![](/img/wiki_up/jersey.jpg)
JERSEY GIRL
US, 2003, 108 minutes, Colour.
Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, Jennifer Lopez, George Carlin, Mike Starr, Steven Root, Jason Biggs, cameos: Matt Damon, Jason Leigh, Will Smith.
Directed by Kevin Smith.
Has Kevin Smith undergone a transformation or, even, a conversion? Well, no. Those who are afraid that his moving into romantic comedy and family drama may have altered his perspective on life (well, it has, really) will be reassured by the constant bodily function jokes, sexual references and an underlying tone of irreverence. Matt Damon and Jason Lee have a satirical scene. However, audiences will not have seen so many statues of Mary and cribs in a film for a long time. Kevin Smith is still highlighting Catholicism. That said, a review needs to focus on the romance and the family.
Kevin Smith has become a father in real life. This seems pretty obvious while watching the film. He is positively doting on the little girl, Gertie, in the film. He is also looking at the responsibilities of parents, especially fathers. (At the end, apart from the first credit to God whom Smit acknowledges as still interested in him, the dedication is to his own father, recently deceased.)
After Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, many critics hoped that these would be the last of his ‘adolescent joke’ films. They wanted him, even urged him, to grow up. Now that he has changed tack in themes, they decry his selling out to Hollywood (at least to Miramax) and his wearing his heart on his sleeve.
This is certainly a romantic film. Ben Affleck (a Smith regular who responds better to Smith’s direction than to any other director) falls in love with Jennifer Lopez (in a rather self-effacing brief performance) who dies in childbirth. His father, George Carlin, a New Jersey council worker, takes care of the baby but urges his son to do his share. This becomes even harder when he bad mouthes Will Smith (who later turns up with a family-oriented little homily) and loses his job. There are some really tender scenes between Affleck and his daughter (which hard-nosed critics – probably more hard-hearted – loathed) which will appeal to parents.
Into their lives comes a vivacious student who works at the local video store. She is played very nicely by Liv Tyler – and the romance is not too obvious. Raquel Castro as the young Gertie holds her own with the adult cast – but she is quite precocious.
1. The work and popularity of Kevin Smith? Audience expectations of his subjects, style – the scatological and satiric approach? The criticism of his making what seemed to be a sentimental family movie?
2. The experience of parenthood, his dedication of the film to his deceased father? The decision to make the family film with a studio? Instead of independent?
3. Smith’s love for New Jersey, the detailed look at the neighbourhood, the streets and the houses, the council workers, the shops, the video store, the school? The school hall for meetings, for concert? The contrast with New York, coming to New York from New Jersey, the goal of living in the city? The big offices, the buildings and the streets? The contrast between New York and New Jersey? The musical score, the songs, the inclusion of Sweeney Todd?
4. Kevin Smith and his wearing his heart on his sleeve, the touch of sweetness? Yet the important themes of death, the jokes and discussion about bodily functions? Babies, sexuality, pornography, relationships? His focus on press agents, Hollywood, movies, celebrities – and the in-jokes about films, about celebrities? The cameos?
5. Kevin Smith’s religious background, the credit and his thanking God? The range of statues of Mary, the cribs, outside the house, at school, the hospital? The discussions about beliefs, God? The Catholic tradition? The nuns, their role in the parochial school?
6. The basic story, its niceness, the picture of the generations, the bonds of family? The significance of the absent mother, the devoted father? The father, the struggle between work and his care for his daughter, his presence?
7. The opening with Gertie telling the story, the glimpse of the school, the children reading out their essays? Her voice-over and commentary and perspective?
8. Gertrude and Jennifer Lopez’s vivacity, low-key but genial? Her love for Ollie? The quality of their relationship, the visits to New Jersey, Ollie’s dad and his liking Gertie? Their going out, the build-up to their wedding? Her pregnancy, the exhilaration of pregnancy, the difficult birth, her dying? Ollie and his grief?
9. The theme of grief, Ollie and his inability to own his grief, his grief taking hold of him, taking over, driving people away? His reliance on his father for looking after Gertie? The significance of the long monologue to the baby, his reflecting on what the death of his wife meant to him, the effect of having the child, her causing her mother’s death and his not wanting to think like that? His father overhearing him? His father, continually minding him, his father’s pals and their being uncles and Ollie criticising them? Their criticism of Ollie? Helping out, wanting to teach him, making him stay home, the sequence of his father on the tractor and refusing to mind Gertie?
10. Ollie, his work and his skills, his friendship with Arthur? The office, the hype of being an agent, the composition of tag phrases, slogans? The social life, the involvement in the world of celebrity? His being a tough agent? The effect of his grief, his hurting Arthur? His being late for the press conference, bringing the baby, the discussions about changing the baby and all the baby poo jokes? The assistant’s not wanting to do it? The background of Will Smith, the discussion about Men in Black, his career, Ollie downplaying it? His going into the press conference, his speech, his criticisms of the journalists? Their shock? His being sacked?
11. Arthur and his continued help, continually going for interviews, the interview with Matt Damon and Jason Leigh and their bet about whether he was the famous Ollie or not? His abilities as an agent, the importance of his persuading the crowd about the repairing of the streets? The years passing, Arthur getting him another interview? Will Smith’s arrival, their discussion about family?
12. Life at home, his discovering all that being a father required, presence, activity, patience? Love, talking to Gertie? His handling the situation where Gertie and the little boy down the street were playing doctors? Gertie remembering his saying about relationships? The uncles and their continued presence, her love for them? Gertie as a strong little girl, at school, wanting to go to New York and see Cats, the irony of her seeing Sweeney Todd, her decision to present a song from Sondheim at the school concert?
13. Going to the video shop, meeting Maya, her explanation of the survey? Her talking with Ollie, her frankness about his choice of videos, her apology on hearing of his wife’s death? Going to visit him at home, apologising? The lunch, the discussions about sexuality, the role of compassionate sex? Their going home, the shower, their being caught? Gertie and her talk, blackmailing her father? Maya and her vitality, sharing at home, playing with Gertie, Gertie coming to love her?
14. Ollie and the interview, the possibility of his missing the play? His anger with Gertie, blaming her for everything? Gertie and her anger with her father? The later mutual apology?
15. The play, all the children singing ‘Memories’ and their adoring parents? His racing to get to the concert, finding the streets which were being repaired on his recommendation, his arrival, performing on stage with his father, the uncles, with Gertie?
16. The lessons that Ollie learnt, the love of family, above all else? His relationship with Maya, the possibility of their marrying? His father and his happiness that his son had learnt some wisdom? The future, genuine bonds of love?