Posted by Kevin at acc28e24.ipt.aol.com on April 03, 2003 at 14:47:06:
If you can believe it, these two bastions of journalistic integrity have misreported (or
flat out lied, depending on how you look at it) about "Jersey Girl" and re-shoots that
just don't exist.
Here's their story. My comments below...
-----------------------
Jennifer Lopez and Ben AffleckTough Luck
J. Lo and Ben's latest vehicle may be a stinker. Plus, Kirsten Dunst becomes
political
by BeatBoxBetty
The scoop on the latest, name-changing film from Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck is
that in addition to having an identity crisis, it's just plain bad. Tough Love has had
its name changed from Gigli, had its release date pushed back four or five times
and had a $5 million rewrite after test audiences were left unimpressed. In fact, the
original ending had Ben's character dying, but since audiences hated that, the
studio had to re-shoot a new ending.
A quick review of the plot and it's easy to see why folks have freezer burn over this
puppy. In a nutshell, Ben plays a lowlife thug named Gigli who kidnaps the mentally
retarded brother of a federal prosecutor to save his mobster boss from
incarceration. Staked-out in his apartment with his kidnapee, Gigli's soon joined by
Ricki (Lopez), a gorgeous lesbian gangster who's sent in to assist. But as time goes
by (and your life force drained from you) -- his feelings for Ricki grow, (and she of
course, falls for him) and then they become concerned for their prisoner... blah,
blah, blah.
Some say the fact that J.Lo and Ben met on set may be the only positive thing to
come out of filming, while others claim that too is a sham. I'm betting both go
straight to video. But wait, there's more! Reports are also coming in that Ben and
Jen's romantic chemistry is zero onscreen. Nada. Zippity-doo-dud. According to the
National Enquirer, producers of their other new flick Jersey Girl are desperately
rewriting love scenes because test audiences don't get why their characters are
even attracted to each other! Price tag for re-shoots? A hefty $3 million. The cost of
having Ben and Jen turn up the chemistry meter? Priceless.
-----------------
Yeah, use the Enquirer as a source. That's always smart.
I know it's only a gossip piece, but gossip or not, I thought I'd state for the record,
that we have not re-shot, nor do we have plans to re-shoot, scenes for "Jersey Girl."
Ben and Jen's chemistry in the flick is the exact opposite of zero. I'm not
desperately (or even casually) rewriting dick. Both test audiences seemed to get
why the two characters were together quite well. And there's no $3 million being
spent. There - you now have it from a credible source.
I'd heard they were playing that Enquirer game on Stern the other day and this
"Jersey Girl" $3 million re-shoot crap came up as a true story. I assumed (wrongly, I
guess) that anyone who really gave a shit knew that it was "Gigli" that had done re-
shoots, not "Jersey Girl."
Now I'm seeing this isn't the case.
In her (or his) haste to attack and damn Ben and Jen's relationship in any way
possible (because it catches the interest of a news-reading public whose attention
would be better spent on the war abroad), MSN's unfortunately named BeatBox
Betty has dragged our flick into a spot of mud, alleging problems where there are
none. I know she (or he) is only a gossip hound, but I'd ask that, in the future, she
(or he) at least try to contact someone involved with a production she (or he) plans
to besmirch, rather than lazily take her cues from the likes of a tabloid.
While I'm at it, though, I'd also like to point out that all this "Gigli" stuff is crap too.
I've seen the flick with a test screening audience, and I haven't heard laughter like
that in a movie theater since "American Pie" (or "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back").
And, mind you, the laughter was WITH, not AT, the movie.
Much as I hate to disappoint BeatBox, both movies seem like they're going to do
just fine - quite like Ben and Jen's relationship.
Regardless, next time you're writing a story, even if it is for a gossip sheet, how
about simply picking up a phone and doing a little research? Just because you've
been reduced to the lowest rung on the ladder of journalism (manufacturing news
where there really isn't any), it doesn't mean you have to conduct yourself like an
asshole, know-nothing.