Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Ollie Trinke is a young, suave music publicist who seems to have it all, with a new wife and a baby on the way. But life deals him a bum hand when he's suddenly faced with single fatherhood, a defunct career and having to move in with his father. To bounce back, it takes a new love and the courage instilled in him by his daughter.
Jersey Girl is a serviceable but formulaic dramatic comedy from Kevin Smith, marking his attempt at mainstream sentimentality. The plot hits predictable single-parent redemption beats without much surprise. Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler deliver competent performances, and young Raquel Castro is charming, lifting the acting slightly above average. The cinematography is workmanlike with no particular visual ambition. Novelty is low — the film is a well-worn tale of a career-driven man rediscovering family values, and feels generic by Smith's standards. The ending provides modest emotional satisfaction but doesn't transcend the formula.