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344 comments in total

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77 out of 107 people found the following comment useful :-
I left this on the shelf far too long, 27 October 2004

Author: Damien Laughton from Coventry, England

So after reading many a disconsolate review from Kevin Smith fans I decided to purchase the DVD anyway. Yet all the negative comments had left their toll on me and the DVD stayed on the shelf in its shrink wrapper for FAR TOO LONG. You motor heads! Yes this movie is sweet and yes it's sometimes even sickly but it's endearing and moving. Ben Athleck switches in and out of competence a few too many times to make his performance IMO a completely solid one but frankly he does a good job of holding all the disparate threads of the movie together.

If you want to live in 1994 dick & fart jokes then simply put Clerks in the DVD player and play it again! However each of Kevin's films go someway in their own right into the exploration of inter-personal relationships and the impact of consequence in our daily lives. Jersey Girl is no different in this respect than Clerks.

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52 out of 64 people found the following comment useful :-
Very Sweet Movie, 26 September 2005

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In New York, the young executive Oliver "Ollie" Trinke (Ben Affleck) is a successful PR of the music industry. He meets and falls in love for Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez), who soon gets pregnant. However, she dies in the childbirth and Ollie decides to return to his father's home in New Jersey. Pressed by the situation of lonely father, the workaholic Ollie blows-up in an important press conference and makes a fatal statement, losing his job and becoming blacklisted in his publicist career. He promises to be the "best father in the world" to the young Gertie, and stays single, grieving his beloved wife, without dating any woman for seven years and trying to retrieve a position of public relation. One day, he meets the rental clerk Maya (Liv Tyler), they become friends and she helps him to supersede his past life.

"Jersey Girl" is a very sweet movie about family, and honestly I could never expect such sensitive story from Kevin Smith. I like his work a lot, and I have all his movies in my collection. "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy" are amazing, and I must confess that I was tired of "Jay and Silent Bob". The shift in his career could not be better. The story is great and very well balanced with drama, comedy and romance. Liv Tyler is fantastic, showing a great chemistry with Ben Affleck. George Carlin is great, without being corny, in the role of Bart Trinke. But the girl Raquel Castro is stunning: very bright and smart, she steals all the scenes and seems to be a future star. I really loved this movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Menina dos Olhos" ("Apple of the Eyes" – meaning something very dear")

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57 out of 82 people found the following comment useful :-
The Other Kevin Smith - who is all the same despite all, 14 November 2004

Author: sixstring-1 (sixstring@mailbox.hu) from Budapest EU/Hungary

I'm certain that if I had been Kevin Smith, approached by Miramax with this idea and screenplay, I would definitely have turned it down.

Maybe that's exactly why he had chosen to do it. And what a wise decision it was indeed... The movie didn't promise much judging it by the trailers, but in the end, I was quite satisfied with it when I finally saw it. I'm sure, that an average, or below-the-average Hollywood director would have made it into a blunt, silly, sentimental, and instantly forgettable, "soap-bubble-like" movie. But not Smith... There were many, many crucial points along the storyline that just called and yelled for directors to commit fatal errors... Smith had succeeded to avoid these errors, creating a really enjoyable, lovable, deeply emotional and yet funny piece of work. But still... this isn't the Kevin Smith that I admire so much. I believe that with "Dogma" he created a milestone in American film-making, by daring to speak fiercely openly and frankly about very delicate issues. I missed this part of him from "Jersey Girl" - but there was no room for it because of the plot.

With "Jersey Girl" he had showed more real emotions than he ever did in all of his works. He had proved himself an expert of human emotions. He showed the audience that he really understands about deep feelings, love, loss, family ties, ambition...

The only thing this film is lacking is really great acting. None of the actors gave bad performances, not by long shot, but still... there could have been some more... especially from Affleck. Tyler gave a surprisingly fresh, and believable performance, showing some real theatrical talents in the scene when she performs in Gertie's 'musical'.

The unavoidable Star Wars jokes, and celebrity "nose-pricks" are present of course, maintaining the overall "Smith-feel" to the movie. To be adequate, I quote Darth Vader: "Impressive... Most impressive."

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48 out of 69 people found the following comment useful :-
This Jersey Girl Is a Great Date, 17 March 2004
Author: Paul Katz (pianoplayinpaulie@yahoo.com) from Los Angeles

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

OK, how obvious is my title? :)

Kevin Smith is a writer I admire tremendously. He has an uncanny ability to capture the way people speak in reality; not just in movie screenplay structure.

*Jersey Girl* is a real step forward for Kevin Smith. He returns to screens with a mature and funny film about a man learning to be a father. The style here is more aligned with Smith's terrific *Chasing Amy* than *Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.*

Ben Affleck is Ollie, a hot shot New York publicist with everything going for him. As the movie opens, he and his girlfriend Gertie (Jennifer Lopez) meet, get engaged and married and expect their first child together.

Then the unexpected happens: Gertie dies in childbirth and Ollie is left with his infant daughter. Mired in his own grief, he essentially ignores his child for the first month, leaving the baby care-taking to his Pop (played by George Carlin). A crisis moment comes where he's forced to handle both his career and his child at the same time, and it doesn't go well.

Flash forward six years and Ollie seems to have adjusted to a different life in a small New Jersey town. He absolutely adores his daughter, who is named for her mother. A young woman who works at a video store (Liv Tyler) enters their lives in an unusual way and the movie becomes an exploration of the push/pull between what someone wants for themselves and what they should do to meet the needs of others.

Two things could have happened with a movie like this. One is that it would be about how Affleck's character falls in love with the quirky video store girl and Gertie has to cope with the new woman in daddy's life. Two, the movie would be filled with cutesy "kid" moments that are meant for nothing more than easy smiles.

Neither of those things happen. Of course the little girl is cute, but there is substance behind it. The way Ollie and Gertie communicate with each other is very realistic and in many moments, fraught with tension that works. As far as the stuff with Tyler's character, the script doesn't persue a standard 'romantic comedy' courtship between the two. Instead, everything is repressed and tentative. Affleck's and Tyler's characters basically duck around their feelings for the whole thing.

Both of these directions were completely refreshing and as a result, the movie didn't feel so "standard."

I was happy to walk out of *Jersey Girl* feeling like the stuff that the press shoved down our throats regarding Ben Affleck is gone. This movie wipes that away, even though Lopez is in the movie for the first ten minutes. Ben Affleck's career will definitely survive the overexposure he's had, and this movie is the first step in ensuring that. It reinforces that he is a good actor, not just the latest dude to be dating the industry's latest hot chick.

George Carlin reigns in the schtick and gets to play a really solid character. Sure, he has some quips here and there, but he fills the role of loving "pop" quite well. Also of wonderful surprise is Liv Tyler, who is light and bouncy as Affleck's love interest. I found her performance really intriguing, especially since she is able to speak the lines of the character through her mouth, but have her eyes communicate something totally different at the same time.

Smith makes excellent use of music in this film. One scene in particular where Stevie Nicks' heartbreaking "Landslide" plays nearly had me in tears. And who would have thought anyone would be able to use a rather dark Sondheim musical to such greatly comic, and not too over the top, advantage.

There is also a scene in the film that contains one of the most natural exchanges of dialogue I've seen in a film. In a conversation between two fathers, Smith manages to make it seem as though two actors are speaking as themselves. It's a fantastic scene.

*Jersey Girl* is another reminder of how much I appreciate Kevin Smith. If you're looking for a sweet and charming time at the movies this spring, so far, *Jersey Girl* is a great bet.

Paul Katz

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22 out of 29 people found the following comment useful :-
A new direction for Smith., 29 March 2004

Author: Aragorn1683 from SC, USA

Overall this was a good, heartwarming and funny film from Kevin Smith, much different than his previous Jersey flicks. In typical Smith fashion, Affleck stars with cameos by Jason Lee and Matt Damon, and when Affleck's daughter wants to do a musical for her school talent show, she doesn't choose something sweet and simple, but a song from Sweeney Todd.

There are some cliched moments, such as Affleck being torn between a job interview and going to his daughter's talent show, and of course choosing the talent show and staying in NJ, but this was a pretty good film. Don't expect Jason Mewes and his homously foul mouth to be popping up anywhere, just expect to be pleased with Smith's ability to embrace the mainstream while playing fast and loose with the rules.

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23 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Most Heartfelt from Kevin Smith, 13 November 2004

Author: Anthony Cristo (anthonycristo@sbcglobal.net) from Hollywood, California

This is without any doubt my favorite Kevin Smith film. Unlike his other brilliant comedies this is a story that is truly written from the heart. It has a lot of warmth and pain mixed in with a complex story of a man coming to terms with his fatherhood. The fact that he dedicated the film to his late father shows this to be a film maker working through the loss of an important figure in his life. George Carlin gives a stand out performance as Ben Affleck's father and Ben Affleck gives a stellar performance of a man that comes to terms with the life he has instead of the life he (thinks) he wants. This film still has the same witty humor like any good Kevin Smith film does but it is undercut by the seriousness of the relationship between a child and their parent. Whether it is Ben's relationship with his father or his relationship as a father to his adorable daughter. The only criticism I had was that Ben could not bring himself to cry at a key moment in the film. Other than that, his and everyone else's performances were outstanding. Kevin Smith deserves much credit for revealing so much about himself in this film.

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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
I loved it, 6 December 2006

Author: mblotd from United States

I find ironic that people who enjoyed Kevin Smith's other movies hated this one. That right there pretty much explains most of the haters (i.e. those recommending Mallrats and JSB over this). I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I was laughing my ass during most of it. I am obviously not an actor, but I didn't find any problems with the acting or the dialogue. It sounded real and believable. Sure, there may moments that are corny or make you want to wince, but every movie has moments like that. Raquel Castro and Liv Tyler really stole the show, George Carlin had just the right pizzaz as a crusty old Pop, and some of us can relate to Ben Affleck's character.

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17 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
Enjoyable Even If Its Not Original, 27 May 2005

Author: christian123

Jersey Girl is an enjoyable film to watch, even if it is a little derivative. Ben Affleck plays Ollie Trinke, a Manhattan music publicist whose life is turned upside down when his pregnant wife (Jennifer Lopez) dies in childbirth, leaving him a single father. Moving to his father's house in a Jersey suburb, Ollie and his daughter Gertie try to get accustomed to the new lifestyle as Ollie meets a local woman (Liv Tyler) who helps change his look on life. The plot is nothing new but the film is still pretty good. I thought this film was going to be really bad but I was surprised. Its not an Oscar quality film, its just a nice to film to watch if you have nothing better to do. Ben Affleck's performance was actually not bad and its watch able. Liv Tyler performance was very good and she really showed she has some talent. Raquel Castro plays Gertie and she does an alright job but she is no Dakota Fanning. Jason Biggs has a very small role and he does a decent job. Jennifer Lopez isn't in the film for very long, which is good as her performance isn't very good. Matt Damon and Jason Lee both have cameos. Kevin Smith tries a new type of film and he does a good job. The only problem I had with Jersey Girl was that it wasn't very original. Most of the dialog had been used in previous films like Kramer vs. Kramer. The story is good even if it is a little unrealistic and unoriginal. The running time is only 102 minutes long so unless you really hate Affleck, its not too much of a pain to watch. The film is also very predictable so its disappointing that Kevin Smith didn't try something new. There are a lot of funny moments as well as sad moments that may get to you. In the end, this is a predictable, safe film to watch and one that can easily be enjoyed. Rating 7/10, worth checking out.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Surprisingly good!, 24 May 2008

Author: Kristine (kristinedrama14@msn.com) from Chicago, Illinois

I remember back in the day when Jersey Girl came out and it was right around the time the "Bennifer" days were coming to an end and we just suffered the mass bomb that was "Gigli". Many were calling this movie "Gigli 2", I just couldn't believe they would put Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck together in a film again after all the innocent bystanders had to put up with, but they did. But I don't know why, maybe because it's already 4 years later after all that craziness, I decided to go ahead and rent Jersey Girl and just see what it was about. I watched it last night and I couldn't believe my eyes, I actually liked this movie. It wasn't your typical romantic comedy, it was something different and really enjoyable. Kevin Smith, who is more famous for Clerks, made a funny and genuinely good film that anyone can enjoy.

Gertie Trinke is a little girl who is telling her story about her family and how they came to be. Her father, Ollie, was once a successful man in New York who was the publicity for famous musicians. But when his wife Gertrude dies in childbirth with their daughter, Ollie has to learn to grow up, but he looses his job after calling Will Smith a no body who won't get another movie. So Ollie and his dad raise Gertie, who teaches Ollie that there's more to life than just the riches.

Jersey Girl is a good film, I don't know why anyone would say that this is a bad film, I understand people not liking it, but the story was very decent and the acting was I'd say above average. One of the things I loved was that the story was very human, the little girl who played Gertie, Raquel Castro, was perfect for the role and didn't over do anything or made her character annoying. Ben Affleck, who I normally cannot watch in a movie was very good in Jersey Girl, his little talk with his infant girl about loosing his wife was touching. Maybe because I'm a girl or something, maybe that's why I loved the film, but I just thought it was good and I do recommend it.

7/10

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Review the movie for what it is, not for what Smith and Affleck have done previously., 30 March 2004
Author: superscal23 from United States

Jersey Girl is an average, mildy entertaining romantic comedy. Ben Affleck's performance is just fine as both a slick record executive, and a sentimental single father. Jennifer Lopez is good as Affleck's wife. Her death is still emotional even though we all knew it was coming. Raquel Castro is remarkably unannoying as the daughter. Like many, I tend to find supposedly cute kids more annoying than cute. Raquel Castro manages to give a real performance even though some of her reactions are clearly forced.

Even though I found the acting okay overall, there was one scene I just could not stand. Does there have to be scene in every movie with kids where they tell a parent "I hate you?" As Roger Ebert pointed out, Jersey Girl includes a parent rushing to a school play, and a slow clap, but neither are as bad a movie cliche as a kid screaming "I hate you" while a bad 80's ballad begins to play.

That brings me to my next point about Jersey Girl. The songs just overtake the entire story. There's actually one point in the movie where a song is playing...the song stops...Affleck has an emotional moment with the kid...the same song starts over again. The dialogue gets in the way of the song. If Kevin Smith is such a great writer, then he needs to let his words explain the movie, not a group of bad songs.

That being said, I did enjoy this movie overall. Affleck and George Carlin have some funny moments with and without the daughter. The two guys who are not Gertie's uncles are funny. I particularly enjoyed the "cameo" from Will Smith. I hesitate to call it a cameo even though he is only in one scene. In this one scene, The Fresh Prince sets Affleck straight and basically sets up the resolution of the movie.

After seeing Jersey Girl, I tried to think of what this movie would have been without all the Bennifer hype. I think they would have marketed the movie completely differently, and it would have been downright shocking when J-Lo died and didn't appear again in the movie. Imagine the heads turning in the theater as people think "what, she's dead?" I'm sure this was Smith's intention when they started casting and shooting the movie. Seeing him on talk shows, you can see through his joking that he was upset about being forced to edit the movie based on the media blitz.

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