Jersey Girl Review
by Jerry Saravia (faust668 AT aol DOT com)January 25th, 2005
JERSEY GIRL (2004)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
RATING: Two stars and a half
Has director Kevin Smith gone soft on us? The king of "dick and fart jokes" has sold out to the corporate world of Miramax by making a film that is no different from the average romantic comedy? No, it is not so. Besides, unless you are unaware of Kevin Smith's work, he is revisiting the kinder, gentler workings of his inner "Chasing Amy."
Ben Affleck is Ollie Trinke, a hotheaded Manhattan publicist who is so cocksure of himself that he is certain Will Smith will never be a movie star and George Michael is definitely into women (the story begins in 1996). He is married to Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez), who is quite emotional since she is pregnant. The problem is that Ollie can't make it to the Lamaze classes on time - will he choose to work long hours or will he try to spend more time with his family? As you probably know, Gertrude dies in the first ten minutes of this film while giving birth to their baby daughter. To make matters worse, Ollie has lost his job after decrying the press and Will Smith's stature. So now Ollie and his daughter move into his dad's house in Highlands, New Jersey. Seven years pass, and now his daughter, Gertie (Raquel Castro), is a happy-go-lucky kid in Catholic school. Ollie now works for the public works department, along with his dad, Bart (played as straight-as-an-arrow by George Carlin). Ollie still dreams of working as a publicist, and continues attending interviews only to be rejected. His life changes when he meets a cute-as-a-button video store clerk, Maya (Liv Tyler), who is doing research for a pornography study.
Okay, don't get me started. This does not sound like Kevin Smith material at all. No kidding. And yet, it is a personal story for writer-director Smith who has been raising his own daughter, Harley Quinn (who I think shows up in a cameo). Even though this is the View Askew Universe to some degree, there is no Jay or Silent Bob on display here. No Quik Stop cameo, no nothing. Only Jason Lee and Matt Damon have brief funny cameos. This is the adult Kevin Smith, the man who gave us one of the best romantic comedies of the 90's, "Chasing Amy." Is this film as good? Not quite, but no failure either.
My main problem with "Jersey Girl" is that it aims for well-traveled cliches and an incessant cuteness that is more harmful than disarming. That is not to say that every scene is forced or too cutesy, but its level of occasional cuteness is not what I would expect from Smith. A highly contrived finale involving a school play version of "Sweeney Todd" and an aghast audience is pushing the limits of cuteness, even for Smith. The movie follows the traditional formula of how a dad learns to love his kid and spend time with her, as opposed to being sucked up by the corporate world of media publicity (Living in Manhattan is seen as a sin as opposed to the suburbs of Jersey). This is tired nonsense that has more resonance in Hallmark television, not in a Kevin Smith flick. I mean, we are talking about a director whose first film, "Clerks," was so potty-mouthed that it almost earned an NC-17 rating.
And yet, there are pluses to "Jersey Girl." Jennifer Lopez, in an opening sequence I call "Jennifer Lopez Dies in the First Ten Minutes," is quite lovely and understated, showing how her daughter will acquire her mother's personality. Ben Affleck finally gives us a nicely modulated, restrained performance as Ollie (though his crying is a bit overdone). I also like Raquel Castro as Gertie, the girl who loves "Dirty Dancing" and the musical "Cats" (though these jokes get old). There is also George Carlin, once again dialing down his persona for some humorous moments. Liv Tyler is stunning in every way as Maya - I like her smiles preceded by shrugging her shoulders. Still, Tyler is underused, and one wishes she had more to say and do. Mr. Kevin Smith, please work with Liv Tyler again and make her the star of your next film.
There are admirable qualities to "Jersey Girl." The film is often quite funny and the performances are engaging. I just sense that the real Kevin Smith was dialing himself down for a PG-13 rating in order to be more accessible. I still love the raunchy Smith who chased Amy and cavorted with the likes of Jay and Silent Bob, but that is just me.
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