Jersey Girl (2004) Synopsis:
Ollie Trinke is at the top of his game. A smooth, Manhattan music publicist, Ollie has just married the love of his life and has a child on the way. It's a perfect lie that is tragically upended when he suddenly finds himself a single father unqualified for his new role. Before long Ollie's big city lifestyle clashes head on with fatherhood. After losing his job, he's forced to move back in with his father in the New Jersey suburb where he was raised. With the help of a beautiful young friend who opens him up to love again, and a daughter who gives him the courage to keep going, he begins to realize that sometimes, you have to forget about what you thought you were and just accept who you are.
Jersey Girl (2004) Movie Review:
nown mostly for his witty and extremely vulgar low budgeted comedies like Clerks, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, writer/director Kevin Smith takes a different turn with the warm sentimental tale Jersey Girl.
Due to the presence of Bennifer (Ben Affleck & Jennifer Lopez), speculation has hailed this film as a sequel to Gigli, Jersey Girl comes nowhere close to that expectation. Kevin Smith is too talented a writer to let that happen and though this film is nothing like he has done before, in a different tone his fingerprints are still all over it.
The story opens in 1994 where we meet top-notch New York publicist Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) falling head over heels for the beautiful Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez). After quickly marrying, the two learn that they will also soon be parents. Unfortunately tragedy ensues when Gertrude dies during giving birth to their daughter Gertie. Grief stricken and confused, Ollie ends up losing his job in New York and decides to resort back home to New Jersey with his candid city sweeping father (George Carlin). The film then moves forward years later, where Ollie now works the same job as his father and is raising his flamboyant seven-year-old daughter (Raquel Castro). Filled with desires of getting back into the publicity market in New York, Ollie attends continuos interviews only to be embarrassingly denied. Then one night while renting Gertie a video, Ollie meets a charming and intelligent graduate student named Maya (Liv Tyler). However, though everyone around him sees his blessedness, Ollie still yearns for his old life back in the city.
Filled with an ample amount of humor and heart, this film will keep audiences engrossed through its entirety, though there is some candor in it.
Being Smith’s most personal film, the realism of the father and child relationship between Ollie and Gertie as well as Bart and Ollie are the strength of the script. Audiences have all seen a story of this kind before, but the way Smith tells his version is enduring. There is also no presence of the ill-mannered Jay and Silent Bob, which is the first time in a film by Smith that his two icons have not appeared. On the other hand, there are amusing cameos by veteran Kevin Smith actors Matt Damon and Jason Lee. Also absent are drugs and continuos swearing, though this film presses its PG-13 limit with its language. The sense of Smith’s writing is present and his sequencing is more patient due to the type of story he is telling. The characters are likeable and the comedic deliveries are well staged. The film is not perfect; some of the outside factors are weary, such as many of the built up conflicts. Nevertheless, Jersey Girl represents effectively the type of story that Kevin Smith wanted to tell.
Ben Affleck is about as hard an actor to put a stamp on as it gets. In some films he is superb (Shakespeare in Love, Changing Lanes), while in others he is as lost as can be (Daredevil, Gigli). As Ollie, Affleck is wonderful in one of the best roles of his career. He just seems more in tune with this character and does not try to be bigger than the film; he finally lets the material be the focus. Affleck’s Armageddon co-star Liv Tyler is sweet in her supporting role as Maya. George Carlin is also stellar in his most lengthy film role as Bart, Ollie’s honest father. The scene-stealer of this film is young Raquel Castro, who is so cute and lovable as Gertie. In her first acting gig, Castro will win you over within her first few moments of screen time. The other half of Bennifer, Jennifer Lopez is only in the film for 15 minutes, but is sufficient in the small amount of time she has on the screen. There was actually a wedding scene involving Affleck and Lopez’s characters that Smith left on the editing room floor due to the media bizarre over their previous relationship and eventual breakup.
Smith has outspokenly stood up for this film and Affleck. He in fact offered giving back any moviegoer’s money if they did not like the film. It does seem like he won’t be giving too many refunds, because Jersey Girl is a pleasantly endearing film.
Our Rating: 
User Rating: 
Log in to rate this movie
Jersey Girl (2004) review written by: Bailey Henderson
7th September, 2008 
28th August 2008: George Clooney Up In The Air! 
