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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board  /  Movie, Television and DVD Reviews  /  Jersey Girl
Posted by: andres999, March 28th, 2004, 12:06am
The other movie I have been waiting to see in March is Jersey Girl.  From the getgo I was not particularly excited to see a Kevin Smith movie without Jason Mewes, Silent Bob, or an R rating.  The whole Bennifer thing never bothered me, but the storyline (about a single dad raising a little girl) did not strike me as great or very original. 

The movie started out OK, with a humorous bit involving kids' tales about their parents, and then spends another 15 minutes focused on Bennifer.  Nothing exciting.  Then most of the rest of the movie focused on Affleck and his kid.  None of this was particularly funny to me, but I am just not one for "family comedies" as this movie has turned out to be.  To me the best actors in the movie were the kid, the pie fucker (Jason Biggs), and some of the funny cameos.  George Carlin was wasted, Liv Tyler seemed robotic, and Affleck didn't really pull off his obligatory Chasing Amy speech (he doesn't seem quite as emotional or realistic).

Overall, not too disappointing, but this just doesn't do anything for me.  Go see Eternal Sunshine, or better yet go watch Chasing Amy if you're in the Kevin Smith mood.
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, March 28th, 2004, 12:28am; Reply: 1
You can't expect Kevin Smith to run with Jay and Silent Bob forever, plus he said after Strikes Back there done with that franchise. I seen Dogma the other day now that ego of Ben Affleck and his thoughts of himself as funny are funny in themselves
Posted by: andres999, March 28th, 2004, 8:59am; Reply: 2
Actually, I don't really want to see any more Jay and Silent Bob.  But I would like to see someone in his movies that can be as funny as Jay in a different way.  Plus, Smith needs to get a different leading man.  I think Jason Biggs would be good at that.  The person that could have helped Jersey Girl was Jason Lee.  He should have been in it for more than a cameo!  I'm not particularly excited about his upcoming movies, like the Green Hornet, either.  Comic book movies should be banned, Spiderman was the only half-way decent one.
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, March 28th, 2004, 2:12pm; Reply: 3
Jason Lee reminds me of a Jim Carrey or The guy who played in Van Wilder and is dating Alanis, Ryan something

He just has there vibe if you're thinking of the guy who played the demon in Dogma Jason lee

Ben Affleck is a good action actor but comedy he's just not that funny and somehow he got the idea that he was.
Posted by: Rob S., March 29th, 2004, 11:15pm; Reply: 4
First Gigli, now this?  Ben Affleck needs to be more selective of the films he signs on to. 

Now, Ben.  Listen to me carefully.  I'm trying to help you.  Pay attention.  Comedy, you stay away.  That's not your thing.  You need serious roles.  You know, action.  Stuff like that.  But no comedy.  I'm more funny than you and I can't even make myself laugh.
Posted by: R.E._Freak (Guest), March 30th, 2004, 12:31pm; Reply: 5
I read somewhere that he said he wasn't going to do action anymore because it doesn't interest him.

Shh! What's that? Do I hear the sound of his career ship sinking?
Posted by: AmericanSyCo (Guest), March 30th, 2004, 3:04pm; Reply: 6
WHAT?  But "Daredevil" and "Paycheck" where so awesome!  Oh, and let us not forget "Phantoms" or "Reindeer Games!"

*COUGH*
Sarcasm
*COUGH*
Posted by: marshallamps12 (Guest), March 30th, 2004, 3:33pm; Reply: 7
"Yeah, but Affleck was the man in 'Phantoms'." hahaaha
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, March 30th, 2004, 3:49pm; Reply: 8
Ever since Bennifer his career and hers has kind of become a punchline for everyones joke, I think he's funny when he doesn't try so hard and he tries to hard and doesn't like to read what's on the page and does improv

But the only time any actor like him is funny is when they swear and I have no clue why, in Dogma the scene where Ben and Matt are in that board room and talk about there personal lives that is funny because it's Kevin Smith not Ben Affleck

Well not funny but it works
Posted by: R.E._Freak (Guest), March 30th, 2004, 4:01pm; Reply: 9
The only Ben Affleck joke I've ever laughed at was in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

'I mean, a Jay and Silent Bob movie? Who'd pay to see that?'

I loose it every time he says that line for some reason.
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, March 30th, 2004, 4:57pm; Reply: 10
Plus they look at you in the camera, I forgot The Sum Of All Fears that's a great movie for some reason
Posted by: R.E._Freak (Guest), March 30th, 2004, 9:19pm; Reply: 11
They do that quite a bit, it's hilarious.
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, March 31st, 2004, 5:51pm; Reply: 12
Yeah eventhough that kind of makes the movie less of an adventure and more of a crap factory of laughs it still gets me everytime they look in the camera
Posted by: FSKessler, April 2nd, 2004, 3:33am; Reply: 13
Kevin Smith hasn't made a good movie since MALLRATS. Chasing Amy was bulllshit...lesbians don't just flip because a "hot guy" suddenly appears. Dogma has terrible dialogue. The entire film is a self-important piece of shit, and Jay And Silent Bob Strikes Back is just...crap. I know it's popular with high school kids, but it doesn't change the fact that it's just fucking childish and stupid. Jersey Girl holds no interest for me. 

I do agree that Jason Lee is hysterical and the only reason to watch Smith's overhyped movies.
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, April 2nd, 2004, 1:07pm; Reply: 14
Jealous? Because they can get the money to make movies and you can't?
Sounds like you're a little bitter, even if there horribly bad screenplays they still got the money to be made
Posted by: FSKessler, April 2nd, 2004, 2:18pm; Reply: 15
Jealous? No. I just think his movies are shit. "Getting money" doesn't mean your work is good. Ask Ron Jeremy.
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, April 2nd, 2004, 2:37pm; Reply: 16
I was just playing around, I know you're not jealous because you're you and he's himself

When writer's start becoming jealous of other writers than we're no better than actors and musicians, might as well start dressing dirty and be called a slut for no reason other than hollywood needs that kind of crap in there lives I guess

Posted by: FSKessler, April 2nd, 2004, 2:39pm; Reply: 17
No doubt. There are a lot of people who get paid to produce useless shit. I don't wanna be one of those people, but for those who can get away with it, more power to 'em.
Posted by: Old Time Wesley, April 2nd, 2004, 6:00pm; Reply: 18
yeah I wouldn't want to be one of them either, but if I start aging and still go nowhere I'll just keep writing as a hobby
Posted by: clever_name, September 16th, 2004, 9:09pm; Reply: 19
Jersey Girl

*another way late review, but I just watched the DVD so why not?*

Kevin Smith trademarks:
1. Dick and fart jokes - none
2. Cursing to the umpteenth degree - nadda
3. Pop culture disection - no sir
4. Jay and Silent Bob - not here

So can Kevin Smith make a movie without these old traits to fall back on?  I say, you bet your motherf***ing c***smocking a** he can... snoogans.

This sixth film from Kevin Smith was a soft and sweet departure from his previous films, but it reallly worked for me.  The movie was brimming with heart, chuckles and charm.

Ben Affleck gives a tour de force performance as Ollie Trinke, a workaholic publicist, who if left to raise his daughter by himself after his wife (played by Jennifer Lopez) dies in childbirth.  Raquel Castro plays his daughter Gertrude, and is absolutely adorable in the role.  George Carlin plays Ollie's father and had this nasty tendancy to steal every scene he was in, but hell the man was Mr. Conductor.  And Liv Tyler plays Ollie's love interest, and while she doesn't exactly bring the thunder, she's adequate. ...oh yeah Jason Biggs in there too.

I was fond of the entire movie, because, although he may have lost Jay and Bob, Kevin Smith hasn't lost his sense of humor.  The movie is cute without being TOO cute.  It's sentimental without going way over the top.  It has a little trouble avoiding cliches, but Smith has a way to even make the cliched scenes have their own charms.

All around it was another solid effort from Smith, and it might not be on par with Clerks or Chasing Amy, he's proven he can make a film that you wouldn't be embarassed to show your parents and is great at the same time.

**** (out of 5)
GQ
Posted by: KenneyP, September 25th, 2004, 5:19pm; Reply: 20
I loved this movie, really, I think it's Smith's best, but that's just my opinion.
All the drama, no lame jokes, no silent bob and shit, liv tyler, can you make this any better?
I especially liked the ending scene, where the dad almost made me cry, so good.
Posted by: Chris_MacGuffin, November 16th, 2004, 9:20pm; Reply: 21
This isn't one of Kevin Smith's better films, it was well written and acted, although at times it got a little too sentimental and cliched for my liking.

**1/2
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