2008 Woodie Awards
Jersey Girl Goes All The Way
Briana Visone
Issue date: 4/7/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Kevin Smith recently released his sixth movie entitled Jersey Girl. This movie shies away from his other comedies and is the first to not include the famous Jay and Silent Bob. Jersey Girl is very funny but also has some very intense sad scenes, which pull at the heartstrings.
Ben Affleck stars as Ollie, a PR man who is famous in the music world. When he meets Gerdie (Jennifer Lopez) he falls head over heels in love. They marry and have a daughter; however, due to the stress on the body of having a child, Gerdie dies and leaves Ollie to raise a daughter alone. The stress of the loss of his wife causes Ollie to go over the edge. He ends up becoming famous for losing his job by making fun of Will Smith and telling reporters they are all idiots. So Ollie moves in with his father (George Carlin) and makes his living by driving a street sweeper. However Ollie is not happy with his life, he wants to go back to New York and do the job that he loves.
Ben Affleck gave a great performance. He was able to make the character of Ollie just mean enough that the audience would not hate him however sensitive enough to like him. Affleck also made the character loveable when spending time with his daughter. During the many emotional scenes Affleck is able to show the anguish of a man in pain.
Jennifer Lopez had a small part however she did a good job with the small role she was given. She helped to make some of the most memorable jokes in the movie by making fun of herself. Even if you do not want to like a performance by J.Lo you just cannot help but like character she creates.
George Carlin was as great as he always is. He created a character that was cynical but deep down a softy that wanted nothing more than to have his family around him. He was funny but also able to make those serious scenes intense.
Finally, Liv Tyler was the romantic interest. Her character was so different from Gerdie that Ollie was interested in her. Liv was outspoken, loud, and not afraid to be rude to people. She pulled the part off without a problem. She created the exact character that was needed and did so perfectly.
This movie diverges from the types of movies Kevin Smith has done in the past. While it had its funny moments, Jersey Girl probably had the same amount of serious scenes in it. Kevin Smith's writing was great. The sad moments throughout the movie were what made it stand out from his other movies. While not a romantic comedy, it has humor for the men while the women get to see a sensitive man express himself.
Many people who love Kevin Smith's past work may not like this movie. It is much more of a chick flick than a straight comedy. It has some great jokes similar to his past movies, however a serious, emotional scene will then follow. When seeing this movie do not expect another classic Kevin Smith film where Jay smokes up and makes some rude comment.
Overall this movie deserves three stars. The writing and the acting were great. The female audience will enjoy this movie more than the men. It is a movie with heart with classic jokes that will make you laugh.
Ben Affleck stars as Ollie, a PR man who is famous in the music world. When he meets Gerdie (Jennifer Lopez) he falls head over heels in love. They marry and have a daughter; however, due to the stress on the body of having a child, Gerdie dies and leaves Ollie to raise a daughter alone. The stress of the loss of his wife causes Ollie to go over the edge. He ends up becoming famous for losing his job by making fun of Will Smith and telling reporters they are all idiots. So Ollie moves in with his father (George Carlin) and makes his living by driving a street sweeper. However Ollie is not happy with his life, he wants to go back to New York and do the job that he loves.
Ben Affleck gave a great performance. He was able to make the character of Ollie just mean enough that the audience would not hate him however sensitive enough to like him. Affleck also made the character loveable when spending time with his daughter. During the many emotional scenes Affleck is able to show the anguish of a man in pain.
Jennifer Lopez had a small part however she did a good job with the small role she was given. She helped to make some of the most memorable jokes in the movie by making fun of herself. Even if you do not want to like a performance by J.Lo you just cannot help but like character she creates.
George Carlin was as great as he always is. He created a character that was cynical but deep down a softy that wanted nothing more than to have his family around him. He was funny but also able to make those serious scenes intense.
Finally, Liv Tyler was the romantic interest. Her character was so different from Gerdie that Ollie was interested in her. Liv was outspoken, loud, and not afraid to be rude to people. She pulled the part off without a problem. She created the exact character that was needed and did so perfectly.
This movie diverges from the types of movies Kevin Smith has done in the past. While it had its funny moments, Jersey Girl probably had the same amount of serious scenes in it. Kevin Smith's writing was great. The sad moments throughout the movie were what made it stand out from his other movies. While not a romantic comedy, it has humor for the men while the women get to see a sensitive man express himself.
Many people who love Kevin Smith's past work may not like this movie. It is much more of a chick flick than a straight comedy. It has some great jokes similar to his past movies, however a serious, emotional scene will then follow. When seeing this movie do not expect another classic Kevin Smith film where Jay smokes up and makes some rude comment.
Overall this movie deserves three stars. The writing and the acting were great. The female audience will enjoy this movie more than the men. It is a movie with heart with classic jokes that will make you laugh.