Some movies try to reinvent the genre. “Second Act Sunday” simply wants to make you laugh, cry a little and leave the theater smiling. Thanks to a sharp script and a terrific cast, it succeeds on all three counts.

The film follows Vivian Hart, a former Broadway star played by veteran stage actress Margot Ellery, who retires to a small town in Vermont. When the local community theater loses its director, Vivian is talked into staging a musical, only to discover that her estranged daughter, Claire, has signed up to design the sets.

Laughs And Heart

Writer-director Paul Okonkwo has a gift for dialogue. The rehearsal scenes are packed with jokes, as Vivian clashes with an enthusiastic but tone-deaf mayor, a teenage lighting technician and a golden retriever who keeps wandering onto the stage. The audience at our screening laughed out loud repeatedly.

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Underneath the comedy is a tender story about a mother and daughter learning to see each other differently. Ellery and Jenna Moss, who plays Claire, have wonderful chemistry, and their argument in an empty theater is the film’s emotional high point.

The supporting cast is a delight. Comedian Rob Fuller nearly steals the film as the enthusiastic mayor, while young actor Lily Tran is charming as the lighting technician who dreams of moving to New York. The musical numbers within the film are short, funny and surprisingly catchy, and several audience members were humming them on the way out. Okonkwo also paints a warm portrait of small-town life, from the diner where cast members gather after rehearsals to the autumn leaves outside the theater. The setting gives the movie a cozy, seasonal feel that suits its gentle humor and its warm-hearted story.

Familiar Territory

If you have seen a feel-good comedy before, you will know exactly how this one ends. The final act hits every expected beat, from the near-disaster on opening night to the triumphant curtain call.

But predictability is not always a flaw. “Second Act Sunday” is comforting in the best way, like a favorite sweater or a holiday tradition. It is the rare movie that both grandparents and teenagers will enjoy, and it is already generating strong word of mouth ahead of its wide release this weekend.

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