Kevin Smith's 'Little Movie That Couldn't'.

I thought this was a deeply flawed, but very sweet little movie. While I didn't think it was a patch on 'Chasing Amy', I did think it was an enormous step-up from 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back', and don't quite get the hatred for it.

Yes, it has the whole 'Ben and J-Lo' thing, but she's only in it for five minutes. Otherwise, I found it pretty decent, with one major flaw.

As far as I'm concerned, Ben Affleck is the best monologuer out there today. His 'painting' speech in 'Chasing Amy' is superb, and he delivers Smith's dialogue (in particular) brilliantly. His character in 'Jersey Girl' is - specifically - a speech-maker. It's made clear that this is his talent, talking around people in a room. We get a scene where he has to talk people round in a room, and he succeeds...at which point, surely we should get the dramatic 'money shot' of showing us why he is so good at this. Instead, the movie tells us, and all we get is a montage scene, without any dialogue. A horrible, horrible mistake, but not one worthy of the bile hurled in it's direction.

So, have you seen it? What did you think?

I thought Afflick's silent speech odd too, especially since Smith can write brilliant monologues.
It's a film I enjoy rewatching, as Chris says, sweet and fun, and the fact the girl isn't annoying at any point is a great testament to the young actress.

I thought Zach & Miri sucked though, and I can't ever see me rewatching that train-wreck.

I didn't love it, but I don't think it deserves all the hatred it gets. It is a sweet story despite not being his best work. I thought the same about Clerks II, despite the dance sequence going a bit too far and losing it's appeal after the first viewing.

I thought it was always going to bomb though, Smiths first major step outside his own universe was going to be a problem for his fans.

Didn't mind it but haven't seen it since watching it at the cinema in 2004. Jo is in the film for about five minutes but she was meant to be in it more. because of the media shite smith cut a load out. Much better than Zack and Miri and sweet is the right word for it.

I've probably onle seen it about two or three times and it's my least favourite of Smith's films but it's still a nice little movie. It's a shame that the Bennifer thing especially the release of Gigli damaged it at the time. I thought Jennifer was quite good in it and Raquel Castro playing her daughter as well. A different take on the family film and one that's very Kevin Smith too, I mean you know it's one of his films when a man comforts his wife by saying "you can be a coked-out, coked-out whore."

I've often wondered whether Kevin will revist the film. The Clerks films have been about his life in his twenties and thirties and this film was written about his daughter growing up. It would be interesting to revisit the Trinke family when Gertie hits her teenage years.

Another movie I really should watch again