Years later, Kevin Smith reflects optimistically on Jersey Girl. Jersey Girl is a 2004 film written and directed by Smith, that chronicles the story of a widower who has to take care of his young daughter and work on his life and career following a tragedy. Ben Affleck plays the lead role of Ollie Trinke in Jersey Girl, with a supporting cast that includes Liv Tyler, Raquel Castro, Betty Aberlin, and Paulie Litt.
Twenty years after the release of Jersey Girl, Smith discusses the film in an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
The director said that “Jersey Girl for the longest time was the redheaded stepchild of all [his] films.” In defense of Jersey Girls, however, Smith reminded audiences that Jersey Girl made $25 million at the box office. He also pointed out how hard the release was in the “post-Gigli climate,” noting the former film made just $6 million. Check out the full quote from Smith below:
Jersey Girl for the longest time was the redheaded stepchild of all my films. Are we still allowed to say that? It was an expression that my mom used to use on me all the time. She hates redheads. You know, all things considered, this movie had to follow Gigli. Gigli made 6 million at the box office. And so I was like, what the hell? Because honestly, our ad campaign was like ‘did you like Gigli, well here’s more of that s***.” This movie wound up making $25 million in a post-Gigli climate. Like, you know, write about that, Leonard Maltin.
What Kevin Smith’s Statement Means About Jersey Girl
Jersey Girl Had Negative Reviews
When calling Jersey Girl the “redheaded stepchild of all [his] films,” Smith is likely referring to the fact that Jersey Girl was poorly reviewed, and even mocked, during the time of its release. The film holds a 43% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, with nearly 200 reviews on the site. Audiences did not like Jersey Girl that much better, giving it a 48% Popcornmeter with over 100,000 ratings. Smith is right that Jersey Girl did make $25 million at the domestic box office, and it actually brought in an additional $10 million overseas, bringing its total to $35 million.
When Smith is referring to a “post-Gigli environment,” the director is referencing the infamous 2003 film Gigli, which also starred Affleck. Gigli gained notoriety after being panned by critics and bombing at the box office. Even today, the film has just a 2.6/10 score on IMDb, among over 50,000 users. Given Jersey Girl was just the next year, the film was in a tough position, for people had been soured on Affleck’s acting after the flop that was Gigli.
How Kevin Smith Recovered From Jersey Girl
Kevin Smith Has Gone On To Make Better-Received Films
Jersey Girl was a particular blow to Smith’s career at the time, because things had just been heating up with releases like Chasing Amy, Clerks, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. Jersey Girl was considered lesser than these other films. Luckily, however, Smith has been able to come back from these lackluster reviews and produce several other key titles, including 2008’s Zack and Miri Make a Porno. This year, Smith came out with The 4:30 Movie, a teen comedy set in the 1980s. Despite missing the mark with Jersey Girl, Smith will keep forging on in his career.
Source: EW / YouTube
