In her new movie, Jennifer Lopez tells her story her own way. The actress-singer's This Is Me... Now: A Love Story, which premieres on Prime Video on February 16, tells the story of her decades-long love story with Ben Affleck , from their first failed engagement to their eventual reconciliation and marriage. Almost 20 years later.
Given that the trailer crams a variety of movie genres into the two-minute montage, you might not realize that This Is Me...Now explores a lot of J.Lo's lore. Not only does it include references to her personal life, but it also includes Easter eggs that only her biggest fans will recognize, which may be confusing to casual viewers.
That's not even taking into account that "This Is Me.. Now" is also the title of her latest album, which was released on the same day as the soundtrack to the film. Needless to say, there's a lot going on in J.Lo's world, but here's everything you need to know before watching the musical movie.
That’s me… Now it’s about Bennifer – sort of
The hour-long film is indeed a love story, with J.Lo giving a nod to her reunion with Affleck and calling off the wedding nearly 20 years after they were first engaged. (Yes, he appears in the movie.)
However, their love story begins with J.Lo, who must learn to put herself first in order to be happy. It unfolds in a very abstract way, with unexpected plot twists and jaw-dropping choreography. If you're lost, remember Bennifer is at the center of it all.
This is the sequel to J.Lo's 2004 album
This Is Me... Now is the direct follow-up to J.Lo's 2004 album This Is Me... Then , which included her No. 1 hit single "Jenny From the Block." As suggested by Affleck's appearance in the song's music video, "Then" was primarily about their first relationship, and "Now" reflects on that relationship and their reconciliation.
While the film's songs are new, there are some nods to the previous album, such as "Dear Ben, pt. II," the sequel to Then 's "Dear Ben."
Her previous relationships are mentioned.
In four minutes, J.Lo got married three times, as shown in the music video for the movie "Can't Get Enough." It reflects her love life and pays homage to her first three husbands Ojani Noah, Chris Judd and Marc Anthony. In the film, three relationships all end in similar ways (no spoilers here), forcing Lopez to examine her own journey of self-love.
Many guest stars
Yes, the random cast list in the trailer is completely accurate. Jane Fonda, Sofia Vergara, Keke Palmer, Trevor Noah, Post Malone, Fat Joe, Kim Petras, Jennifer Lewis, Neil deGrasse Tyson and Sadhguru are just some of the celebrities who made surprise appearances with Affleck. But I won't spoil their characters.
Hummingbirds are important
If you notice that J.Lo mentions hummingbirds a lot, there's a reason for that. She called them "messengers of love" in her "On the J.Lo" newsletter in December and even made them the theme of her and Affleck's first Christmas as a blended family. That love continues on This Is Me... Now , which includes a song called "Hummingbird," in which a real bird plays a key role in the story.
