The word “drama” isn’t one normally associated with the comedic Smith, but it’s certainly something he can add to his repertoire considering his expert handling of the dramatic moments in “Jersey Girl.” It’s important to note, however, that it’s not 100 percent drama; the film is as hilarious and upbeat as fans have come to expect from Smith, only this time the jokes are propelled by words as opposed to, say, a monkey. Think of it as a more anchored “Chasing Amy,” without Jay and Silent Bob and, instead of being about the love you’ll never have (a man and a lesbian), it’s about the love everyone can have—a father and his child.

UNO DRIFTWOOD – “‘Jersey Girl’ opens to rave reviews”

Are you intimidated by the fact that the Green Hornet movie is in your hands?

Absolutely. This is by far bigger and more expensive than any movie I’ve ever done. That’s definitely a little scary. Harvey Weinstein was great in kind of pushing me into that role. I didn’t want the job at first, thought it was way too much responsibility; just too much on my shoulders. Weinstein talked me into writing an outline for what my Hornet movie would be like, took one look at it and said this is exactly what we’re looking for. You’re doing the Green Hornet movie.

So Jason Lee is all set to play the next Fletch, right?

If I have my say, absolutely. Miramax is looking in another direction than that of Lee for the Fletch role but I’m hoping that “Green Hornet” does really well so then I can just say it’s Lee or nobody.

[FULL STORY]

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KANSAS CITY STAR – “Puppies & Potty Mouths”

…”God willing, this will be Ben’s comeback picture. He’s certainly done a good job of deflating the whole ‘Gigli’ thing — like going on Leno and reading the film’s bad reviews out loud,” he said.

“I’ll always want to work with him. After five movies together he really knows how to deliver the dialogue I write. He’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met and he’s really smart. I cast him as my proxy … wishful thinking! If only I was that smart, funny and good looking.”

And if “Jersey Girl” tanks?

“I’ve gotten to this place where if they don’t like this one, they’ll like the next one. I’m pretty Zen about it.”

[FULL STORY]

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FILM FEVER – Interview

So, no referencing the last five films in Green Hornet?

“No, I think there will be no Jay and Silent Bob in the next movie,” he said. “I’m going to put (Jason) Mewes (who plays Jay in Smith’s previous four films) in for sure. I told him this before I went out on the press tour. I told him, ‘Dude, I am putting you in the Green Hornet.’ He was like, ‘Í knew it, and you want me to play the Hornet.’ I know the lure of the familiar is calling him. April 6th will mark his one-year of being off of drugs. He has not drank at all and has been really clean, which is surely one of the signs of the apocalypse.”

…

“I just write Ben, and that’s it,” Smith said. “In Jersey Girl and the other four Smith films he has been in. Throw him in a movie running around trying to save the world and jumping off of buildings. That’s Ben jamming into a script not written for him.

“But me, I write for Ben. I write for his voice and write what goes on in real life. He is a really charming, warm, funny guy. You would like to hang out with him; he plays it really well because that is who he really is.”

[FULL STORY]

I saw Jersey Girl on Friday and during that entire day I wore this shirt that I have pictured below that I made, I stood at the end of the ticket line for about 15 minutes as people read my shirt. I didnlt move or say a thing.. I just stood still while people looked at the shirt and oddly questioned what the hell I was doing…I could hear a few mumbled comments such as…”37 times?” and “Is it really a big enough deal to make a shirt about?” I was gettin’ the biggest kick out of it…

After the movie was over, I pretty much spent the rest of the day just goin’ around to public places and solicitating the movie…I went to this diner called “Panera Bread”, I went to my town’s local library, I went to the mall, I even got some peoples attention by yelling “Go See Jersey Girl” out the window of the car. Not sure if this “rampage” of mine got anyone to go see the movie…but it was still fun.

Anyways, its 6:09 p.m. in my hometown of Davenport, IA and Im gonna catch the 8 p.m. showing of Jersey Girl at the theater tonight wearing the shirt again. Hopefully it’ll get some people to go see it…

BOSTON GLOBE (*** 1/2) – “Kevin Smith changes direction with sweet, likable ‘Jersey Girl'”

“Jersey Girl” introduces a softer side of the prickly, prankish writer and director Kevin Smith, who has never made so happy and unfussy a movie. Yes, Kevin Smith, the ace stoner and indie stalwart, wants to send you home on a different sort of high.

It’s tempting to call his cuddly movie — which is produced, as all Smith’s movies are, by Miramax — a bid for easy commercial triumph. But the sincerity on display in “Jersey Girl” soothes that kind of cynicism.

[FULL REVIEW]

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PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

…”Affleck, in his fifth go-around with Smith (including the near-classic Chasing Amy), stars as Oliver Trinke, a flack who reps pop stars like Madonna for a living. It’s the mid-’90s, and Oliver is in a relationship with a high-powered book editor, Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez). He calls her Gertie. She calls him Ollie. They’re a poster couple for Big Apple yuppiedom: great jobs, a swell apartment, late-night meals, and, yes, a marriage proposal and then a baby on the way.”

[FULL REVIEW]

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MLIVE.COM – “Romantic confection ‘Jersey Girl’ is sweet with schmaltz”

…”At times the schmaltz is enjoyable, especially when focused on the youngest (Raquel Castro) and the oldest (George Carlin) in the cast of characters. They get most of the good lines and all the integrity of writer-director Kevin Smith’s screenplay. ”

[FULL REVIEW]

HOUSTON CHRONICLE (B ) – “Director grows up with ‘Jersey Girl'”

“…Though it brims with Smith touches, including inside jokes and cameos by members of his stock company of actors (but not Jay and Silent Bob), at times it’s easy to forget this is from the same smart-mouth provocateur who made Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. But despite a bit of sloppiness and a couple of hokey scenes, Jersey Girl is funny enough, smart enough and touching enough to make you forget — or at least forgive — the unfortunate Gigli.

Scratch that: It’s a winner in its own right. Affleck does some of his best work, and though Smith doesn’t handle the material with complete confidence, it’s a heartfelt tale that should speak to a mainstream audience, despite being the most personal movie he’s ever made.

[FULL REVIEW]

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ARIZONA REPUBLIC (*** 1/2) – “No dope, just heart in ‘Jersey Girl'”

“…Because Smith plays Silent Bob, that character probably was even tougher to eliminate. But the director has gained enough maturity to realize that an easygoing romantic comedy doesn’t need – and probably would be derailed by – a marijuana-peddling Greek chorus.

Instead of his usual outrageous dialogue, painful-looking pratfalls and obsession with sexuality, Smith fills Jersey Girl with sweet, tender moments drawn from his experiences as a first-time dad. Jersey Girl isn’t Smith’s best movie, but it is his most heartfelt.

[FULL REVIEW]

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WHAT’S GOIN ON – “Kevin Smith’s first PG-13 flick finally hits theaters, and well worth the wait”

“…It will be interesting to see Smith’s regular fans’ reaction to “Jersey Girl.” Smith has “grown up” with this Valentine to both his wife and to the state where he was born and raised. But if they keep an open mind they’ll find a truly enjoyable film with Smith’s style and wit coming through a slightly toned-down medium (sans Jay and Silent Bob).”

[FULL REVIEW]

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U-PRESS TELEGRAM – “‘Jersey Girl’ gets you with one look”

“…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, coming from a man who truly believes. ”

[FULL REVIEW]

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WINNIPEG SUN – “‘One sweet Jersey Girl – Romantic comedy flick Affleck’s best in years”

“…It may be manipulative and contrived but Jersey Girl spins enough charm and sweetness to make it a delightful though instantly forgettable family comedy. This is a major departure for filmmaker Kevin Smith who built his reputation and cult following by being irreverent and vulgar. ”

[FULL REVIEW]

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PHILADELPHIA INTELLIGENCER

“…Those willing to forgive Smith’s over-enthusiastic response to family life, however, will experience a few moments of pure joy. Star watchers wondering how Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez connect on screen after their disastrous “Gigli” have little to sink their teeth into.”

[FULL REVIEW]

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ORLANDO SENTINEL

“…Smith has said that Jersey Girl isn’t his ”funniest or most original film to date.” It’s probably fair to say that Jersey Girl isn’t the slightest bit hip, either. Instead, the new film is sweet, with just enough wacky Kevin Smith moments to keep it going.

Ironically, the film’s best performance is given by Lopez, who is funny, soulful and, unlike anyone else in this film, totally believable. When she’s sharing the spotlight with Affleck, she makes him a better actor. But, then, we’re not supposed to notice that sort of thing, are we?

[FULL REVIEW]

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THE WASHINGTON TIMES – “”Jersey Girl’ sweet enough”

“…Largely, he succeeds, as does “Jersey Girl,” a romantic comedy that’s shot through with contrivances and cushy manipulations but nonetheless has its heart in the right place. ”

[FULL REVIEW]

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WOAI.COM (***) – “Bennifer’s Last Hurrah: “Jersey Girl””

“…”Jersey Girl” is a good father/daughter movie if you don’t mind the raunchy talk by adult characters in front of the 6-year-old “Jersey Girl.” Thankfully, she doesn’t repeat anything she hears.”

[FULL REVIEW]

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THE MOVIEDUDE

“…Contrary to what some fans may say, I don’t think Smith has sold out. Every one of his films has been a reflection of himself. Clerks reflected his job at the time, Mallrats, his love of Comics, Chasing Amy his relationship insecurities, Dogma, his spirituality, and Jay and Silent Bob, well, that was a thankyou to us, his fans. By reflecting his changes as he grows, this film is among the truest to himself.

Smith has grown as a director. In many ways the character that he created in Ollie Trinke is a parallel to himself. Both have morphed form an overachieving workaholic into family men who make time for Gertie and Harley, their respective daughters. Smith’s growth may outpace some of his younger fan’s but they will catch up with him eventually. And this film should broaden his base. After all, This is the 1st of his films that I will actively try to get my folks to see. You see, I would not want to see either of my parents laughing at some of the jokes in his prior films. I just don’t wish to ackowledge that they would have any basis of reference for some of his punchlines. ”

[FULL REVIEW]

ASBURY PARK PRESS – “Jersey guy Kevin Smith grows up — sort of”

“…But not to worry, underlying this serious story is Smith’s humor and comic in-jokes that true fans will get. There are even cameos by his wife and his daughter, Harley. And Jerseyans will appreciate the underlying subtleties of the story, like making the commute back and forth to New York, driving on the Parkway, going to the diner and more.

Smith says that despite the controversy, uncertainty and possible perception that he has sold out, he’s still the same guy he always was.

“My job never really changed from movie to movie. My job’s always been, write the script, rehearse the actors and make sure the actors give as good an on-camera performance as the one I heard in my head when I was writing it, or better. So it didn’t matter what the budget was, my job stays the same.”

[FULL STORY]

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E! ONLINE – “Jersey Girl” Beating “Gigli” Rap”

…Those bracing for yet another Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez bomb can rest assured: Jersey Girl does not rhyme with Gigli.

Critics who buried Bennifer’s unpronounceable hit-man comedy are, by comparison, only kicking dirt on their new easy-to-say romantic comedy. And box-office pundits who wrote off Gigli as a financial disaster are expecting greater, if not quite fabulous, things of Jersey Girl.

“It should definitely be a nice, solid debut,” BoxOfficeMojo.com’s Brandon Gray says of Jersey Girl, opening on about 1,600 screens Friday.

[FULL STORY]

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THE BOSTON GLOBE – “Has Kevin Smith grown up?”

…”There was a girl I spoke to at a college round table in Miami,” Smith continues. “She was hard-core into my movies, and I definitely picked up that she ain’t quite there with this one. And finally I just said, `You didn’t like it, did you?’ And she said, `No, I really didn’t.’ She was 18, something like that. And I said, `Look, I’m not trying to put you down, but in 10 years you’ll like it a lot more.”

[FULL STORY]

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HENDERSONVILLE NEWS-TIMES (Jon Rich) – “‘Silent Bob’ speaks”

While teenage boys may not find what they are looking for in Jersey Girl, Affleck fans will not be disappointed. The co-writer and co-star of Good Will Hunting took a significant pay cut from his usual blockbuster fee for a fifth big-screen collaboration with Smith.

“He just knows how to deliver the dialogue I write in such a way that I’m enthralled by it,” said the man who brought a script by Affleck and friend Matt Damon to Miramax management and received a producing credit on that Oscar-winning film. “As much as I like it when I write it, and believe me I’m of fan of my own stuff, I like it much better when it comes out of his mouth. He’s a great dude, a good friend and just a great guy to know. I like being around him and I like the performances he turns in. It certainly doesn’t hurt that the dude got famous and I was able to hitch my wagon to his star.”

[FULL STORY]

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WHAT’S GOIN ON – “Silent Bob speaks: One-on-one with Kevin Smith”

“…Yes fans, he knows he’s late on Daredevil:Target and Spiderman/Black Cat. But his issues will be forthcoming, though he cannot cite a date. In the meantime, he is still a fan of the new titles, as well as the incarnations of his own former titles, wishing their current authors well.

“I penned them after somebody else; I didn’t invent them. I was just another writer on the title for a long time. It’s probably no more weird than how Frank Miller felt like when I took over Daredevil, or what Ann Nocenti felt like when I was writing on Daredevil after she had for so long. It’s always interesting to see what somebody does after you’re gone, and you’re always more interested in what they did with the character. The reason, at least that I wrote on the book in the first place, was because I loved the characters and I loved the way people handled them. So I’m probably still curious and interested in how other people have handled them since me. The nice thing in Green Arrow is that once in a while, you see a character you created pop up. That’s cool.”

[FULL STORY]

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THE BOSTON GLOBE – “Has Kevin Smith grown up?”

…”There was a girl I spoke to at a college round table in Miami,” Smith continues. “She was hard-core into my movies, and I definitely picked up that she ain’t quite there with this one. And finally I just said, `You didn’t like it, did you?’ And she said, `No, I really didn’t.’ She was 18, something like that. And I said, `Look, I’m not trying to put you down, but in 10 years you’ll like it a lot more.”

[FULL STORY]

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SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE – “Indie director goes more mainstream with new Ben Affleck film”

…”Smith admits that compared to his other pictures, “Jersey Girl,” is “about as edgy as a . . . spoon.” He anticipates getting “slapped around a bit” by critics and fans for making a sweet, sentimental film.

“It doesn’t represent a shift where now I’m only going to make movies about hearts and flowers and puppies,” he says.

[FULL STORY]

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IGN FILMFORCE – “Kevin Smith’s Musical Side”

“…In addition to the use of popular tunes to set the mood and tone of the film and characters, Smith also re-enlisted the services of composer James Venable, whom he last worked with on both Jay and Silent Bob and The Clerks animated series. “I’d worked with him and when we were heading into Jersey Girl after Jay and Bob he was like ‘What are you doing next?’ And I said ‘I’m doin’ this kind of dramatic, comedic piece that’s kind of a leap away, it’s the opposite tract from Jay and Bob, really.’ Jim does really great kind of techno. You know, the Jay and Bob score, I think, is fantastic. He did the Powerpuff Girls music, the music in Samurai Jack, and he did the Clerks cartoon for us,” Smith says. “He hadn’t really done stuff that didn’t involve computers and synthesizers really. So he was just like ‘I would love to have a shot at doing something that uses real instruments, something more organic.’ So I was like ‘Yeah, absolutely, do it up!’ So we brought him onboard and I thought he did a really good job, especially for a dude that doesn’t normally do that kind of thing, who’s not known for it, at least. I mean he can do it, it’s just not what he gets hired for usually.”

[FULL STORY]

How important do you think it is to cultivate this fan base?

In our case, up to this point, it’s been extremely important. I mean, “Jay and Silent Bob [Strike Back]” is completely influenced by that. It’s an entire movie made based on that fan base that was created over the Internet. Not just the Internet – I think the fan base goes even beyond that. But at this point in our career, it’s extremely important. Even with this movie where one could contend that it’s not necessary, that we’re going for a different audience, but there’s still a fan base that’s important. It’s something that you want to carry over. We’re not making this movie to disregard them. You want them to come along [even] if it’s not their favorite. They all have their favorites. Some people swear by “Chasing Amy.” You can go through all the fans and there are still people who swear by each individual movie. There are still people who think “Clerks” is the best thing we ever did. Some people say “Jay and Bob.” There’s always somebody to vote one of the movies number one. So I hope fans will come, even if it’s not their favorite of the six, there will be elements. So far, the response on the website from the fans that have seen it has been pretty favorable.

TORONTO SUN (Bruce Kirkland) (*** 1/2) – “She’s a good girl”

…If Jersey Girl is soft, by Smith’s standards, it is not just a string of cliches. Even when following a story arc that could just as well be found in a conventional Hollywood movie, Smith twists things just enough to make the experience seem unique and new. That is a nice trick in an almost-mainstream movie — yet Smith can still maintain he did not sell out.

The challenge, however, is getting the public to believe that Jersey Girl stands on its own, separate from the Razzie-winning Gigli, free from the legacy that is Bennifer. Give the girl a break.

[FULL REVIEW]

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CINEMA CONFIDENTIAL (Thomas Chau) (***)

…Some of the scenes were so witty and you could see Smith’s mark on the script. Not only does Gertie’s school performance include a scene from “Sweeney Todd” but there is a scene in which Affleck attempts to get a job in the city only to bump heads with PR execs (Matt Damon and Jason Lee) interviewing him solely on a bet with no intent on hiring him. All of these humorous situations along with wonderfully suggestive banter between Tyler and Affleck in a diner make this film unlike any other cheesy romantic film out there.

[FULL REVIEW]

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105.9 THE X (PITTSBURGH) (*****) “Ben Affleck Shines in ‘Jersey Girl'”

The writer-director avoids falling into the over-sentimentality trap by populating his film with refreshing and often eccentric characters. As tough but tender Bart, Carlin shows he really can act. Tyler shakes up her image as the earthy Maya. Lopez is luminous in her few scenes.

Mike Starr’s Block and Stephen Root’s Greenie are perfect as sidekicks and sight gags. And newcomer Castro is what’s often referred to as a pistol. Or a firecracker. Either way, she’s an explosive little talent.

“Jersey Girl” is even better than the sum of its parts, and its parts are marvelous. (It even gets a musical seal of approval from the Garden State’s favorite rocker son.) Anyone who’s dreamed, anyone who’s loved, will fall in love with “Jersey Girl.”

[FULL REVIEW]

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CINEMAZING (*****) “Ben Affleck Shines in ‘Jersey Girl'”

The writer-director avoids falling into the over-sentimentality trap by populating his film with refreshing and often eccentric characters. As tough but tender Bart, Carlin shows he really can act. Tyler shakes up her image as the earthy Maya. Lopez is luminous in her few scenes.

Mike Starr’s Block and Stephen Root’s Greenie are perfect as sidekicks and sight gags. And newcomer Castro is what’s often referred to as a pistol. Or a firecracker. Either way, she’s an explosive little talent.

“Jersey Girl” is even better than the sum of its parts, and its parts are marvelous. (It even gets a musical seal of approval from the Garden State’s favorite rocker son.) Anyone who’s dreamed, anyone who’s loved, will fall in love with “Jersey Girl.”

[FULL REVIEW]

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IGN FILMFORCE (Steve Schneider) (****) “The softer, gentler side of Kevin Smith”

In the end, Jersey Girl ain’t a bad picture, it just reveals a warmer, softer side of everybody’s favorite indie filmmaker from Jersey. It also has the distinction of being the first Kevin Smith film that you could actually take your parents to and not only would they get it, but they’d probably like it a lot, too. And that’s not a bad thing, particularly, just a different thing, if you know what I mean.

[FULL REVIEW]

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ORLANDO WEEKLY (Steve Schneider) (****) “From here to paternity”

Smith has said that the movie is a valentine to his wife, but I took it more as an admission of new-parent anxieties: What if I had to do this on my own? Am I really good enough to be a dad? And if I am, does that mean that I’m finally, you know, an adult? With “Jersey Girl,” the former Silent Bob becomes just that. While lesser artists focus on growing old gracefully, he’s figured out that real maturity means being grateful you’re getting to grow old at all.

[FULL REVIEW]

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ST. LOUIS POST DISPATCH (Calvin Wilson) (*** 1/2)

As for the Bennifer factor, it’s surprisingly irrelevant to this film. In their scenes together, Affleck and Lopez play off each other beautifully. We see not Ben and Jennifer, but Ollie and Gertrude. “Gigli” must have been an aberration.

“Jersey Girl” is definitely something different from Smith, whose previous films have only hinted at his potential. Although “Chasing Amy” came close, it was ultimately mired in a sort of postadolescent romanticism. This time, he really gets to the heart of things.

[FULL REVIEW]

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MONTREAL GAZETTE (John Griffin) (***) – “Cuddly romance is signature Smith”

…The romantic drama isn’t cheesy, the comedy’s funny, the music’s cool.

[FULL REVIEW]

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YOUBORED NORTHWEST (Jedediah Gilchrist) (B ) – “Cuddly romance is signature Smith”

…Jersey Girl demonstrates that Kevin himself is capable of growing up and producing something both moving and funny without serving as a mouthpiece for his usual pretentious diatribes.

[FULL REVIEW]