Line #28 Film/JerseyGirl


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/jersey_girl_2004_poster.jpg]]
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3	This 2004 comedy-drama was Creator/KevinSmith’s first foray into more traditional Hollywood filmmaking, as well as his first film to be set outside of Film/TheViewAskewniverse.
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5	Ollie (Creator/BenAffleck) is a workaholic music publicist living comfortably in [[BigApplesauce New York City]] whose wife Gertrude (Creator/JenniferLopez) [[DeathByChildbirth tragically dies in childbirth]]. His responsibility for his newborn daughter eventually costs him his job, forcing him to move into his father’s (Creator/GeorgeCarlin) house in New Jersey. From then on, it’s the story of Ollie’s shaky attempts to raise his daughter, whom he named after her mother, as a single parent, all while deciding whether or not to return to the ritzy life in New York with her. Ollie also finds himself getting involved with a sexy video-store clerk named Maya (Creator/LivTyler).
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7	!!''Jersey Girl'' demonstrates the following tropes:
8	* ActorAllusion:
9	** Creator/BenAffleck and Creator/LivTyler had been a couple in ''Film/Armageddon1998'' as well. What's more is that Creator/BruceWillis was meant to be in the film AsHimself, and he had also been the lead in ''Armageddon''.
10	** One of the movies on display at the video store is ''Film/StealingBeauty'', Liv Tyler's breakout role. Some of Ben Affleck's movies are also displayed such as ''Film/ShakespeareInLove'', ''Film/GoodWillHunting'' and ''Literature/{{Phantoms}}''.
11	* AgeInappropriateArt: At the talent show, Gertie performs "God, That's Good!" from ''Theatre/SweeneyToddTheDemonBarberOfFleetStreet'', a song about a murderous barber and pie shop maker's business booming because they've secretly started using human meat in their pies.
12	* ArmorPiercingResponse: Ollie delivers one to his dad Bart when Bart sees Ollie burying himself in work to forget about the loss of his wife and neglecting his newborn child in the process. "Jeez, if Gertie could see the s**t that you've pulled." "Gertie doesn't see anymore, Dad, she's dead.".
13	* BeleagueredAssistant: Arthur.
14	* BrickJoke: Gertie repeatedly asks her dad to take her to see ''{{Theatre/Cats}}'', but because it's no longer running, they see ''Theatre/SweeneyTodd'' instead. Later, at the school pageant, they're the only ones who ''don't'' sing "Memory."
15	* ChekhovsGun: Gertie always forgetting to flush the toilet. The one time she remembers on her own is [[InterruptedIntimacy the one time]] [[FlushingToiletScreamingShower Ollie wouldn't have wanted her to]]...
16	* DeadGuyJunior: Ollie names his daughter Gertie after Gertrude, his wife, who died giving birth to their daughter.
17	* DeathByChildbirth: Gertrude, who suffers an aneurysm right after giving birth to Gertie.
18	* DidIJustSayThatOutLoud:
19	** The entire reason Ollie had to move back in with his dad.
20	** And when he [[KickTheDog curses out his daughter]]. The guy should really learn to keep his mouth shut sometimes because when you say things out of anger, you can't take it back.
21	* DisappointedInYou: Gertie express disappointment in Ollie for not being a better father to her and Ollie's dad tells Ollie what's gotten into him after his WhamLine.
22	--> '''Bart:''' (to Ollie disappointingly) What the hell the matter with you? Huh?
23	* EasilyForgiven: A few days after the heated argument and Ollie's WhamLine and Gertie's YouShouldHaveDiedInstead line, Ollie and Gertie apologize to each other and says that they didn't mean any of the things they said, such as Ollie saying that Gertie and her mother took his life away from him and Gertie saying that he should have died instead of her mother.
24	* FlushingToiletScreamingShower: How Gertie ends up catching Ollie and Maya, who are standing in the shower when Gertie flushes the toilet.
25	* GrumpyOldMan: Creator/GeorgeCarlin's character, even though it shows he actually does care.
26	* InterruptedIntimacy: Ollie gets caught with Maya by Gertie, who [[SwappedRoles switches roles with him]], mirroring a previous scene involving his daughter.
27	* ItWillNeverCatchOn: Ollie doesn't think [[Creator/WillSmith the star]] of ''Series/TheFreshPrinceOfBelAir'' will be able to carry a [[Film/IndependenceDay huge summer action film]].
28	* KnightInSourArmor: After his initial irresponsibility, Ollie becomes a loving, attentive father for his daughter, but still tries to convince her that his previous lofty lifestyle, as opposed to their simpler one with his father in New Jersey, will be good for her. When he tries to force her to move back to New York later in the movie, he gets so angry that he outright accuses her of taking his life away from him.
29	* MagicalNegro: Creator/WillSmith's appearance (as himself) in an all white colored outfit has shades of this.
30	* ManicPixieDreamGirl: Maya is this to a T; her job as a video store clerk and her graduate studies seem to be just pretexts for her to aggressively throw herself into Ollie's life and provide him with sex and romance.
31	* NoBisexuals: In-universe. When discussing who Music/GeorgeMichael is singing about in his popular 1980's hit song "I Want Your Sex", Ollie shoots down the theory that George Michael is singing that to a guy. Not once taking in account to the musician's bisexuality.
32	--> '''Ollie''': Because George Michael is a pimp who is all about the ladies. That song "I Want Your Sex"? I mean, come on! You think he's singing that to a guy?
33	* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Ollie's rant where he trashes his own client at a press conference has made him unemployable. He gets one job interview simply because he's so infamous that the interviewers want to meet him, not because they have any intention of hiring him.
34	* PlayingDoctor: Ollie walks in on Gertie lifting up her dress for a male friend. Amazingly, one of the few examples of this trope to actually ''show'' the game in question being played.
35	* RecognitionFailure: Ollie does not recognize his client's name, "Will Smith," until reminded that he is the Fresh Prince.
36	* ResentfulGuardian: Ollie resents his daughter for how having to care for her as a single father has ruined his life, leading him to explode at her with his WhamLine after she said some terrible words to him by saying that YouShouldHaveDiedInstead.
37	* StunnedSilence: Everyone (even Gertie) in the house after Ollie delivers the below WhamLine.
38	* SwappedRoles: After Gertie catches Ollie in the shower with Maya.
39	* TakeThat: Many. Notably:
40	** In universe, Ollie delivers a massive one to Creator/WillSmith (just prior to the release of ''Film/IndependenceDay'').
41	** ''Theatre/{{Cats}}'' is apparently "the second worst thing to ever happen to New York."
42	* TemptingFate: Ollie does this multiple times. The first is also memorable if not a TearJerker Foreshadowing:
43	--> '''Ollie''': (out of breath) You carry em' for 9 months, give birth. We've seen it done 100 times! How hard can it be?
44	* TitledAfterTheSong: The Music/BruceSpringsteen cover of Music/TomWaits' original from ''Music/HeartattackAndVine'' plays over the end credits.
45	* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Interesting example. Gertrude dying was supposed to be a major twist and Music/JenniferLopez was meant to get a top billing. However after Film/{{Gigli}} flopped with critics and audiences [[PortmanteauCoupleName Bennifer]] started suffering from a major HypeBacklash. In attempt at damage control Lopez was DemotedToExtra and her death became a major part of advertising campaign.
46	* TheVerse: Averted. One of the reasons for this film's commercial failure was that it '''wasn't''' set in Film/TheViewAskewniverse.
47	* WhamLine: "I HATE YOU RIGHT BACK, YOU LITTLE [[PrecisionFStrike SHIT]]! [[KickTheDog YOU AND YOUR MOTHER TOOK MY LIFE AWAY AND I JUST WANT IT BACK!!]]"
48	* WhatTheHellHero: Bart calls Ollie out a few times when he wasn't being the father he should be. Even after his WhamLine, he didn't have much to say to him.
49	* WorldOfSnark: It ''is'' a Creator/KevinSmith film, after all.
50	* YouShouldHaveDiedInstead: During the heated argument, Gertie went as far as to saying that she hates Ollie and that she wished he died instead of her mother.
51	--> '''Gertie:''' I hate you! I hate you and I wish ''you'' died, not Mommy!

Context Film / JerseyGirl