Jersey Girl TV Spot #1 |
Jersey Girl TV Spot #2 |
Two of these commercials are now available online, in case you’ve yet to see ’em or just want to watch them again:
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Director Kevin Smith answers audience questions after a screening of his new film “Jersey Girl” at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, Sunday, March 14, 2004.(AP Photo/Jack Plunkett) |
‘Jersey Girl’ Screens at Film Festival
By CHRISTY LEMIRE, AP Entertainment Writer
AUSTIN, Texas – Bennifer’s last hurrah took place at the South by Southwest film festival, where “Jersey Girl,” starring Ben Affleck (news) and (very briefly) Jennifer Lopez (news), was shown before a wildly enthusiastic crowd.
Director-writer Kevin Smith (news) told the sold-out audience afterward that he’s still happy to have the former off-screen couple play an on-screen couple in his film, despite the disastrous “Gigli,” their previous cinematic pairing.
“I’ve always been a fan of `Out of Sight,'” Smith said Sunday night, referring to the Steven Soderbergh (news) film in which Lopez co-starred with George Clooney (news).
But the real reason he chose her? “Affleck asked me,” he deadpanned.
Smith said his wife suggested casting Lopez as Affleck’s wife: “I said, ‘Really? He’s making a movie with her right now. It’s called “Gigli.” Should be a huge hit.'”
Notoriously, it wasn’t — and neither was their extremely public relationship. Affleck and Lopez — “Bennifer,” as they became known — were supposed to have married in a lavish ceremony last September, but abruptly called it off and blamed the media for its constant scrutiny.
Smith similarly canceled their wedding plans in the movie. He cut the scene in which they walk down the aisle, limiting her already brief screen time. Lopez’s character dies during childbirth within the first few minutes, forcing Affleck’s character, a high-powered music publicist, to re-examine his life as he raises their daughter on his own.
“I think we got better work out of him because it was her,” Smith said of Affleck, who has several emotional scenes.
The director acknowledged that “Jersey Girl” is vastly different from the movies on which he’s built his loyal fan base, including “Clerks” and “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” with their stoned characters and obscure comic book references.
“That’s me on a soft day — kinda warm and gooey,” Smith said after the closing credits stopped rolling. “It came from being married. It came from having a kid.”
“The next movie I’m thinking about making is about a puppy,” he added.
The South by Southwest film festival, now in its 11th year, runs through Saturday.
“Jersey Girl,” co-starring Liv Tyler (news) and George Carlin (news), opens nationwide March 26.
3/23 – George Carlin – Craig Kilborn
3/23 – Jason Biggs – Jimmy Kimmel Live
3/23 – Kevin Smith – Tavis Smiley Show
3/24 – Kevin Smith – Craig Kilborn
3/24 – Ben Affleck – Ellen DeGeneres
3/28 – Kevin Smith – Sunday Morning Shootout
3/29 – Raquel Castro – Tonight Show
4/7 – George Carlin – Tavis Smiley Show
We’ll keep you posted as we learn of more appearances and any schedule changes. As always, check your local listings, the internet, or your Tivos to locate these shows, as some of them air on various networks and at different times.
With Jersey Girl, “we can end that chapter on a positive note with fond memories.”
Note that after a week the transcript should move into the archive section, but the media will disappear to be replaced by the next program. So watch now!
“It’s not [about] how many people are going to watch it; it’s [about] the audience that you are accustomed to, and then suddenly turning around and being like, ‘Here’s something that’s really pussy soft.’ Thankfully the fan base is what it is and there are people who are fans of ‘Chasing Amy.’ They’re not all Jay and Bob guys. But you know the 13 and 14-year-old Jay and Bob guys you’re going to lose … the hardcore younger ones are probably going to feel like I turned my back on them, and they are the most vocal ones on the Internet. They are the ones who are like, ‘You fucking sell-out’.”
On the prospect of getting an Oscar:
“Never. Never happen. Can’t do it. Don’t think I have it in me. I’ve seen the people who win Oscars, and Ben [Affleck] excluded, and Matt [Damon], it’s not company that I can see myself ever keeping. Or that anyone sees me in the same context of. So I don’t think that that will ever happen. I don’t think that I’ll ever even get to go to the Oscars. I would just be happy to present. Presenting would be [like] a win [for me]… but they’d need a 10-second delay.”
