Posted by Truthteller_ at 65-102-249-69.dnvr.qwest.net on March 25, 2004 at 00:02:41:
In Reply to: Good JG review at The Onion posted by Ryall on March 24, 2004 at 23:23:32:
Sometimes it's just fun to go the theater, relax and turn your brain off. So Jersey Girl gets the job done. People aren't going to leave the theater saying "Jesus God! People gots to see this film!!!" It's not gonna make alot of money. It's not going to have any buzz. And after seeing this flick I doubt Kevin made it for these reasons. So just leave the man alone. Why try to inflate his ego over a film he obviously made from his heart? Let him enjoy this film with his family, which he obviously made this film for. And if others can share in his enjoyment of family and parenting the way then awesome! But if it doesn't work out in that way, then who cares? Kevin at least has something he can share with his family, friends and his small but loyal group of fans.
Even though I liked Jersey Girl this isn't Kevin's BEST flick. Dogma and Jersey Girl are easily superior films and they are heads and shoulders above Jersey Girl. The fact that Dogma and Jersey Girl weren't nominated for best screenwriting academy awards was a travesty. That said I'm not saying that Jersey Girl is bad. It's not. I liked it! And when I saw it at an advance screening I was 'under-the-impression' that this was all meant to be lighthearted fare anyways. So that's how I took it. It was a sweet, lighthearted film about parenting (it's reminds me of an updated, gen-X version of Parenthood).
There is nothing groundbreaking here and I don't think Kevin wants us to pat him on the back for 'not-making' a 'farts and dick jokes movie' this time around. As far as I could tell he was just making a small film to celebrate his love of parenting, that's all. I don't think he's looking to break box office records or win an oscar here. Kevin plays it safe with Jersey Girl and nothing in this film screams incredible or amazing. It's just a fun family film with a little something for everyone, like Daddy Day Care and About A Boy (two films I also like).
Kudos to Kevin for making a fun family film about his love of family even if almost all of the critics hate it and even if its destined to flop. The important thing here is that his family knows that he loves them and that he cares about them. Kevin loves his family so much that he literally put everything on the line so that they can connect with him. And just because he cares more about his family than he does about filmmaking doesn't mean we should stress out. Not every film is art and Jersey Girl is not art nor was it meant to be. It's a love letter to his family and the people that matter most to his life.