Year:
2004
Studio:
Miramax Films
Feature:
4/5
DVD:
5/5
Jersey Girl is a movie that starts with a new father, Ollie (Ben
Affleck), who has to deal with the death of his wife (Jennifer Lopez)
in childbirth. Ollie is a successful music publicist and now he has to
deal with his new daughter Gertie (Raquel Castro) and his grief. The
first thing that happens is that he tries to pawn Gertie off on his
widowed father Bart (George Carlin). That doesn't work and when he
tries to take care of Gertie on his own he gets himself fired in such a
way that his publicist career is effectively over.
Skip seven years later. Ollie is still trying to get back to New York.
Meanwhile his short stayover at his dad's in New Jersey has turned into
two men and a little girl. Ollie works with his dad in the city's
Sanitation Department doing field work. It's a small town life and
although isn't exactly the happiest he is also not sad at all either.
It's a life that could go on indefinitely except for two things.
The first is Maya (Liv Tyler), one of the clerks at the local video
store. When they meet he's trying to rent a pornographic movie and what
do you know, she is doing post-grad work on men and their mastubatory
habits. Somehow Maya worms into Ollie's life and Ollie is not sure that
is what he wants because he is still in love with his deceased wife.
The second complication is that Ollie suddenly gets a job in publicity
in New York. It's his chance to return to the work he was born to do.
To uproot his daughter, leave his father and Mayta, leave the little
town that has been his home for the last seven years. There's a big
decision to make for Ollie once he realizes what he's really comitting
to doing. It's probably the crux of the film: what sacrifices you make
for others.
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The DVD contains lots of extra
goodies. There are to commentary, both with writer/director Kevin Smith
and producer Scott Mosier. The first commentary track has actor Jason
Mewes (who doesn't appear in the movie) as a guest commentator. The
second track has actor Ben Affleck with Smith and Mosier.
Both commentary tracks are three people in a room talking about a movie
they loved making. Talking about the movie business, real life,
relationships, and the film-making process. Really, neither commentary
delves into the minute details of Jersey
Girl. You don't get "here the scene where this happened" or "pay
attention to the camera work here" or even on-the-set annecdotes that
are common to other commentaries.
Personally, I love the Kevin Smith commentaries just because of this
quality. He and his friends aren't going through some rote "oh, we have
to say something witty" commentary that is ultimately going to be
boring. They're just being themselves and talking honestly and showing
that the movie business is fun and interesting.
Also on the DVD:
1. A 25-minute informal interview with Smith and Affleck. They talk
about how they met, previous collaborations, and of course Jersey Girl.
2. An 18-minute behind-the-scenes Jersey
Girl featurette.
3. About half a dozen of Smith's Roadside Attractions, which appear on
The Tonight Show.
4. Rather long interviews by Antony Teofilo with individual cast and
crew members.
Jersey Girl is a
departure for
Kevin Smith. It's Smith growing up and doing a serious film about life.
Not a lark about twenty-something society or a social commentary on
religion. As someone who's actually paid attention to Smith's work,
it's nice to see how he has grown and evolved as a film maker. Jersey Girl is a damn fine movie.
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