“Jersey Girl,” (not to be confused with the 1992 movie of the same name about a yuppie finding love) is about a yuppie finding love. But, that’s only the first ten seconds of this film. From there on, we are given a gripping and poignant look at being a good parent and above all, being a good person. “Jersey Girl” is a number of things, and, in this review, I am going to explain a little bit what I mean by that comment.

First off, to any Kevin Smith fan in my audience, do not think you will like this film just because you are a Smith fan. This is not the case. It is a complete departure from what you are used to, but it’s better because of it. Trust me. There is not a single reference to his previous films.

This film isn’t always about comedy, either. I mean, it’s really funny but that’s not what the focus was this time. This time it was about love. Platonic love, paternal, and otherwise, but do not doubt that this is a film that will make you appreciate the people you love.

Another thing that may surprise you about this film is the performances by the actors. I think Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are good actors who’ve done a lot of bad movies, but even their worst critics have nothing to complain about here.

Then there’s George Carlin as Affleck’s character’s dad. Who knew Rufus from “Bill and Ted” was such a good actor? Apparently Smith knew when he wrote a part specifically for Carlin because he nailed it.

Liv Tyler is also good in this film. Who knew? I always thought she was pretty good, but you would be hard pressed not to fall in love with her character even just a little bit.

And Raquel Castro, she’s golden as Affleck’s character’s daughter; the titular “Jersey Girl” this film is mostly about. She was pitch-perfect and cute, without being overly cute.

This film had solid acting all across the board. I’d also feel that this film is exactly what Smith needed to make. It showcased his talent as a writer.

If Smith hadn’t made this, or if it wasn’t any good, it would have proved that he was a one trick pony. But instead, we get the best film of his career and proof that this writer/director will be around for a long time.

Also worthy of note is the music in this film. I really hope that what they used were not temp tracks because they all fit so well. There is a scene where “High” by The Cure is playing, and it just sells the emotion of the scene.

On that note, this film is very cliché and syrupy but to me that really isn’t a knock against it. The reason being that despite all the melodrama I still loved it and understood why it was there. I don’t think it affected the humanistic reality of the film at all.

I fell in love with the story, characters, and film so much it didn’t matter. While the actors could have carried it by themselves, it is instead raised to melodramatic levels with the inclusion of the music.

All the licensed music is emotionally resonant, but you almost feel like you’re being “pushed” into feeling a certain way. I loved it but I could see how it would be off-putting to some audiences.

The film as a whole may be very melodramatic, but I feel that the writing is so grounded in reality that it’s never unbelievable. Most films have sub-plots, but I didn’t feel that was the case with this film.

In this first full, two and a half hour cut of the film, I don’t think that one single frame of film or line of dialogue was wasted or didn’t directly tie to the main story line.

I know that it’s a long time till March 19, 2004, but I believe this film is worth the anticipation. If you need a reminder just clip this review and keep it in plain sight so next year you’ll be all set to go.

Here’s hoping that they keep all the music cues and don’t cut away too much of the film itself. I say this because this film is on the fast track to being one of my favorite films of 2004!