Jersey Girl

A music publicist (Ben Affleck) struggles reconcile his new life as a father.

Jersey Girl was a victim of unfortunate timing. The media had been having a field day with the romance between stars Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, which culminated in a critical pile-on for Affleck and Lopez’s Gigli. Thus, overexposed, and considered box-office poison, their re-teaming in writer-director Kevin Smith’s film the following year was dead in the water.

But the thing is, Jersey Girl isn’t half as bad as the press would have you believe. With Vilmos Zsigmond’s cinematography, it’s certainly the best looking film of Smith’s to date, and the performances are universally solid, particularly George Carlin as Affleck’s father. Smith’s script is somewhat uneven, but does offer some really poignant moments, and at least one great surprise cameo.

Indeed the film’s biggest flaw may be its own ambitions. Smith tries hard to move past his slacker roots, but much of Affleck’s character feels disingenuous. Of all of Smith’s leads, Affleck’s character seems the most artificial, especially during the film’s opening scenes, where he’s little more than a stereotype. Fortunately the rest of the cast is much more relatable and genuine, which goes a long way toward making the film as endearing as it is.

Ultimately, Jersey Girl is neither a masterpiece, nor a disaster. Instead, it’s a sometimes funny, sometimes insightful look at life, fatherhood, and family that should entertain anyone who’s had to deal with any of the three.