Jersey Girl marks a low point for the tubby New Jersey auteur.
Jersey Girl (2004)
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Synopsis: Breaking from his signature slacker-underdog films like CLERKS, MALLRATS, and CHASING AMY, Kevin Smith delivers the feel-good family movie JERSEY GIRL. While Smith's pert one-liners and wryly ironic sense of humor are clearly present in the script, his casting choices (Jennifer Lopez... Breaking from his signature slacker-underdog films like CLERKS, MALLRATS, and CHASING AMY, Kevin Smith delivers the feel-good family movie JERSEY GIRL. While Smith's pert one-liners and wryly ironic sense of humor are clearly present in the script, his casting choices (Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck) and glossy aesthetic identify the film as a mainstream Hollywood crowd-pleaser. Affleck stars as Ollie, a powerful entertainment executive with a perfect wife (Lopez) and a beautiful Manhattan apartment. But when his wife dies in childbirth and his career fizzles to a halt, he humbly gives up his fast-paced Manhattan lifestyle for the benefit of his daughter Gurtie (Raquel Castro), who is 7 years old for the majority of the film. He moves to New Jersey to live with his father (George Carlin), finds a new romantic interest (Liv Tyler), and learns some lessons about what's important in life. A subplot about Will Smith keeps a string of Hollywood insider jokes and quick cameos (Matt Damon) running throughout the film, while a school play modeled after "Sweeney Todd" lends itself to some funny theatrical moments. An emotive pop soundtrack features music by Aimee Mann in addition to a handful of well-timed entries that help move the plot along ("Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" plays as Ollie sheepishly drives his U-Haul across the river from Manhattan to Jersey), rounding out JERSEY GIRL as a likeable comedy. Parents beware, Smith may have curbed his edginess for this one, but foul language abounds. [More]
Genre: Comedies
Starring: Ben Affleck, Raquel Castro, Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Jason Biggs
DVD Info
Release:
Jul 9, 2004
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Widescreen - 1.85
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Kevin Smith - Director, Scott Mosier - Producer, Ben Affleck - Star
- Featurettes - 1. Behind The Scenes Special
- 2. Kevin Smith's Roadside Attractions
- 3. A Conversation with Kevin Smith and Ben Affleck
Reviews
It’s every bit as enjoyable as [Smith's] previous attempts, but much more mature. Kevin Smith has grown up, and he’s grown-up well.
It’s a nicely acted, competently made ‘dramatic comedy’ that might disappoint rabid Smith fans but is still a cut above the average Hollywood sugar-fest. Worth seeing.
The 'grown-up' Kevin Smith exhibits greater ambition, but he's not quite so much fun.
The fact that Ben Affleck is required to emote should have been a warning sign to all involved with this project
Sometimes charming but frustratingly hackneyed exploration of the relationship between father and daughter.
Retains much of Smith's astute, irreverent dialog, but once the plot kicks in, it simply stops dead in its tracks.
The script stoops to cheap gags that undercut Affleck's efforts to sustain a believable character.
It takes more than a couple of dirty one-liners to retain your edge in light, predictable fare.
Affleck is at ease in this down-to-earth drama in a way that he never seems to be in his action movies, and Castro seems like a genuine child instead of like a child actor.
Smith reinvents the romantic-comedy by making a film about a man in love with his kid.
In several ways Jersey Girl is more appealing than Clerks or Mallrats.... Nonetheless, it lacks the smart observational-humor edge and often thoughtful boldness -- and, most frustratingly, the promise -- of Chasing Amy or Dogma.
This is a movie about growing up and taking responsibility for one's actions and Affleck does a wonderful job.
A romantic comedy seriously marred by a clunky plot and a couple of characters that are hard to sympathize with.
Jersey Girl emerges as Kevin Smith's most polished effort to date, but not his funniest.
People who find Smith's work too brazen or fringe will really fall for this picture, likewise those easily pleased by this genre will enjoy. Hardcore fans may be very upset by Smith doing something so ordinary and even mundane.
In a strange way, it's both the most mainstream and the most personal movie Smith has made to date.
Jersey Girl is like that new Liz Phair album ... it sometimes sounds unmistakably like Kevin Smith but you never quite believe he could be so platitudinous and predictable.
Even as the critic in me raged against the clichés, I found a big old lump in my throat and blinked back a few tears.
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