message in the movies By Rev. Bruce Batchelor Glader

                      
Jersey Girl   Rated PG-13
Directed by Kevin Smith. Starring Ben Affleck, Liv Tyler

Photo © Miramax Pictures
Ollie Trinke (Affleck) has it all – a high profile career as a publicist for the rich and famous, a beautiful wife (Jennifer Lopez) and a child on the way.  When his wife dies in childbirth, Ollie finds himself angry and bitter, eventually losing his job after a meltdown at a press event.  Moving back to New Jersey to live with his widowed father, Ollie starts working for the public works department, gets serious about being a dad to his (now seven-years-old) daughter, and finds romance in a growing relationship with Maya, a quirky video store clerk (Tyler).  That’s about all there is to Jersey Girl, a predictable romantic comedy in many ways.  However, since it is written and directed by Kevin Smith, it is full of many entertaining and amusing moments.  The first half hour or so (the tragic first act) is self-conscious and maudlin, but once the story moves to New Jersey, things improve considerably.  Jersey Girl is all about the choices that we make in life and the people in our life for whom these choices are made.  In its own sweet, corny way, the film celebrates a life of caring and simple pleasures, as well as the ultimate joy of parenting.  Be aware, however, that this film is full of some crude and frank discussions about sex (one of Kevin Smith’s trademarks) and that you may not care to let even middle-school-age children view it, in spite of its PG-13 rating. 

Halo and Pitchfork Rating: Four halos.  (In spite of all of the pitchforks, the film still champions the greater values of family, responsibility, and self-giving love.) Three pitchforks. (Pervasive sprinklings of profanity; some crude humor; casual acceptance of substance abuse and pornography.)

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