Jersey Girl is a movie that I had not seen until recently. I have always been a fan of Kevin Smith as a director, and I also think Ben Affleck is a sorely under-rated and under-appreciated actor, so I was very much looking forward to watching it. I cannot express how pleasantly shocked I was to discover how much heart this movie has. This film is absolutely delightful.
Jersey Girl is the story of a publicist whos' life gets turned upside-down after a personal tragedy. This film shows us that Kevin Smith is not just a filmmaker who makes raunchy comedies. He can tell stories with real heart and emotion. Personally, as much as I love his comedies, I wish he did more films like this. This film also sends a profound message to anyone that feels conflicted about whether or not they are doing a good job with balancing their career with their personal life. It does not matter how important your career is to you. It does not matter how important your personal goals are to you. What matters is being there for your family, and if you cannot do that, then you need to do something about it. It is this overall theme of the film that had a strong affect on me, as it is something that I struggle with every day. Thank you, Kevin Smith, for giving me a cinematic boot up the ass. I just have one minor issue with the film. There is a scene where Ollie goes off on Gertie, and then Bart ridicules him for it. I would have liked to see a scene between Ollie and Maya take place after this where they argue about his behavior, and then she leaves. I think this would have added more depth to their relationship. Other than that, I adore this film.
Ben Affleck plays Ollie Trinke. What makes this movie so remarkable is Ollie's character arc in the film. Ollie starts out as being quite an unlikeable guy and then, through a series of life lessons thanks to his father Bart (George Carlin) and his friend Maya (Liv Tyler), realizes his mistakes and learns from them. This is a staggering performance by Affleck who serviceably displays a wide range of emotions. The scene where Ollie tells his baby daughter Gertie (Raquel Castro) that he misses his wife (Jennifer Lopez) is quite well-acted. He also has great chemistry with Carlin and Tyler, which adds to the enjoyment of the film. To anyone who does not think Ben Affleck is a good actor, I encourage you to watch some of Kevin Smiths' films.
Liv Tyler plays Maya. I love Tylers' performance so much because she displays a wit and a sense of humor that we have not seen in previous films. Her banter with Affleck adds levity to the film, but she is also a crucial character to the story. I actually like that, at the end of the movie, we are not sure if Maya and Ollie get together. I think that would have been incredibly cliche. This is such a charming performance by Tyler. I think every man should have a friend like Maya in their lives.
In a show-stealing performance, George Carlin plays Bart Trinke. Bart is a man who has, naturally, been through it all in his life. While he is always there to support his son, he is also not afraid to give him tough love and openly criticize him of his behavior. Carlin chews up every scene and every bit of dialogue, as only he can. This is one of those performances that really makes you miss him because it feels so genuine.
Jason Biggs plays Arthur Brickman. While Biggs appearance in the film is brief, the character of Arthur is an important one. Arthur is always there for Ollie in his time of need, and he is also the guy who sees potential in Ollie. Even though Ollie has been somewhat of a jerk in the past, Arthur is always there to lend a helpful hand. I like the fact that Biggs goes against type with this role, and quite honestly I would like to see him do more dramatic work. Again, this is a character that resonated with me because there have been a number of people in my life that hung around with me even though I was not the most popular guy. The character of Arthur helped me realize that it is those kinds of people that you want to keep around.
Kevin Smith is the director of Jersey Girl. I love that a majority of this story takes place at Barts' home outside of the city because it shows that Smith can tell a good story in a tight-knit space. Do not get me wrong, the rest of the film is quite enjoyable, but there is something special about these scenes that hearken back to Smiths' early days of making movies. There is also a scene towards the beginning of the movie that shows that the ending of one life is also the beginning of another. This is quite an emotional and powerful scene, and it shows that Smith understands the depths of human emotion. Each character and their role is also clearly defined, and that is due to Smiths' wonderful writing. It is a shame that Smith does not get more credit for his dramatic work because I think he is brilliant.
I have quite a hard time deciding what my personal favorite Kevin Smith film is. I know that I would put Jersey Girl right up there with Chasing Amy. So, I would say that if you enjoyed that film you will most likely enjoy this one.
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