’s not easy getting a job for a woman your age.
Joan: Uh-oh.
Big Ant: Boop.
Suzi Teplitsky: Mm-mmm, mm-mmm.
[Maya turns and walks back towards Arthur]
Joan: No, this is not going to be good.
Suzi Teplitsky: Oh, she about to fuck you up.
Maya: Watch me.
[she takes off her overalls and walks off]

Trey: I just, I can’t believe you said yes.
Maya: I know. I know, my head is still spinning.
Trey: Yeah, but, you mean, you’re going to come clean, right?
Maya: Look, I admit that the way I got in was less than honest, but what I did in that room… Look, I can do this.
Trey: Okay, I’m happy for you, babe.

Trey: I mean, hey, maybe you take this offer. You tell them we need a couple weeks, and we can go away and start a family. I mean, this could be a really good thing.
Maya: Trey, I can’t. It’s just not the right time.
Trey: Our timing never seems right, does it? I mean, we’ve been talking about this for three years. I always thought we were heading to this. You know, I want a family, Maya. I want kids, and I want that with you. We can even adopt.
Maya: Oh, baby.
Trey: No. It’s obvious we want different things.
Maya: Trey…
Trey: We shouldn’t do this anymore.

[as Maya is getting ready for her first day at F&C]
Joan: Oh. Oh, no, you look like Mrs. Doubtfire.
Maya: I’m trying to look respectable, not too slutty.
Joan: Oh, alright, well, no problem there. That outfit’s like dick repellent.
Otto: What’s dick repellent?
Joan: Okay, out.

Joan: Hey, go with plan anything other than that. And wipe that face off your face, missy thing, okay?
[Maya continues to get ready]
Joan: Alright. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Maya: Wait, this is my office?
Hildy Ostrander: Mm-hmm.
Maya: Wow. This is…
Hildy Ostrander: I know. We’ll have the decorators right up so you can fix it.
Maya: This is really great.
Hildy Ostrander: Cancel the decorators.

[referring to the apartment that F&C has given her]
Maya: I don’t know what I’m doing here.
Joan: You don’t know what you’re doing here? I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. You’re going to, you’re going to take these cards here. You’re going to, you’re going to dress the part. You’re going to buy yourself those fancy shoes with the red bottoms. Alright, you know what? As your friend, I’m going to take these off your hands. Thank you.
Maya: Don’t you dare.
Joan: No, I’m going to take them, because you don’t seem to be appreciative of it. So, I’m going to go. Okay.
Maya: No!

Zoe: So, we are looking at taking on a new Chinese distributor. Their CEO is in town and wants to meet me and Ron for dinner this Thursday. His English is sketchy at best. Dad thought you could help us out.
Maya: Okay.
Zoe: Our go-to translator is on his honeymoon, and the only employee we have who speaks Mandarin is…
Maya: Me?
Zoe: Yeah.
Maya: Okay.
Zoe: Great.
Maya: Great.
Zoe: Thursday.
Maya: Yep.

Joan: Oh, my God! You are so butt-fricked.
Maya: It’s not funny, Joan.
Joan: Oh, it is.
Maya: I almost killed people in a boat race. Now I’m going to murder Mandarin. I don’t speak Chinese.
Joan: Alright, so you do a lot of nodding. I mean, men don’t listen to us anyway.
Maya: I’m serious.

Joan: I just got an idea. Our cat’s veterinarian. He’s the nicest guy in the world, and he speaks Mandarin.
Maya: And how does that help me?
Joan: Well, if this works, you owe me big time.

[in Mandarin to Maya]
Philip Jiang: I find Ron arrogant. What’s his problem?
[Maya listen through her hidden earpiece for Joan’s vet to provide her a reply in Mandarin, which he does as he’s treating a dog]
Maya: [subtitled] His anal glands need milking.
Philip Jiang: [laughing] I like her.

Zoe: But knowing that I was given up for adoption, you can’t help but grow up with a sense of rejection.
Maya: “Am I good enough? Is something wrong with me?”
Zoe: Exactly.
Maya: I would have done anything to keep you.
Zoe: You know, I know we haven’t exactly gotten along, but I really admire you. Just everything you’ve accomplished. You’re kind of who I want to be when I grow up.

[introducing her friends to Anderson and Zoe]
Joan: Hello. Yes, we were just on our way to the alumni social for Norton.
Maya: Wharton.
Joan: Norton. Wharton. Yep.
Maya: Um, Zoe, Anderson, these are my friends from…
Suzi Teplitsky: Harvard.
Joan: We, uh, we did some time in the Peace Corps together.
Big Ant: We save whales.

Maya: I mean, come on, Joan. Seriously? “Save the whales”?
Joan: Well, she nailed it in rehearsal. Anyway, we were helping. Still coming to my birthday, right?
Maya: Of course. I just wish you would’ve told me.
Joan: Well, she said she wanted to meet your friends.
[Maya groans]
Joan: Oh, I’m sorry. Suddenly, we don’t exist? Hey, don’t confuse this new Facebook thing with who you really are, okay?
[referring to Zoe]
Maya: My daughter thinks I’m this amazing person. What am I supposed to do?
Joan: I don’t know. Try telling her the damn truth?
Maya: You don’t understand. Alright, that would kill her. Maybe, one day, when we get to know each other better.
Joan: One day when you get to know. I remember you saying the same thing about Trey.
Maya: You know what, that’s a shitty thing to say.
Joan: I’m sorry, well, if the shite fits.

[referring to Zoe]
Maya: I’m a mess. And you know what? I hate the lie. But I have to be the person that she thinks I am, or I could lose her again. And I couldn’t survive that.
Joan: You act like you don’t have a choice.
Maya: I don’t.
Joan: Wow. You know, it’s sad that she’s not going to meet the old Maya. Because she was pretty amazing.
[Joan walks off]

Maya: I realized something at the party. Even out of the biggest disaster, there can still be hope.
Chase: Which disaster are we talking about?
Maya: Hiroshima.
Chase: Wait. What?
Maya: After we dropped the bomb, the military sent a team into Japan to see if the radiation had depleted. The only thing left that hadn’t been destroyed was one single living tree. The leaves had already started growing back. The citizens, they built a shrine around this tree. And the soldiers took clippings from it. One of those soldiers was my grandpa.
Chase: What kind of a tree was it?
Maya: Silver ginkgo.
Maya: After my grandpa returned home, he took his clippings and planted a tree for my grandma.
Chase: And it’s resistant to radiation.
Maya: AKA the sun.

Trey: I mean, all that talk about family, and I thought it was me you were hesitant about.
Maya: No, I was ashamed. I just, I thought I didn’t deserve to have… I should’ve told you.
Trey: You should’ve told me. You let me fall in love with a version of you, and no relationship built on a lie can ever survive. You were always good enough. But you’re the only one that ever doubted it.

[giving a speech at F&C’s public board meeting]
Maya: Thank you, Zoe. Anderson. Thank you for giving me a chance. You know, some people never get a chance because they can’t afford the right education, or they don’t have the degree to get in the right doors. And you’re correct, Zoe. Maybe I am where I am today because I wasn’t afraid to tell the truth. Even if it hurts. And the truth is, the truth is, the truth is a lie. For the past seven years, I’ve been an assistant manager at the local Value Shop in Ozone Park. I invented my résumé. I never went to Wharton. I never even graduated from high school.
Zoe: What?
Chase: Holy cow.
Ariana: Cool.

Maya: I thought it was what I had to do to get in those doors.
Ron Ebsen: And there you are.
Maya: I thought none of you would even look at me if you knew the truth. Because I thought I wasn’t good enough. So I gave you a version of me. But, for better or for worse, I have to be who I really am. And I’m Maya Davilla, from Queens, New York. That’s the real me. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lied. To any of you.

[Zoe is reading a letter from Maya]
Maya: [voice over] Dear Zoe, I know that many people believe in fate. And trust me, there are times I wish I was one of them. I believe we create our own fate, that our lives are shaped by a series of choices. One decision leading to another, bringing us times of great joy, or years of regret. In the end, it’s up to us. We get to write our own story. I’ve made some spectacularly awful choices in my life. And two good ones. Alongside giving birth to you, the best decision I ever made was to give you up. Because you never would’ve become you if it weren’t for your parents. And because you’re exactly the person I’d like to be when I grow up. You will always be the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m sorry I messed it up, again.

[in her letter to Zoe]
Maya: [voice over] We spend half our lives looking back wishing, if we’d only done it differently, chosen smarter, not made so many mistakes.

[in her letter to Zoe]
Maya: [voice over] But the truth is, our mistakes don’t limit us. Only our fears do. And as unpredictable as this journey has been, I am so glad it finally led me back to you.

[Zoe sees Maya as she’s going for a run]
Maya: Congratulations. Your dad told me you were back. Welcome home.
Zoe: Thanks.
Maya: You got your degree. Now what?
Zoe: I don’t know.
Maya: You think we could start over?
Zoe: I was thinking of going for a run.
[Maya looks disappointed]
Maya: Okay.
Zoe: Do you want to come with me?
Maya: Yeah. I’d like that. A lot.
[Zoe embraces Maya as they both cry]

[last lines]
Maya: [voice over] Every day you wake up and have a second chance to do whatever you want, to be whoever you want. The only thing stopping you is you.

Total Quotes: 37

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