To be honest, I don't know of the other movies written and directed by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back) that don't feature Jay and Silent Bob, so I was hoping that this one would be worthwhile. Basically in New York City, Oliver "Ollie" Trinke (Ben Affleck) is a powerful media publicist and PR in the music industry, he meets and falls in love Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez), who soon falls pregnant. Gertrude sadly dies during childbirth from an aneurysm, to avoid his grief Ollie buries himself in work and ignores his new daughter, Gertie. Ollie's father Bart (George Carlin), who also lost his own wife many years prior, takes time off from work to take care of Gertie, but eventually Ollie lives up to his responsibilities as a single parent. Under the stresses of looking after a baby, including diaper changes and constant crying, Ollie trashes his client Will Smith, then known as the Fresh Prince, who was releasing Independence Day, in front of a group of reporters. Unfortunately, this costs him his job, so he moves back with his father in New Jersey, he apologises for ignoring Gertie, attributing his public outburst to his grief. Seven years have passed, Ollie has become blacklisted by all New York City's public relations firms, he now works as a civil servant in the borough, and Gertie (Raquel Castro) is now is in elementary school. At the video rental store, Ollie strikes up friendship with one of the clerks, graduate student Maya Harding (Liv Tyler), who probes him about his love life. After hearing that he has not had sex since the death of Gertrude, Maya offers to have sex with Ollie, but they are interrupted by Gertie before anything can happen, but Maya becomes a part of their lives. As part of his job in the borough, Ollie speaks to a group of outraged citizens to win approval for a street in the neighbourhood to be temporarily closed for major public works, he is successful, and he realises how much he misses public relations work. He contacts his former protégé Arthur Brickman (Jason Biggs), who sets up a promising interview, but the prospect of moving back to New York City creates tension among Ollie, Gertie, Bart, and Maya, especially as the interview is the same day as Gertie's school talent show. Gertie shouts at her father, saying she wished he had died instead of her mother, he claims he hates her right back, saying she and her mother took his life away, he immediately regrets this and tries to apologise, but the damage is done and Gertie storms off crying. A few days later, they try to patch things up, Gertie accepts that they move to New York, Ollie goes to the interview, and has a chance encounter with Will Smith, who has no idea who Ollie is, they have a conversation about work and children, after which Ollie is persuaded to skip the interview and leave. Ollie rushes to make it to the talent show, where a majority of the children have chosen to perform "Memory" from the musical Cats, but Gertie convinced her family to perform a song from the musical Sweeney Todd. Ollie makes it just in time, making Gertie very happy, their performance eventually goes well with the audience, they celebrate in the bar. Maya is happy they are staying in New Jersey, because Ollie has decided not to take to job, she asks why he did so if he loved so much, Ollie says he thought he did, but he loves his new life much more, because being a father is the only thing he was ever really good at. Also starring Mike Starr as Block, Stephen Root as Greenie, Jason Lee as PR Exec #1, Matt Damon as PR Exec #2 and S. Epatha Merkerson as Doctor. Affleck is good at being both funny and serious as the single father, Carlin gets some one-liners at the grandfather, Lopez is good in her brief time, Castro is adorable as the smart daughter, and the cameo by Smith is very welcome. This movie is slushy, and it does have the cringy and sympathetic moments, but it did make me laugh a good amount, the love story is reasonable, and the family stuff doesn't hurt, all together it was a likeable romantic comedy drama. Good!

After his career is sidelined by an unexpected tragedy and a personal blowup, a single man must take care of his precocious daughter. Jersey Girl without a doubt is my favorite Kevin Smith film he directed since the cameos worked, the acting was sweet as hell and the drama hit me right in the feels i also liked those Batmobile easter eggs since Ben Affleck played Batman several years after. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez had more chemistry in those 8 minutes than the whole Gigli film but people keep shitting of Ben because of that film the same goes for Kevin Smith both men can make great movies and this film totally shows it just from the first 3 minutes plus both the baby and Raquel Castro are cute as hell 2 thumbs up hilarious and sad at the same time.

Jersey Girl (2004): Dir: Kevin Smith / Cast: Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler, George Carlin, Raquel Castro, Jennifer Lopez: This is the first film Kevin Smith has directed outside his usual psyche and the results are not disappointing. It regards belonging as in Ben Affleck wanting to go back to New York yet has responsibilities in Jersey. He plays a music publicist whose wife dies during childbirth leaving him with a daughter. After being fired at a press conference he moves home to his widowed father. Touching and detailed story directed by Kevin Smith in a departure from his usual comedies that included Clerks and Chasing Amy. Affleck has starred in four films for Smith already and presents among his best work here. He plays a guy pulled in two directions and must accept whom he has become. His best moment arrives during a celebrity chance encounter. Raquel Castro steals scenes as his bright eyed daughter. George Carlin plays Affleck's father who provides humour and wisdom. Then there is Liv Tyler as a video store clerk with her direct attitude in consuming Affleck's affection. Jennifer Lopez makes an effective cameo as Affleck's wife who dies during the birthing. Viewers should excuse the Bennifer media outcry and appreciate how much Smith improved and went opposite the wretched Gigli. Strong theme regarding responsibility and accepting change for the better of someone else. Score: 10 / 10

Good God this movie really sucks, Afleck as usual is terrible, with his over-sized head and over-sized nose.There is very little in this movie to recommend, in fact it is awful.Ben's acting is his usual wooden plank of wood style, the story is almost as lame as Ben.It is a pity he didn't invite that other useless pice of trash Adam Sandler to the movie where with a bit of luck they could both have been burned alive.Afleck should carry a health warning - everything this hook beaked creature makes is TOXIC!