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Movie Review
Jersey Girl
By Lee Tistaert Published April 2, 2004
US Release: March 26, 2004
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Starring: Ben Affleck , Jennifer Lopez , Liv Tyler , George Carlin
PG-13
Running Time: 103 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $25,266,129
Directed by: Kevin Smith
Starring: Ben Affleck , Jennifer Lopez , Liv Tyler , George Carlin
PG-13
Running Time: 103 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $25,266,129
B-
38 of 120
For every time that I was on the verge of sighing over a recycled plot note, I was delighted that a different story component was handled rather intelligently.
I wasn?t sure if I was going to like Jersey Girl given the trailer?s promise of a predictable, cute film (a formula that I?m not always a fan of), but since there hasn?t been a Kevin Smith outing that I didn?t like, I had some faith.
This romantic comedy is an attempted turnaround for the careers of both Ben Affleck and Kevin Smith, as after the mess that the media created with Gigli (making a lot of people despise the names ?Affleck? and ?Lopez?), Jersey Girl is an attempt to right a wrong with a good-natured fable.
With this being his first PG-13 flick after ten years of making foul movies, Kevin Smith succeeds on some levels. While this flick is clich? and lacks an effective punch at times, Jersey Girl is a reasonably entertaining tale with solid chemistry amongst its quartet of actors. Coming from someone who hates the cuteness in Legally Blonde and other such chick flicks, I was able to tolerate the cute factor in Jersey Girl, mostly due to the performances.
And though this is PG-13, Smith includes touches of his foul signature (which works) while still maintaining a universally attractive, friendly tone. He doesn?t totally succeed in making a ?different? film in terms of the genre, but it is a very decent effort that boasts some impressive qualities.
Ben Affleck stars as Ollie Trinke, a New York publicist whose wife, Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez), is getting ready to have a baby. After Gertrude passes away after the delivery due to complications, Ollie names the baby girl Gertie (Racquel Castro) in memory of her mother. With Ollie?s father, Bart (George Carlin), available to help him raise the child, Ollie embarks on a parenting journey while struggling to continue the busy work life that he once loved.
Seven years later, Ollie meets a friendly video store clerk named Maya (Liv Tyler), who after realizing that he has been afar from dating since the tragedy, yearns to help him cope with his situation.
This story plays upon a formula we know very well, with the workaholic father having to decide what is most important in his life. This theme can be played to cheesy extents, like in Elf, but in that holiday comedy it was Will Ferrell?s charisma that made it a funny and entertaining flick.
Jersey Girl doesn?t have some of the laughs that Elf offered, but it has some well-delivered chuckles, and the relationships between its four primary actors are very realistic. For every time that I was on the verge of sighing over a recycled plot note, I was delighted that a different story component was handled rather intelligently. This almost made for a mediocre, hit-and-miss flick, but the chemistry between Affleck and Liv Tyler was executed very well, making me able to dismiss some of the story?s downers.
It?s also very hard not to be won over by the very young, new actress, Racquel Castro, who has an undeniable spark. And I?d bet that there?s a pretty good chance that after all the many candidates for the role, Kevin Smith probably cast her the first moment she spoke during the audition.
Jersey Girl isn?t as amusing as Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (though both earn the same grade from me), nor is it as well written as Clerks or Dogma, but it?s a trip down memory lane that does about what you expect it to do. For some people this movie is a trip to the theater that isn?t necessary; for others, it is mindless, but a fairly enjoyable, mindless experience.
This romantic comedy is an attempted turnaround for the careers of both Ben Affleck and Kevin Smith, as after the mess that the media created with Gigli (making a lot of people despise the names ?Affleck? and ?Lopez?), Jersey Girl is an attempt to right a wrong with a good-natured fable.
With this being his first PG-13 flick after ten years of making foul movies, Kevin Smith succeeds on some levels. While this flick is clich? and lacks an effective punch at times, Jersey Girl is a reasonably entertaining tale with solid chemistry amongst its quartet of actors. Coming from someone who hates the cuteness in Legally Blonde and other such chick flicks, I was able to tolerate the cute factor in Jersey Girl, mostly due to the performances.
And though this is PG-13, Smith includes touches of his foul signature (which works) while still maintaining a universally attractive, friendly tone. He doesn?t totally succeed in making a ?different? film in terms of the genre, but it is a very decent effort that boasts some impressive qualities.
Ben Affleck stars as Ollie Trinke, a New York publicist whose wife, Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez), is getting ready to have a baby. After Gertrude passes away after the delivery due to complications, Ollie names the baby girl Gertie (Racquel Castro) in memory of her mother. With Ollie?s father, Bart (George Carlin), available to help him raise the child, Ollie embarks on a parenting journey while struggling to continue the busy work life that he once loved.
Seven years later, Ollie meets a friendly video store clerk named Maya (Liv Tyler), who after realizing that he has been afar from dating since the tragedy, yearns to help him cope with his situation.
This story plays upon a formula we know very well, with the workaholic father having to decide what is most important in his life. This theme can be played to cheesy extents, like in Elf, but in that holiday comedy it was Will Ferrell?s charisma that made it a funny and entertaining flick.
Jersey Girl doesn?t have some of the laughs that Elf offered, but it has some well-delivered chuckles, and the relationships between its four primary actors are very realistic. For every time that I was on the verge of sighing over a recycled plot note, I was delighted that a different story component was handled rather intelligently. This almost made for a mediocre, hit-and-miss flick, but the chemistry between Affleck and Liv Tyler was executed very well, making me able to dismiss some of the story?s downers.
It?s also very hard not to be won over by the very young, new actress, Racquel Castro, who has an undeniable spark. And I?d bet that there?s a pretty good chance that after all the many candidates for the role, Kevin Smith probably cast her the first moment she spoke during the audition.
Jersey Girl isn?t as amusing as Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (though both earn the same grade from me), nor is it as well written as Clerks or Dogma, but it?s a trip down memory lane that does about what you expect it to do. For some people this movie is a trip to the theater that isn?t necessary; for others, it is mindless, but a fairly enjoyable, mindless experience.
Lee's Grade: B-
Ranked #38 of 120 between Friday Night Lights (#37) and Garden State (#39) for 2004 movies.
Ranked #38 of 120 between Friday Night Lights (#37) and Garden State (#39) for 2004 movies.
Lee's Overall Grading: 3025 graded movies
| A | 0.4% | |
| B | 30.0% | |
| C | 61.7% | |
| D | 8.0% | |
| F | 0.0% |
'Jersey Girl' Articles
- Interview w/ Kevin Smith
March 19, 2004 "We actually benefit from what happened with 'Gigli,' as it lowered expectations and people who have seen Jersey Girl actually like it." -- Gareth Von Kallenbach
