History Trivia / Gigli

* MissingTrailerScene: There are many scenes from the trailer that do not appear in the film:

** Music/JenniferLopez's film career suffered due to the film's failure, and while she maintained a successful music and television career, she starred in only a few films in the next decade or so, which are moderate successes at best. However she underwent her own CareerResurrection in 2019 with a critically acclaimed performance in ''Film/{{Hustlers}}''.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HalleBerry was originally cast as Ricki, but dropped out because of her previous commitment to ''Film/X2XMenUnited''.

* ReclusiveArtist: Not only has Martin Brest not done another film since this, he's retired from public life entirely, to the [[https://web.archive.org/web/20141222232939/http:/www.playboy.com/articles/what-happened-to-director-martin-brest point that even industry professionals and former collaborators aren't certain of his whereabouts.]] That changed come 2023, [[https://variety.com/2023/film/features/martin-brest-director-beverly-hills-cop-gigli-1235672428/amp/ where he finally gave an interview]] discussing his career including this film.

* StarDerailingRole: Narrowly averted by Creator/BenAffleck, though the combination of this with his roles in ''Film/{{Daredevil}}'' and ''Film/{{Paycheck}}'' that same year served to mark the low point of his career prior to his CareerResurrection of the late 2000s.
* TroubledProduction: The script was rewritten from a straightforward mob movie to a romantic comedy to take advantage of the "Bennifer" media circus surrounding the RomanceOnTheSet between the film's leads, Creator/BenAffleck and Music/JenniferLopez. Director Creator/MartinBrest had no problem with this -- after all, he'd made ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' under similar circumstances and it was a hit.[[note]]When the script of ''Beverly Hills Cop'' was in development with Creator/SylvesterStallone in mind to play Axel, the character of Jenny was supposed to be the LoveInterest. After Creator/EddieMurphy was finally cast in the part, Creator/{{Paramount}} got nervous at the WhereDaWhiteWomenAt implications and mandated Jenny to become Axel's platonic childhood friend.[[/note]] While there were no reports of strife on the set, things blew up between Brest and the studio during post-production, as they fought for a long time over the final film. It was [[https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gigli roundly]] [[https://www.metacritic.com/movie/gigli panned]] as one of the worst films ever when finally released[[note]]Let's put it this way. The DVD box had no quotations from reviews on it. None at all. Even most bad movies have at least one blurb from some middle-of-nowhere TV station or newspaper that the studio paid for. The fact that they couldn't even get ''that'' says something.[[/note]] and Brest, a fine comic director with ''Film/GoingInStyle1979'' and ''Film/MidnightRun'' also to his credit, has [[CreatorKiller not made another film since]].

* WriteWhatYouKnow: Creator/MartinBrest worked at Bronx State Hospital during college, where he observed the behaviors of various patients. This, he claims, served as the inspiration for the character of Brian.

* ReclusiveArtist: Not only has Martin Brest not done another film since this, he's retired from public life entirely, to the [[https://web.archive.org/web/20141222232939/http:/www.playboy.com/articles/what-happened-to-director-martin-brest point that even industry professionals and former collaborators aren't certain of his whereabouts.]]

* CreatorBacklash: Creator/MartinBrest was greatly displeased with Creator/ColumbiaPictures and Creator/RevolutionStudios reworking the script to cash in on the "[[PortmanteauCoupleName Bennifer]]" craze, and the experience ultimately prompted him to withdraw from filmmaking entirely after the film bombed.

* OldShame: For Ben Affleck. Creator/KevinSmith likes to tell stories about how, whenever he and Affleck are play-fighting with one another, all Smith has to do to end the conversation is say, "Oh, by the way, ''Gigli''." Creator/MattDamon has also joked(?) that Affleck's left eye twitches every time he hears the word "Gigli".

* CreatorBacklash: Creator/MartinBrest was greatly displeased with Creator/ColumbiaPictures and Creator/RevolutionStudios reworking the script to cash in on the "[[PortmanteauCoupleName Bennifer]]" craze, and ultimately prompted him to withdraw from filmmaking entirely after the film bombed.

* OldShame: For Ben Affleck. Creator/KevinSmith likes to tell stories about how, whenever he and Ben Affleck are play-fighting with one another, all Smith has to do to end the conversation is say "Oh, by the way, ''Gigli''". Creator/MattDamon jokes(?) that Affleck's left eye twitches every time he hears the word ''Gigli''.

* ''Gigli'' won six UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward[=s=] in 2003: Worst Picture, Worst Director and Screenplay for Brest, and Worst Actor, Actress, and Screen Couple for Affleck and Lopez. This makes it the first to "win" all of the equivalent awards to Oscar's traditional "grand slam".

* CreatorKiller: For Creator/MartinBrest. He made several successful films in the '80s and '90s, such as ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'', ''Film/MidnightRun'' and ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Since ''Gigli'', he hasn't directed another film.

* ReclusiveArtist: Not only has Martin Brest not done another film since this, he's retired from public life entirely, to [[https://web.archive.org/web/20141222232939/http:/www.playboy.com/articles/what-happened-to-director-martin-brest point that even industry professionals and former collaborators aren't certain of his whereabouts.]]

* ''Gigli'' won six UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward[=s=] in 2003: Worst Picture, Worst Director and Screenplay for Brest, and Worst Actor, Actress, and Screen Couple for Affleck and Lopez.

* OldShame: For Ben Affleck. Creator/KevinSmith likes to tell stories about how, whenever he and Ben Affleck are play-fighting with one another, all Smith has to do to end the conversation is say "Oh, by the way, ''Gigli''", and Creator/MattDamon jokes(?) that Affleck's left eye twitches every time he hears the word ''Gigli''.

* CreatorBacklash: Creator/MartinBrest was greatly displeased with Columbia reworking the script to cash in on the Bennifer craze, and ultimately prompted him to withdraw from filmmaking entirely after the film bombed.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The film started out as a straight mob movie. However, Creator/{{Columbia|Pictures}} insisted upon changing it once "[[PortmanteauCoupleName Bennifer]]" became the biggest tabloid story of 2002–03.

* OldShame: For Ben Affleck. Creator/KevinSmith likes to tell stories about how, whenever he and Ben Affleck are play-fighting with one another, all Smith has to do to end the conversation is say "Oh, by the way, ''Gigli''.", and Creator/MattDamon jokes(?) that Affleck's left eye twitches every time he hears the word ''Gigli''.
* RomanceOnTheSet: Affleck and Lopez started a well-publicized fling during this. And said tabloid overkill is certainly one reason audiences didn't care about this movie.
* StarDerailingRole: Narrowly averted by Creator/BenAffleck, though the combination of this with his roles in ''Daredevil'' and ''Paycheck'' that same year served to mark the low point of his career prior to his CareerResurrection of the late 2000s.
* TroubledProduction: The script was rewritten from a straightforward mob movie to a romantic comedy in order to take advantage of the "Bennifer" media circus surrounding the RomanceOnTheSet between the film's leads, Creator/BenAffleck and Music/JenniferLopez. Martin Brest, the director, had no problem with this -- after all, he'd made ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' under similar circumstances and it was a hit.[[note]]When the script of ''Beverly Hills Cop'' was in development the character of Jenny was supposed to be the LoveInterest. After Creator/EddieMurphy was finally cast in the part, Paramount got nervous at the WhereDaWhiteWomenAt implications and mandated Jenny to become Axel's platonic childhood friend.[[/note]] While there were no reports of strife on the set, things blew up between Brest and the studio during post-production, as they fought for a long time over the final film. It was roundly panned as one of the worst films ever when finally released[[note]]Let's put it this way. The DVD box had no quotes from reviews on it. None at all. Even most bad movies have at least one blurb from some middle-of-nowhere TV station or newspaper that the studio paid for. The fact that they couldn't even get ''that'' says something.[[/note]], and Brest, a fine comic director with ''Film/GoingInStyle1979'' and ''Film/MidnightRun'' also to his credit, has [[CreatorKiller not made another film since]].
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Creator/HalleBerry was originally cast as Ricki, but dropped out.

* ''Gigli'' won the Worst Picture of 2003 UsefulNotes/GoldenRaspberryAward.

* CreatorBacklash: Martin Brest was greatly displeased with Columbia reworking the script to cash in on the Bennifer craze, and ultimately prompted him to withdraw from filmmaking entirely after the film bombed.
* CreatorKiller: For Martin Brest. He made several successful films in the '80s and '90s, such as ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'', ''Film/MidnightRun'' and ''Film/ScentOfAWoman''. Since ''Gigli'', he hasn't directed another film.

* TroubledProduction: The script was rewritten from a straightforward mob movie to a romantic comedy in order to take advantage of the "Bennifer" media circus surrounding the RomanceOnTheSet between the film's leads, Creator/BenAffleck and Music/JenniferLopez. Martin Brest, the director, had no problem with this -- after all, he'd made ''Film/BeverlyHillsCop'' a hit under similar circumstances. While there were no reports of strife on the set, things blew up between Brest and the studio during post-production, as they fought for a long time over the final film. It was roundly panned as one of the worst films ever when finally released[[note]]Let's put it this way. The DVD box had no quotes from reviews on it. None at all. Even most bad movies have at least one blurb from some middle-of-nowhere TV station or newspaper that the studio paid for. The fact that they couldn't even get ''that'' says something.[[/note]], and Brest, a fine comic director with ''Film/GoingInStyle1979'' and ''Film/MidnightRun'' also to his credit, has [[CreatorKiller not made another film since]].

* OldShame:
** Creator/KevinSmith likes to tell stories about how, whenever he and Ben Affleck are play-fighting with one another, all Smith has to do to end the conversation is say "Oh, by the way, ''Gigli''."
** According to Creator/MattDamon, Affleck's left eye twitches every time he hears the word ''Gigli''.

* BoxOfficeBomb: Famously so, costing nearly $76 million to produce ([[http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/giglis-real-price-tag-or-how-studios-lie-about-budgets-30665 it was produced by a company with a nasty habit of grossly understating its productions’ budgets]]) and recouping less than a tenth of that -- $7,266,209. Notably, its first-to-second-week market share dropped by a whooping 89%.

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