Jersey Girl

Plot synopsis:
New York City, 1995. Oliver "Ollie" Trinké (Ben Affleck) is a powerful media publicist who meets and quickly marries an attractive young Latina woman named Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez) and they are both very happy together. After about six or seven months, Gertrude discovers that she is pregnant, but Ollie, obsessed with his publicity work, neglects her in favor of his job and doesn't lighten his workload. On her due date, Gertrude does go into labor and Ollie forces himself to leave his office to be at the the hospital with her, but tragedy strikes when Gertrude dies from internal bleeding during childbirth.To avoid his grief, Ollie buries himself in his work and spends long hours (day and night) at the office denying he is feeling any grief and ignores his newborn daughter, Gertie, while his widowed father, Bart (George Carlin), takes a month off from work at the Jersey City Sanitation Crew to care for her, but returns so that his son is forced to live up to his responsibility as a parent. Ollie is forced to take his baby daughter to work with him just when he must address a group of reporters. Under the stress of a botched diaper change and a baby who will not stop crying, Ollie trashes his latest client Will Smith, (who is late showing up for his soon-to-be released film Independence Day) in front of a large group of assembled reporters. The outburst costs him his job, so he moves out of New York and in with his father in New Jersey. He eventually apologizes for ignoring his daughter, and attributes his public outburst to his grief.Seven years later in 2003, Ollie is still living in New Jersey with his father, Bart, and seven-year-old Gertie (Raquel Castro). When he goes to apply for a job at a local publcity firm, he finds that he is still blacklisted by all of New York's public relations firms who refuse to hire him despite his impressive job resume. Ollie has been forced to work as a civil servant in the Jersey City borough where he now lives (working as a garbage collector) alongside his father. Gertie, now in elementary school, often coaxes him to rent movies to watch as spending quality time together. At the video store, they meet Maya (Liv Tyler), one of the store's clerks, whose uninhibited probing into Ollie's love life almost leads to them having casual sex. She soon becomes a part of their lives.As part of his job in the borough, Ollie speaks to a group of outraged citizens to win over their approval for a major public works project that will temporarily close a street in the neighborhood. His successful and enjoyable interaction with the crowd leads him to realize how much he misses the public relations work. He contacts Arthur (Jason Biggs), his one-time protégé, who sets up a promising interview at a promising firm who agree to meet with him.The prospect of moving to New York creates tension among Ollie, Gertie, Bart, and Maya, especially when he says that his interview is on the same day as Gertie's school talent show. She yells at him, saying she hates him and that she wishes he had died instead of her mom. He claims he hates her right back, and says she and Gertrude took his life away and he just wants it back. He immediately regrets it and tries to apologize, but the damage is done and she pushes him away and runs to her room, crying.A few days later he and Gertie apologize, and she accepts the fact that they will be moving to New York. While waiting to be interviewed at the office, he has a chance encounter with Will Smith (playing himself), the man he trashed at his public outburst years before. Smith has no idea who Ollie is, but their conversation about work and children makes him decide to sacrifice the former for the latter.Ollie walks out of the office before he is interviewed and so is able to make it to Gertie's Sweeney Todd performance at the last moment. The film ends with him, Gertie, Bart, Maya, and the rest celebrating at the bar. He and Maya hint at possible feelings for each other before being interrupted by Gertie. He holds her and says that they are staying in New Jersey with Bart because he did not take the job in New York. She asks why he did so if he loved it so much. He says that he thought he did, but he loved his new life more because being a father to her was the only thing that he was ever really good at.

Tags: comedy, dramatic, cult, cute, psychedelic, romantic

Review:
Many were calling this movie "Gigli 2", I just couldn't believe they would put Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck together in a film again after all the innocent bystanders had to put up with, but they did.
Kevin Smith, who is more famous for Clerks, made a funny and genuinely good film that anyone can enjoy.Gertie Trinke is a little girl who is telling her story about her family and how they came to be.
But when his wife Gertrude dies in childbirth with their daughter, Ollie has to learn to grow up, but he looses his job after calling Will Smith a no body who won't get another movie.
So Ollie and his dad raise Gertie, who teaches Ollie that there's more to life than just the riches.Jersey Girl is a good film, I don't know why anyone would say that this is a bad film, I understand people not liking it, but the story was very decent and the acting was I'd say above average.
One of the things I loved was that the story was very human, the little girl who played Gertie, Raquel Castro, was perfect for the role and didn't over do anything or made her character annoying.
Ben Affleck, who I normally cannot watch in a movie was very good in Jersey Girl, his little talk with his infant girl about loosing his wife was touching.
One day, he meets the rental clerk Maya (Liv Tyler), they become friends and she helps him to supersede his past life."Jersey Girl" is a very sweet movie about family, and honestly I could never expect such sensitive story from Kevin Smith.
Ben Athleck switches in and out of competence a few too many times to make his performance IMO a completely solid one but frankly he does a good job of holding all the disparate threads of the movie together.If you want to live in 1994 dick & fart jokes then simply put Clerks in the DVD player and play it again!
Tyler gave a surprisingly fresh, and believable performance, showing some real theatrical talents in the scene when she performs in Gertie's 'musical'.The unavoidable Star Wars jokes, and celebrity "nose-pricks" are present of course, maintaining the overall "Smith-feel" to the movie.
I've been a Kevin Smith fan for years, but my disappointment with Jersey Girl doesn't come from the lack of Jay and Silent Bob, or the fact that it isn't a typical View Askew film.
I knew it wouldn't be that, and I went into the theatre just hoping to see a good film.Jersey Girl has some nice moments, and some moments of genuine, skillful humor (especially for a musical theatre fan).
Instead of insight, we get cloying sentimentality; instead of maturity, we get a series of cliche moments with a good-looking cast that just doesn't dazzle for whatever emotional whallop Smith thought the film would pack.The situation and choices facing Ben Affleck's character are nothing new, and Affleck goes dutifully through the exercises, emoting when he needs to, but never really getting much out.
I hadn't read anything about Jersey Girl before going in, and I just assumed it was a typical Kevin Smith movie.
Oh, sure, there're a few dick jokes and some poop and Ben Affleck, but Jersey Girl is far, far away from the Kevin Smith I've come to know and sort of moderately like.For me, the experience of watching this film felt a lot like a time in college when I was at a Halloween party, and my one tubby, bearded, video-game-playing, football-watching stoner friend showed up dressed as Princess Jasmine from the Disney movie Aladdin (1992).
At first, I thought maybe Kevin Smith was making fun of all those awful, cynically-calculated tween-targeted movies like Uptown Girls, The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.
Other than some of his trademark rapid-fire dialogue and scatological humor (which often doesn't work well this time around), it's hard to believe that this film came from the same guy's pen as "Clerks" or "Chasing Amy," the latter of which is still his best film."Jersey Girl" stars Ben Affleck as Ollie Trinke (I'll address character names in a bit), a self-centered Manhattan whiz kid of the music business who, after personal tragedy, completely unravels in a most public way and torpedoes his own career.
Cue the cutesy and heart-tugging scenes here.Already burdened with an unrealistic script, "Jersey Girl" also suffers from some weak Ben Affleck acting, particularly in an overwrought scene in which Ollie is crying next to his daughter's crib.
You just don't buy it from this character, or from this actor.The only true highlight in the film is George Carlin, who plays an authentic and likable working-class father (complete with the clichéd heart of gold) who tries to teach Ollie the importance of family over material.
They never for a moment exist beyond characters written by some guy.I'll ignore the always-irritating Ben Affleck, and simply note as Exhibit A the way Smith misuses Liv Tyler -- who can be either utterly passive onscreen, not making any impact at all, or absolutely captivating and memorable.
All it takes for a winning but passive actress like Tyler is a strong director to make her deliver that potent charm -- and the fact that she barely makes a wave on-screen in Jersey Girl speaks for itself.Fortunately, eventually Smith will expend the last of his ill-earned 90's indie creds and he'll disappear from the industry altogether..
I am a Huuuuuuuuuuge Kevin Smith fan, Clerks, Mall Rats, Chasing Amy, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back are all fantastic movies he has done.THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE MOVIES.
In general this has the quality of a television show and makes you continually wonder where they hell it is going with the plot and why.This sucks on so many levels- if you love this movie you really don't have much of a stranglehold on reality or what a quality film is.This is utterly boring painful garbage.THE PLOT: A man's wife is out of the picture- now he has to raise the kid himself with some help from George Carlin, the streetsweepin' Jersey dad.
It has the same sharp wit, excellent dialogue and dick/fart jokes of Kevin's previous work but has the look and feel of a growing movie director.
How he managed to produce this kind of cheesy mainstream crap is beyond me...I think that Kevin tends to write from where he is at in life, based on this movie he is at a point where he has lost touch with his roots and is now just another middle American male asking, what happened to being a good dad.I'm sorry things are tough kevin, but maybe you could work that out on your own time and get back to producing stuff that makes us laugh..
The most surprising thing about "Jersey Girl" is that Kevin Smith chose to tell this story is such an absolutely clichéd, conventional style.This is the same guy who made "Clerks" and "Chasing Amy?" Let's see, we get the slow clap scene, the race against time and the fast-paced big city life vs.
Kevin Smith has done a great job of blending the romantic comedy genre with his trademark humor to create a fresh and original movie.
This is an obvious sign that Smith is maturing both as a director and a person, and should be great news for those fans who enjoy his movies for more than the fart jokes.
The stoners were the most disappointed, as the closest thing they got to Silent Bob was the new View Askew graphic at the begining of the movie.This was definately Ben Afflecks best performance to date.
...you're physically incapable of enjoying this.What few moments of comedic charm present in Jersey Girl are (as indicated from the teasers) brought about from situations of intense, painful awkwardness, and the same devices are constantly re-used to arrive at very predictable punchlines.In trying to add some comedic value to an already poorly wrought, re-hashed drama, Kevin Smith overextends the credibility of the movie.
The plotline is contrived at best, and any student of American pop culture (or regular moviegoer) can easily predict every "surprise" the movie attempts to throw at the audience: all of which are taken from other movies with similar plotlines.Jersey Girl presents nothing new or interesting, though it is a complete departure from Smith's other work --- this reviewer caught only one Jay and Silent Bob reference, though it was somewhat blatant.
Okay, it was received quite frostily on its original release, but despite a few flaws it's absolutely watchable.Similarly to Chasing Amy and Dogma, the main role is played by Ben Affleck, who can be appalling when cast in the wrong film (Pearl Harbor, anyone?), but always manages to be convincing in Smith's films.
And after playing a lesbian-loving cartoonist and a rebellious angel, it's time for him to tackle a fairly normal role, that of Ollie Trinke, a Jersey-born PR-guy who has it all: great job, a nice apartment in New York and a beautiful wife (Jennifer Lopez).
Sadly, these things were never meant to last: Ollie loses his job after offending one of his clients and his missus dies in childbirth, forcing him to move back to New Jersey and ask his dad (George Carlin) for help with the newborn girl.
Seven years later, Ollie is working with his father, fixing roads and stuff, and while he enjoys spending time with the old man and daughter Gertie (Raquel Castro), he obviously misses his old life.
Given the weird situations he has come up with in the past (girl having sex with a corpse in Clerks, 15-year old participating in orgies for a school project in Mallrats), it's kind of surprising to see Smith handle a "conventional" romantic comedy with such ease, his most loyal fans probably expecting something extreme to come around.
Apart from a single use of the F-word, the most offensive expression used in the movie is "sh*thead", while the only scene that sort of reminds of Smith's earlier work is a conversation between Affleck and Tyler regarding masturbation.
That scene, however, is not gratuitous, its purpose being to underline the different approaches to life the two leads have, and therefore be the first step in constructing a believable, meaningful connection between them.Of course, moments like that would fall apart if the actors didn't have chemistry: thankfully, Tyler and Affleck lend something special to their scenes together, the latter in particular showing an intensity and charm many thought was beyond his abilities.
Also impressive is the young Castro who, surprisingly for a child actor, almost manages to steal the whole film, her character being consistently smart and charming, never annoying.There are a few times when the sweetness hits overdrive, to be honest, and that's when Smith emphasizes the characters'feelings (particularly with the occasionally predictable soundtrack) when it isn't necessary, as if he doesn't trust his audience to understand on their own.
Or was it because Kevin Smith was out of his league trying to push an idea he thought might work, using Jennifer Lopez to boost the movie?
This movie works as nothing more than a nice little gesture to Smiths real life daughter who was obviously the inspiration.
It is very unfunny and the majority of the performances feel very phoned in.If you have nothing to do or just feel like finishing out the kevin smith movies then watch it.
Carlin was good, and Liv Tyler talked like a Smith character, but other than that, I mean c'mon man you made Clerks and you're gonna end your movie with the Dad running to save the day at the School Play, THE FUCCING SCHOOL PLAY?
It was fine to introduce a whole new set of characters, who have no connection to the old movies, and to jump in time (from the late 80s/early 90s of the Jersey Trilogy, to the mid 90s at the beginning of JG and then present day at the end).Mr Smith brought in his usual cast of characters (to include his wife, movie #2 for her) to appear mugging for the cameras for scenes.
Here her role was largely one dimensional, and she wasn't on screen long enough for us  to develop any connection or feeling (good or bad) for her character.The story has a basic element that has been tread many times before:  Boy meets girl, gets married, has a baby.
Combine this with lousy acting and no real scenery (is any part of run down Jersey/NYC suburbia really scenic?) and the film is practically unwatchable.I believe his own marriage and the birth to his child have made Mr. Smith soft in the head and unable to focus any degree of intellect on the matters at hand.
Didn't think I would see Lopez and Affleck together in another film for a long time considering their real life love drama.
I love Liv Tyler, and Kevin Smith's previous movies (ie.
Until he meets an attractive video store clerk (Liv Tyler) shows Ollie, there's more to life than being successful of the old life, he's still craves for.Written and Directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks 1 & 2, Chasing Amy, Dogma) made an underrated if somewhat familiar dramatic family comedy that is warm and often very funny.
If i'd known he'd started making his films for a 12 year old female audience I'd not have watched it!My advice for all Kevin Smith fans is to not watch it.
I admit the first two times I watched Kevin Smith movies I thought that were stupid (Mallrats/Clerks).
Ben Affleck, George Carlin, Liv Tyler, and let Raquel Castro did a good job.
Fans of Kevin Smith, coming into this movie had a hard time dealing with the subject matter.
a million dollar face doesn't mean a million dollar performance.And because I've heard that Kevin Smith likes IMDb, I've got to stress how much I loved his/your first four films.
In the sensitive-man comedy "Jersey Girl," Ben Affleck plays a Type-A public relations exec in Manhattan whose young wife (Jennifer Lopez) dies in childbirth, leaving him to raise their newborn daughter on his own.
Enter Maya, a madcap video store proprietor who slowly but surely reawakens his interest in carnal and romantic relationships.Although the movie has a certain sweetness and charm at times, "Jersey Girl" is pretty thin, standard-issue stuff, with the screenplay too often deflecting into sitcom silliness and feel-good sappiness.
I became a fan not because of his movies, (although, I do admire "Chasing Amy") but, after watching "An Evening With Kevin Smith" I found him to be a clever, bright, and funny man who also happens to be a hell of a story teller...
I'd also like to mention that for months Kevin Smith has been preparing his loyalists that this will not be like his previous films (which I love) and so, I was not expecting to be thrilled about Jersey Girl.
This is a great movie, and definitely one of Kevin Smith's best pictures.
Heck, if Will Smith was introduced in this film anyway other than how he was, I would have thought he wasn't playing one of those 'himself' roles, but maybe be some namely business man or something.When it comes down to it, if you want a family movie, you have a better bet watching something with a talking animal than to watch this fluff..
But at this point, George Carlin is not the funny man he used to be, but just a bitter old man.I truly hope Kevin Smith doesn't feel like he's got to keep casting Ben Affleck.
Even Mallrats and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, while they were simply sophomoric teen comedies, had a certain originality to them in that they contained a certain amount of Kevin Smith's personality and succeeded at what they were trying to do, which was to entertain.Then we have Jersey Girl.
This must be by far Kevin Smiths Worst film ever,corny acting          cheesy actors,bad plot and story line                                  bad cameos by two bit actors that think they are the "in thing"        in Hollywood(wil smith)                                                I dont know in what world the story writers live in,But here on planet earth,its illegal to go into a customers file and retrieve his/her address (Mia,the video store clerk (Liv Tyler) going to Ollies     (Ben Affect) house) Thats called invasion of privacy and stalking.Plus you never have an arguement with a 7 year old child.The Parent has all the say in everything that goes on in the household especially in the issue of moving,unless the parent is unfit to carry the role as parent.That goes the same in the search for a good job.Once you are established in your new job then you take time to play with the kids,not play with your kids and sacrifice a good job..
The story is great, regarding a reluctant dad ending his career to be with his daughter and play the single father role.It's films like these that I truly enjoy watching, and can watch them at any time.
This movie, written and directed by Kevin Smith of Clerks and Chasing Amy, has its charms and humor.
Jersey Girl is kinda a cute film, it's acted well, by Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler and by Jennifer Lopez.
Since his film debut in 1994 with Clerks, Kevin Smith's direction has taken a different step with Jersey Girl.
Anyway, Kevin Smith allows Oliver played by Affleck to lose his wife, his job, and his New York City life.
I know Kevin Smith is from the Highlands himself and this movie is really a great Father's Day film.
I can't say I'm a huge fan of Ben Affleck so it came as a surprise to me that I actually quite enjoyed his efforts in 'Jersey Girl'.The film focuses on young-and-coming executive Ollie Trinke.
(It is a mystery to me why Kevin Smith likes him so much...) Hell, I don't even think he is that good looking!
I'm a great romantic and I love all of Kevin Smith's films...