'JERSEY GIRL' GETS YOU WITH ONE LOOK.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic THE FINAL minutes of Kevin Smith's bighearted big·heart·ed adj. Generous; kind. big  hearted·ly adv. family film
``Jersey Girl'' contain some things you might not expect (a
talented tyke performing a show tune from Stephen Sondheim's
``Sweeney Todd'') and some things that you would (hugs,
kisses, sloppy emotion).
It's one look, though, that will get you. Now you've seen this look - little girl gazing adoringly at her father after the old man comes through in the clutch - many, many (many) times before in movies, but what makes it distinctive here is that it truly comes from the heart and it arrives after a good 90 minutes of deeply felt, nicely observed family dynamics. While Hollywood's family-values flicks usually feel about as genuine as a three-dollar bill, ``Jersey Girl'' is the real deal, unfiltered Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. Remove this template after wikifying. This article has been tagged since , coming from a man who truly believes. It makes all the difference. Because essentially this is ``The Courtship of Eddie's Father'' with concessions made to the particular brand of materialism and careerism ca·reer·ism n. Pursuit of professional advancement as one's chief or sole aim: "Rampant careerism, which makes many a work place a joyless site, was in check" Mary McGrory. practiced in the 21st century. Ollie (Ben Affleck) gets fired from his beloved job as a hotshot Manhattan publicist pub·li·cist n. One who publicizes, especially a press or publicity agent. publicist Noun a person, such as a press agent or journalist, who publicizes something publicist and takes his newborn baby girl back home to Jersey to live with his pop (George Carlin car·line or car·lin n. Scots A woman, especially an old one. [Middle English kerling, from Old Norse, from karl, man.] ). The move is only supposed to be temporary - Ollie needs time to recover emotionally (his wife, played by Jennifer Lopez, died in childbirth) and professionally (he bad-mouthed a famous client and has been blackballed). But time passes, and Ollie's still in Jersey. His daughter, Gertie (talented newcomer Raquel Castro Raquel Castro (born November 17 1994) is an American child actress. Castro, the fourth of five children, was born in New York to a Puerto Rican father, Albee Castro, and Kathy, an American mother of Italian and Jewish descent. , who bears a striking resemblance to J.Lo), loves her dad and loves Jersey, but dad is still itching itching or pruritus Stimulation of nerve endings in the skin, usually incited by histamine, that evokes a desire to scratch. It is often transient and easily relieved. Pathological itching with skin changes usually signals dermatologic disease. to get back to the high life in the big city. Ollie simply doesn't realize what he has - and that includes the lovely video store clerk (Liv Tyler Liv Tyler (born Liv Rundgren, on July 1, 1977, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, New York[1]) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles of Grace Stamper in Armageddon and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. ) who has become a friend and secretly longs to be something more. Again - familiar territory. But while the story doesn't venture far from the beaten path, ``Jersey Girl'' stands as a singular creation thanks to Smith's sharp writing and his ability to coax great performances from the most unlikely places. By now, we know that Smith gets Affleck, and while no amount of direction will ever make Affleck into a great dramatic actor (or one who looks convincing while crying), Smith manages to tap into his charm and bring out his bristling bristling see hackles. wit. That deserves some kind of special award. So does realizing that Carlin can convey pathos and Tyler can do something other than staring blankly at the screen. Tyler and Affleck make for an engaging, convincing screen couple - much more so than Ben and Jen. They should make another movie together. And Smith should continue to mine family life. It suits him. Glenn Whipp, (818) 713-3672 glenn.whipp(at)dailynews.com JERSEY GIRL - Three stars (PG-13: language and sexual content, including frank language) Starring: Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Raquel Castro. Director: Kevin Smith. Running time: 1 hr. 43 min. Playing: Wide release. In a nutshell: Family values family values pl.n. The moral and social values traditionally maintained and affirmed within a family. - convincingly put forth - from the guy who gave us Jay and Silent Bob. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Raquel Castro and George Carlin portray a motherless youngster and her nurturing grandfather in ``Jersey Girl.'' |
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