Jersey Girl or: I Still Mourn for Bennifer

Late last year, the duo known worldwide as “Bennifer” called it quits. Most found the news to be utterly devastating. How could Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, the couple who showed so much love for each other in the “Jenny from the Block” video, not be meant for each other? The tabloids reported that Lopez wanted more of a commitment and that Affleck just wanted to be ... Affleck. And who could blame the guy? He's one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, and surely he must have found the prospect of settling down a little bit frightening.

By March of this year, many had either come to terms with the split or had buried it somewhere deep down inside of themselves. And even though I could relate to both camps, I found myself somewhere in the middle. I had accepted their separation and realized that sometimes the things in life that we think are meant to be often don’t work out, yet still felt an incredible amount of pain. I’d come to the conclusion that if two crazy kids like Affleck and Lopez couldn’t find happiness together, then the rest of us were fucked.

Later that month, Kevin Smith’s long delayed Jersey Girl hit theatres. Bennifer fans rejoiced. This would be the couple’s swan song and a way for fans to finally say a proper goodbye to the couple. Reports indicated that Smith had crafted a beautiful, heartfelt love story for the film’s opening, but after the box office failure of Gigli, and the pair’s subsequent split, he was pressured to make some changes to the film. The love story between Affleck’s and Lopez’ characters was condensed and a wedding sequence shot for the film was removed to avoid any confusion that the couple had actually wed. After the final cut was made, Lopez had less than 15 minutes of screen time.

I found it hard to believe that Bennifer’s on-screen chemistry wouldn’t be the focus of Jersey Girl. But after seeing the film, I sadly discovered that Smith had in fact played down that chemistry. He chose to speed through the courtship, consummation, and sad end of the couple’s relationship. Instead, Smith crafted a Mr. Mom-style movie that explores no new territory and is rarely funny.

Smith is a gifted and unique storyteller, two traits that are incredibly hard to find in the same filmmaker. His past films, which include Clerks and Dogma, were peppered with witty dialogue, adult language, and thought provoking ideas. Jersey Girl lacks all of these things. The story, which focuses on a newly single dad choosing between his old fast paced lifestyle and the personal sacrifices that come with being a father, comes off as nothing more than a clichéd, big screen movie-of-the-week.

I had high hopes for Jersey Girl, but was ultimately let down by it. And despite all of its shortcomings, the film’s biggest failure is the missed opportunity to finally give Bennifer fans that true sense of closure that is still so desperately needed.