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Jersey Girl 2004 Starring: Ben Affleck, Raquel Castro, George Carlin, Liv Tyler and Jennifer Lopez (albeit briefly). Written and Directed by: Kevin Smith. All Photos © 2004 Miramax Film Corp. All rights reserved. |
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Jersey Girl 2004 Starring: Ben Affleck, Raquel Castro, George Carlin, Liv Tyler and Jennifer Lopez (albeit briefly). Written and Directed by: Kevin Smith. All Photos © 2004 Miramax Film Corp. All rights reserved. |
On
The Shelves Rating:
Two bottles of chilled bubbly and a popped cork |
| Ollie Trinke (Affleck) has it all: fab job,
hot wife and a baby on the way. Then Lady Luck pushes him over when he can’t stand
up and his world spins out of control. (Rule 2)
A not unusual scenario in this funny old world, but there is some good news [and no it’s
nothing to do with GEICOTM]. He has a darling little daughter (Raquel Castro) and—his
father (George Carlin) knows how to change diapers. Once again we have a film where a boy becomes a man and once again it takes until that man has reached and settled into physical maturity to do so. Yet another ‘not unusual’ scenario but I’d best stop here lest I be accused of sexism. [Yeah, yeah, I know.] Wise cracks aside, it’s a lovely thing to see. That sudden realization and the light dawning in his eyes—it makes a woman melt into the floor—and ol’ Ben has done the job more than passably. Very impressive and I forgive him for Gigli (03). Well what the hell? Everyone needs at least one stinker on the old CV. |
| There’s a brilliant bit of casting in
this film with the babies [little Gertie at various stages of growth] and young Raquel
Castro. They all are so wonderfully perfect as J. Lo’s daughter. So pretty all of
them and Miss Castro is just charming. You’re right Keith! I wanted to adopt her too.
What a sharp little actress as well and this was no easy role but she carried it off with
style. I suspect we’re going to see an awful lot of her in the years to come. Liv Tyler, fresh from her turn as Arwen in Peter Jackson’s Ring trilogy is, as always, yummy eye candy for everyone and a complete scamp as Maya—the young lady that unexpectedly lights up Ollie’s now fairly mundane life. |
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Now, the cork is popped and here’s the
fella we’re drinking to: George Carlin! Raise those glasses lads and lassies. He is
just perfect as Bart Trinke, Ollie’s dad in Highlands, NJ. It would have been so easy
to go over the top with this role but he didn’t. He brought it about half way up and
there he settled. This resulted in the stand out performance of the film and I so want to
see a Best Supporting nomination for him on it. C’mon Miramax, start beating that
drum! Pay attention to viewing Rule 1 now because they close these credits with Tom Waits’ “Jersey Girl” (’81) as performed by Bruce Springsteen and you walk out of that theatre shining like a new dime. Get off your asses and go see it. —Jessie Lilley |
This review first appeared in On The Shelves — out there in the ether...... |
