Here's why Jersey Girl became the first Kevin Smith directed movie not to feature Jay and Silent Bob. Kevin Smith became an indie sensation with his self-financed, black and white debut Clerks in 1994. This scrappy little comedy revolved around convenience store clerks Randal and Dante, and the movie's quotable dialogue made it a surprise success. Smith followed with comedy Mallrats, which marked his first collaboration with Ben Affleck and also featured a cameo by Stan Lee. Mallrats would evolve into a cult hit, though it was a bomb during its original release.
Smith would bounce back with comedy drama Chasing Amy, which was followed by Dogma and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. Running throughout all these movies was Jay and Silent Bob, played by Jason Memes and Smith respectively. Be it a cameo appearance or leading roles, these two stoners became cult heroes and tied Smith's comedy universe View Askewniverse together. The duo also made a cameo in Scream 3, proving they exist in the same world as Ghostface.
Jersey Girl was Kevin Smith's follow-up to Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. The story sees Ben Affleck's Ollie raising his young daughter following the death of his wife during childbirth, and pursuing a new romance with Liv Tyler's character. The film was a box-office disappointment that wasn't aided by the fact it was released shortly after the flop of Gigli, which also starred Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, who were engaged at the time. Lopez played Ollie's late wife Gertie in the first act of Jersey Girl, but her part was all but hidden in the film's marketing.
Jersey Girl was a movie of firsts for Kevin Smith, being his first PG-13 rating and his first not to be set in the View Askewniverse. It was also the first not to feature the characters of Jay or Silent Bob, with Smith attempting to step out of his comfort zone as a filmmaker and make a move toward more mainstream comedy. Neither character really belongs in a PG-13 rom-com anyway, so they weren't included.
Jersey Girl is also notable for a surprise cameo by Will Smith as himself, who shares a brief scene with Affleck towards the end of the movie and gives him some sage fatherly advice. This cameo was originally scripted to be Bruce Willis, though a deal with the actor couldn't be made at the time. The pair would later collaborate on 2010's Cop Out, where Smith infamously had a terrible time working with the screen icon, though they're reportedly mended their relationship. While Jay and Silent Bob didn't appear in Jersey Girl, they did return in future movies, with the most recent being 2019's Jay And Silent Bob Reboot.
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