Jennifer Lopez & Ben Affleck's Disastrous First Movie Together Still Elicits a Strong Reaction From Its Director
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Fans who know the relationship history of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck — both the original and the reboot of Bennifer — understand that the movie that brought them together won’t ever be an award winner. Gigli, which was a disaster at the box office 20 years ago, is still a painful topic for director Martin Brest, who won’t even say the title of the film two decades later.
He doesn’t seem as amused by the fact that his stars wound up falling in love (twice!) and eventually marrying like the public is. “Of all the movies that I’ve worked on, I know them inside and out,” Brest revealed to Variety. “I don’t even know what that movie looks like, frankly, because of the manner in which it took shape. Even the name… I refer to it as ‘the G movie.’ Probably the less said about it the better.” He called it a “bloody mess that deserved its excoriation” and he doesn’t even “remember the movie that was released.”
The movie was a catastrophic failure for his career, but Affleck has a much different perspective on the film than his director. Gigli became the catalyst for his career as a director in Hollywood. “If the reaction to Gigli hadn’t happened, I probably wouldn’t have ultimately decided, ‘I don’t really have any other avenue but to direct movies,'” he told EW. “So in those ways it’s a gift.” And of course, he can’t forget J.Lo. Affleck added, “And I did get to meet Jennifer, the relationship with whom has been really meaningful to me in my life.”
While Brest has “eternal regret” over not quitting the film after he fought Sony during the shoot, he feels that he bears the ultimate “responsibility for a ghastly cadaver of a movie.” But maybe he shouldn’t be so hard on himself since Affleck has a much more refreshing perspective on the film they made together, Brest basically started the entire Bennifer revolution.
Before you go, click here to see all the celebrity couples who met on set.