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This is also probably the best-looking Kevin Smith film ever, thanks to the cinematography of Vilmos Zsigmond (an Oscar winner for Close Encounters of the Third Kind). Smith himself has admitted in the past that dialogue is his forté, and that he has no particular visual sensibility—he is a stark exception to Robert Johnston's observation, in Reel Spirituality, that Catholic filmmakers tend to be driven by image, and Protestants by word. So, both as a filmmaker and as a person, this movie marks an interesting stage in Smith's growth. It should be interesting to see what he comes up with next.

Talk About It

1. How does becoming a parent change one's view of parents? Of children? Is it easier to be a parent because you remember what it was like to be a child? What if, like Ollie, you are a parent and a child at the same time, living with both your father and your daughter? Does becoming a grandparent change a parent?
   
   
2. How does God act in our lives like a parent (for example, through his love and authority)? How does he act in our lives like a child (for example, by surprising us with unexpected gifts of grace)?
   
   
3. Is there a difference between watching pornography and having casual sex? Is sex ever really casual? What do you think of a relationship like the one between Ollie and Maya, beginning with the idea that sex and commitment are two completely separate things?

The Family Corner

There's plenty of profanity (lots of s-words and the taking of Jesus' name in vain, and one f-word), and has frank talk about sex, pornography, and diaper changing. A newborn baby is covered in the usual goop. A seven-year-old boy and girl show each other their private parts, but nothing is seen onscreen. An adult couple strip down to their underwear but no further.

Photos © Copyright Miramax

Kevin Smith's latest comedy Jersey Girl is earning some mainstream attention because it is not quite so crass as his previous films (Clerks, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.) It stands out from the others for the way Smith's convictions about the importance of family and fatherhood shine through. But even though it tells a pro-family story, it is definitely not a family film.

When a proud New York publicist (Ben Affleck) loses his wife and his job in quick succession, he finds himself devastated and frustrated. His daughter Gertie (Raquel Castro) needs her father, but he's too busy trying to salvage his career. Eventually, the interference of his father (George Carlin) and a sexually aggressive video store clerk (Liv Tyler) bring him around to a better perspective on life, love, and fatherhood.

Peter T. Chattaway (Christianity Today Movies) says the film is "actually quite touching. In many ways, Jersey Girl is a typical Kevin Smith movie, from the celebrity cameos and Star Wars references to the abundant four-letter words and Catholic imagery. But in several other ways, the film marks an interesting departure for Smith. If this film is marked by anything, it is by Smith's love for his daughter, and for his family."

"Jersey Girl may seem cute and harmless, but parents should be very careful and hesitant about letting their children see this one," says Jonathan Rodriguez (Christian Spotlight). He also notes, "Kevin Smith is quite simply a director one either loves or hates."

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A Warm & Fuzzy Kevin Smith?	Printer view
Well, not quite. But the normally crass writer/director toned it down for Jersey Girl, where the young father wears his heart on his sleeve.