Jersey Girl (2004)

41% of critics liked it
(170 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(127,522 ratings)

Writer and director Kevin Smith embraces his warm and fuzzy side with this comedy drama about a man who learns a lot about life and love in the wake of a personal tragedy. Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) is a guy who seemingly has it made -- he has a great job as a music publicist with a major Manhattan… More Writer and director Kevin Smith embraces his warm and fuzzy side with this comedy drama about a man who learns a lot about life and love in the wake of a personal tragedy. Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck) is a guy who seemingly has it made -- he has a great job as a music publicist with a major Manhattan public relations firm, and he's madly in love with his wife, Gertrude (Jennifer Lopez). Ollie is very much excited about the fact he and Gertrude are soon to become parents, but Ollie's joy turns to despair when Gertrude dies in childbirth. Emotionally shattered, Ollie isn't sure what to do next, and he and his newborn daughter, Gertie, soon move to New Jersey to live with his father, Bart (George Carlin), who grows tired of playing babysitter after several months. Juggling his career with single parenthood proves to be more than Ollie can manage, and one day he's fired after he bungles a major press event. Unable to find work, Ollie eventually takes a dead-end job in New Jersey's public works department, and devotes himself to his daughter as he retreats from his own life. But after frequent visits to the local video store, he strikes up a friendship with Maya (Liv Tyler), a pretty girl who works behind the counter. As Ollie finally begins to come out of his shell, he's offered a chance to move back into the music industry, but he realizes that would mean moving back to Manhattan -- and Gertie (Raquel Castro), now seven years old, makes it clear she doesn't want to go. Jersey Girl also features cameo performances from Kevin Smith regulars Jason Lee and Matt Damon, and significantly is Smith's first feature not to include Jason Mewes and Smith himself as stoner archetypes Jay and Silent Bob. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: Kevin Smith
Written By: Kevin Smith
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 26, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Sep 7, 2004
Studio: Mirimax Films

Critic Reviews

Joe Leydon, Variety
The script stoops to cheap gags that undercut Affleck's efforts to sustain a believable character.
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
The grating sense of commercial calculation in Jersey Girl consistently undercuts Smith's fine writing.
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
Inspired by Smith's own awe and amazement at being a father, the movie is modest and entertaining, with a minimum of sentimental goo, and it demands little of us except a good-natured willingness to go with it.
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
The filmmaker drowns his trademark edgy stew of smutty humor, stiff acting and dime-store insight into human nature with a gravy of glutinous bathos, making for a singularly unpalatable dish.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
This kind of weepy material works in the hands of melodrama masters like Douglas Sirk or Pedro Almodovar. But here, it's over-the-top and it's just horrible.
Mike Clark, USA Today
Smith is looking more and more like a developing major talent, so it could be years until we get a handle on this movie's legacy.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Formulaic script and uneven tone. Disappointing.
Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Who knew Smith could be so utterly bland, cliché, and run of the mill?
Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
Jersey Girl obeys the classic conventions of romantic comedy but there are ingredients in this mix that raise it a notch above average.
Neil Smith, Film4
Jersey Girl marks a low point for the tubby New Jersey auteur.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Mature and heartfelt, though not overly saccharine.
Eric Melin, Lawrence.com
It takes more than a couple of dirty one-liners to retain your edge in light, predictable fare.
Peter T. Chattaway, Christianity Today
Affleck is at ease in this down-to-earth drama in a way that he never seems to be in his action movies, and Castro seems like a genuine child instead of like a child actor.
Don R. Lewis, Film Threat
Smith reinvents the romantic-comedy by making a film about a man in love with his kid.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
In several ways Jersey Girl is more appealing than Clerks or Mallrats.... Nonetheless, it lacks the smart observational-humor edge and often thoughtful boldness -- and, most frustratingly, the promise -- of Chasing Amy or Dogma.
Mark Bourne, DVDJournal.com
...this Miramax DVD release could have been just a bare-bones edition. Instead, it loads up the goods with the stuff Smith's fans have come to expect from his well-received Special Editions.
Mariko McDonald, Film Threat
Had the potential of being Kevin Smith's best film period had it not been sunk by contrivance in the third act.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
A romantic comedy seriously marred by a clunky plot and a couple of characters that are hard to sympathize with.
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope
A romantic comedy seriously marred by a clunky plot and a couple of characters that are hard to sympathize with.
Bill Clark, FromTheBalcony
Jersey Girl emerges as Kevin Smith's most polished effort to date, but not his funniest.

Read all 22 critic reviews

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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

John M

Kevin Smith scores again. I hadnt seen this one yet for some reason. It only took me 4 years but this is why Kevin Smith is amazing. And Ben Affleck just needs to do Kevin Smith films and he will be okay. Wonderful movie.
Matt G

Ollie: You're riding that Batmobile, aren't you?! How cool is that? Kevin Smith's weakest film by far. I'm not saying I hated it, but I expected more from probably my favorite director. I will say this: this is the perfect love story; simple, nothing new, yet… More
Ollie: You're riding that Batmobile, aren't you?! How cool is that? Kevin Smith's weakest film by far. I'm not saying I hated it, but I expected more from probably my favorite director. I will say this: this is the perfect love story; simple, nothing new, yet incredibly predictable. I was disappointed with the formulaic tone the film kept throughout. Aside from that, this film has great Kevin Smith humor and a brilliant script, which is why my rating is so high. We also have great cameos from Smith's previous films, including Jason Lee, Matt Damon and many others. Also, Ben Affleck and Raquel Castro were instantly likable. Overall, I enjoyed it, and it remains a solid Smith film. Highly recommended. Read more reviews at www.CreedsDelight.com
Bethany M

A good film. Ben Affleck is beautiful and this is a classic chick flick.
Manu G

He wanted it all...but he got more than he bargained for. Good movie, I really liked the story. 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… More
He wanted it all...but he got more than he bargained for. Good movie, I really liked the story. 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. I recommend that every parent who has small children watch this movie because it's so tough been a parent these days thus making time for your children and having to worry about your job all the time. In New York, the young executive Oliver "Ollie" Trinke is a successful PR of the music industry. He meets and falls in love for Gertrude Steiney, who soon gets pregnant. However, she dies in the childbirth and Ollie decides to return to his father's home in New Jersey. Pressed by the situation of lonely father, the workaholic Ollie blows-up in an important press conference and makes a fatal statement, losing his job and becoming blacklisted in his publicist career. He promises to be the "best father in the world" to the young Gertie, and stays single, grieving his beloved wife, without dating any woman for seven years and trying to retrieve a position of public relation. One day, he meets the rental clerk Maya, they become friends and she helps him to supersede his past life.
Ken S

Unfairly maligned by fan boys, Jersey Girl is not the train wreck you've heard about. The movie is in fact pretty good. While it suffers from an overly saccharin soundtrack the film has a lot of great moments. It's also hands down the best looking Kevin Smith film to date.… More
Unfairly maligned by fan boys, Jersey Girl is not the train wreck you've heard about. The movie is in fact pretty good. While it suffers from an overly saccharin soundtrack the film has a lot of great moments. It's also hands down the best looking Kevin Smith film to date. The clean subtle cinematography by Vilmos Zigmond give the film a great feel. Worth checking out if you're in the mood for a super cute romantic comedy.
Red L

Ben Affleck, up and coming publicist exec, is left raising a daughter on his own. He has to choose between being a family guy or the successful exec. Of course, this is smaltz - you know how it is going to end, but I liked it anyways. There is a scene with Will Smith (he gets no… More
Ben Affleck, up and coming publicist exec, is left raising a daughter on his own. He has to choose between being a family guy or the successful exec. Of course, this is smaltz - you know how it is going to end, but I liked it anyways. There is a scene with Will Smith (he gets no credit for some reason) that is pretty good. But it is pretty bad writing that a publicist would not know what the play Sweeney Todd is all about.
Conner R

It's an odd movie in that it's not all that great, but I wouldn't exactly call it bad. I commend Kevin Smith for trying something new, but it just didn't work out like some of his other movies have. It's just a little too corny and meaningless to be set next… More
It's an odd movie in that it's not all that great, but I wouldn't exactly call it bad. I commend Kevin Smith for trying something new, but it just didn't work out like some of his other movies have. It's just a little too corny and meaningless to be set next to his other films, which are all pretty consistently unique.
Chris W

Despite that this film sees Kevin Smith going in a different direction, it does not suck, and it is very sweet, charming, and funny, even if it is contrived and formulaic here and there. It still has the witty and brilliant dialogue that Smith is known for, and the supporting cast… More
Despite that this film sees Kevin Smith going in a different direction, it does not suck, and it is very sweet, charming, and funny, even if it is contrived and formulaic here and there. It still has the witty and brilliant dialogue that Smith is known for, and the supporting cast (and cameos) are great as well. Say what you want about Ben, but he did a good job here. So did Jennifer Lopez. She's a much better actress than her filmography makes her out to be. The most props though, I feel, need to go to Raquel Castro, the cute and precocious little girl who plays the titular character. She does a great job holding her own against the vast talent (starring and supporting) she's working with, and, unlike a lot of roles children like her get, this one doesn't see her playing an annoying kid, and, while she is smart, she's still shown as a vulnerable young kid, and not a grown up trapped in a seven-year-old's body. This film gets a lot of undeserved flack, but I say see it and give it a chance.
danny d

i absolutely loved this flick. i found the film to be a bit uncomfortble at times and affleck gave a typical boring performance of affleckian measure, but everything else about this film touched me quite a bit. i have been slowly growing to love liv tyler over the last year when as… More
i absolutely loved this flick. i found the film to be a bit uncomfortble at times and affleck gave a typical boring performance of affleckian measure, but everything else about this film touched me quite a bit. i have been slowly growing to love liv tyler over the last year when as recent as two years ago she was one of my least favorite actresses of all time, and this film put me over the top. tyler was the best part of the film and im now convinced of her sexyness and charm as an actress. each of the other performances save afflecks were also very good and the film brought me smiles.
Aaron N

Ollie: "Cats" is the second worst thing that ever happened to New York City. What can I say, I am biased towards liking Smith's movies. It's not part of the View Askewneverse and Jason Biggs is for some reason involved, but I liked it. I think everyone does a… More
Ollie: "Cats" is the second worst thing that ever happened to New York City. What can I say, I am biased towards liking Smith's movies. It's not part of the View Askewneverse and Jason Biggs is for some reason involved, but I liked it. I think everyone does a good job here and I enjoy watching it. Ben Affleck was a big player in New York, until his wife, Jennifer Lopez, dies during child birth, eventually resulting in Affleck moving back to Jersey to live with his father, George Carlin, and raise his daughter. Years later, he must struggle with trying to find another job in New York while also raising his daughter. He has also just met a local girl, Liv Tyler, who takes a liking to this duo. If there is any problem with this movie, its that it eventually follows a familiar formula. Its not a bad thing, but it doesn't make the movie stand out too much. It does help that there are a number of scenes that show off Smith's talent for dialog. It also helps that the girl playing Affleck's daughter is very good, especially for a young child actor, and not in an annoying cute way either. Overall its decent and enjoyable, but Smith should stick in R rated territory. Ollie: Isn't that cute? It's 8 o'clock and you both get a bottle.
Jason S

Underrated movie. Most people write it off for either being a chick flick or one of the Ben/Jen flicks but it was honest and loving and even had the funny stuff Smith is known for.
Craig S

Directed by: Kevin Smith. Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Raquel Castro. Who would have thought that Kevin Smith could be tame? Kevin Smith is a legend in my eyes. His screenplay's are always… More
Directed by: Kevin Smith. Starring: Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Raquel Castro. Who would have thought that Kevin Smith could be tame? Kevin Smith is a legend in my eyes. His screenplay's are always outstanding and he has smart insights into real situations and manages to capture conversations that real people would have. For many Kevin Smith fans, they will probably hate this film if there range for films is limited to vulgar humor, but this is Kevin at his personal best. Now it is strange seeing him doing a film like this, especially when he used to put these kind of films down years ago, but he has matured and decided to tackle this and of course its bound to be cliched, predictable and formulaic....but its formula done right. And what makes it right is Kevin's script, every character is realistically created and set up in real situations, none of these far-fetched Hollywood setups. The films humor is more tame then his previous films but its sharp witty humor remains intact. Some of the actors do a pretty good job, I mean nothing will ever beat the performances in Chasing Amy but Ben and Liv manage to do pretty well, with George Carlin giving a terrific and funny performance and Raquel Castro stealing every scene she is in, she is cute, but also shows a lot of maturity....definitely someone to look out for in the next 10 years. Overall it is Kevin at his best and shows his tame side, but still managing to keep his sharp witty humor intact and making a sweet, formulaic film....that is done right.
Cherry D

"Forget about what you thought you were and just accept who you are."
Rachel F

Ok, I don't think it was as bad as everyone says, but it definitely could have been better.
Dean L

What to say? I am a Kevin Smith Fanatic. I saw Clerks in the theater 3 times. I have watched "An Evening With Kevin Smith" several times. I own all of his movies. I am what he himself would term a "fan boy." For Kevin Smith...this movie was sub-par. The dialogue… More
What to say? I am a Kevin Smith Fanatic. I saw Clerks in the theater 3 times. I have watched "An Evening With Kevin Smith" several times. I own all of his movies. I am what he himself would term a "fan boy." For Kevin Smith...this movie was sub-par. The dialogue was, for the most part, trite, the ending was clichéd and you knew exactly what was going to be said and done by each character at every turn. There were some trademark KS moments and of course the Jason Lee and Matt Damon Cameo (along with a few others), but I could not get into this film. I have always admired Kevin Smith's ability to push it to the edge and bring us places that other directors/writers have been unable to bring us...this was not so in Jersey Girl. I am sure to watch this movie again to see if I missed something quintessentially KS, but I don't think I will. I am POSITIVE I will see every Kevin Smith film that comes after this, but I have to say I was disappointed. If this film was made by anyone else, I might have said, "ok." It wasn't and I expected more.
Tim B

I know, it looks like a real turd, but at least it was better than "Chasing Amy". Maybe it's because I'm a new father, but I actually found it fairly touching. I also thought the Wil Smith angle clever.
Al S

Ben Affleck has never been better. Liv Tyler is teriffic. George Carlin is hilarious. A great blend of outragious comedy and powerful drama. Kevin Smiths best and most mature work to date. Endlessly enjoyable, heartfelt, smart and wildly funny.
Dean M

Director Kevin Smith made a good heart warming comedy with Ben Affleck.
James A

Such a dissapointment. Why did you let me down so bad!!!!!
Nate Z

[center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/756/photo028tb.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Writer/director Kevin Smith ([i]Dogma[/i], [i]Chasing Amy[/i]) takes a stab at family… More
[center][font=Arial][color=darkred][img]http://img335.imageshack.us/img335/756/photo028tb.jpg[/img][/color][/font][/center] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Writer/director Kevin Smith ([i]Dogma[/i], [i]Chasing Amy[/i]) takes a stab at family friendly territory with the story of Ollie Trinke (Ben Affleck), a music publicist who must give up the glamour of the big city to realize the realities of single fatherhood. Despite brief J. Lo involvement, [i]Jersey Girl[/i] is by no means [i]Gigli 2: Electric Boogaloo[/i]. Alternating between edgy humor and sweet family melodrama, Smith shows a growing sense of maturity. Liv Tyler stars as Maya, a liberated video store clerk and Ollie’s real love interest. Tyler and Affleck have terrific chemistry and their scenes together are a playful highlight. The real star of [i]Jersey Girl[/i] is nine-year-old Raquel Castro, who plays Ollie’s daughter. Castro is delightful and her cherubic smile can light up the screen. Smith deals heavily with familiar clichés (how many films recently end with some parent rushing to their child’s theatrical production?), but at least they seem to be clichés and elements that Smith feels are genuine. Much cute kiddie stuff can be expected, but the strength of [i]Jersey Girl[/i] is the earnest appeal of the characters. Some sequences are laugh-out-loud funny (like Affleck discovering his daughter and a neighbor boy engaging in “Doctor”), but there are just as many small character beats that could have you reaching for the tissue box. A late exchange between Ollie and his father (George Carlin) is heartwarming, as is the final image of the movie, a father and daughter embracing and swaying to music. [i]Jersey Girl[/i] proves to be a sweetly enjoyable date movie from one of the most unlikely sources.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred][/color][/font][font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate’s Grade: B[/color][/font]