After five Viewaskewniverse films (the ones that have Jay and Silent Bob in them), Kevin Smith goes mainstream with “Jersey Girl” (2004). It’s a cute family drama with an adorable little girl (Raquel Castro as Gertie) at its core, and it shows the writer-director can play in Hollywood’s big leagues.
It’s no ‘Garden State’
But in decidedly generic fashion. While “Jersey Girl” is not for a moment unlikeable, it relies on tropes rather than a striking original idea. This is a notable change from Smith’s previous film about a Ben Affleck character seeking direction, the raw and emotional “Chasing Amy” (1997).
In fact, it’s only the second-best movie of 2004 featuring a New Jersey-based Manic Pixie Dream Girl (Liv Tyler’s Maya here). “Jersey Girl” loses every comparison to Zach Braff’s “Garden State.” While the timing is unfortunate for Smith, comparing the two films does illustrate how he has made a predictable crowd-pleaser rather than something more from the heart.
To celebrate Kevin Smith’s birthday, from Aug. 1-9 we’re spotlighting some of his work that we haven’t previously reviewed at Reviews from My Couch.
“Jersey Girl” (2004)
Writer: Kevin Smith
Director: Kevin Smith
Stars: Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro
Smith doesn’t need to prove he loves New Jersey, but he could’ve gone beyond needle-dropping a couple of Springsteen tunes (including the title track, natch). More N.J.-centric love is on display in his first five films; his sixth entry could be a stand-in for love of wherever your home is.
After all, in 2004 there were video stores and dive bars everywhere.
Pre-WFH time capsule
“Jersey Girl” will eventually stand as a pre-Work From Home time-capsule. It’s all about Affleck’s Ollie weighing a great job in the big city against a lesser job in his homey hometown suburb. His dad Bart (George Carlin, whose every performance should be treasured now) lives there, and it’s the only home Gertie has known.
Ollie is a hotshot music-industry publicist who is the opposite of Dad of the Year. This single dad lets Bart – who is taking time off from his own street-sweeper job — take care of the infant as he tries to continue his pre-fatherhood lifestyle.
(By the way, Ollie calls the sweeper “the Batmobile.” Along with Affleck playing “Buttman” in “Mallrats,” it’s another check mark on the actor’s inevitable-in-retrospect road toward playing the Caped Crusader.)
Things accidentally fall into place through little of Ollie’s own actions. When he’s fired, he’s forced to spend more time with Gertie. By the time she’s 7 and played by Castro, he’s a decent dad.
Bart’s lectures get through to him, MPDG Maya dodges his protestations and throws herself at him, and a Magical Negro (I won’t spoil the actor reveal) gives him the clinching advice: Family should come before the job.
I don’t believe all of Ollie’s problems are solved by the end of the film. He’s with his family and his girlfriend, but he’s not at the job he loves.
Simple but sweet
Smith spins a Springsteen tune over our protests. Honestly, they are fairly mild protests.
“Jersey Girl” has funny moments – although the raunchiest it gets is Maya’s grad-college sex survey that serves as her meet-cute with Ollie. And it has “aww” moments every time Gertie is on screen.
Smith does bend genre norms in one way, as he uses the rom-com structure to tell a father-daughter bonding yarn instead. It’s sweet. Affleck and Castro are great together, and Carlin and Tyler’s chip-ins are always welcome.
But since it comes from a filmmaker who did his own thing before this, it’s a little disappointing that “Jersey Girl” could’ve been made by just about anyone.