THE JOY OF MEETING JENNIFER GARNER
And how my son almost had his moment with the Hollywood star
IT’S always been a joy to watch Jennifer Garner’s movies. Since becoming America’s Sweetheart (ergo, the world’s) in 2004 for her lovable and purposely cringeworthy portrayal of geeky teener Jenna Rink’s hottie, hotshot lady boss-future self in “13 Going on 30,” every self-respecting single career girl who craved success and love as pure and lasting as hers and childHOOD fiRST KISS MATT FLAMHAFF’S (MARK RUFfalo) became a follower.
Set aside her award-winning portrayals in action-thrillers, as well as her super hero stints just for this piece, it is Garner’s light-hearted film forays which especially endeared her through the years to audiences around the world.
For whether she plays a grieving fiancé whose life plans go kaput (“Catch and Release,” 2006); a dignified, no-nonsense, perfect lady whose one weakness is her playboy first love (“Ghosts of Girlfriends Past,” 2009); or a painfully vain and high-strung beauty who eventually falls for the good-hearted hefty guy (“The Invention of Lying,” 2009), Garner has a knack for making every happy, heartbreaking, infuriating, passionate and silly moment genuinely relatable to the likes of us.
Haven’t we all rooted for the characters she played all across that first half of her filmography? Always drawn by this signature sweetness and kindness she brings to each one. And going down the second half of those titles, she just tugged at our hearts even more for embracing such memorable mother roles with such a passion. Still with that wide-eyed gaze and honest, gleeful and be-dimpled smile that seem to say, “Hard as this is, it’s going to be the best time of your life.”
A Gen-Xer, herself, it is quite inspiring for the rest of us to see
a glamorous Hollywood star so naturally thriving in the many unglamorous scenes that are almost plucked out of our daily lives as moms to kids, tweens and teens at this stage in our lives.
But what makes Jennifer Garner all the more endearing and inspiring is how she actually lives out all the stuff we love about her in her movies behind the camera. Endless stories written about her both by established media outlets and supermarket tabloids repeatedly say so.
From American’s Sweetheart, the now 48-year-old actress has in fact flourished as a permanent entry in Hollywood’s annual lists of “Most Loved Actors,” “Nicest Stars,” “Most Down-To-Earth Celebrities” and so on, given pretty amazing encounters. One recalls how in a difficult time in her personal life, which press intrusion just made worse, she was sighted “kindly asking [aggressive paparazzi] for some space,” going as far to say, “Thank you, I really appreciate it,” when the floored and starstruck lensman couldn’t refuse.
Moreover, Garner, who is regarded in yet another list as “one of Hollywood’s most esteemed mothers [for managing] to juggle her family with her career flawlessly,” is celebrated for actively pursuing her advocacy for access to early childhood education around the world, and her active on the ground involvement as ambassador of Save the Children USA.
Closer to home (or should I say, “from my home” to be exact), I can now joyfully add to these glowing stories, for I did experience this beautiful Hollywood A-Lister’s remarkable kindness, which is consistent and never selective.
Part of a small Philippine media contingent invited by global streaming giant Netflix for “Yes Day” — Garner’s newest family comedy premiering Friday, March 12 — the American actress came across her Zoom screen every bit as sweet and friendly as you’d expect her to be.
Her star quality is undeniable to be sure, what with that perfectly chiseled face, those high cheek bones, her big, brown eyes and famously deep-set dimples, amazingly and honestly untouched by years.
But the minute you’re called on by the host to introduce yourself and publication, she’ll gently step in before you do the job and ask
your question just to say, “Hi Tessa, it’s so nice of you to be here.”
A producer, besides an actor on “Yes Day,” background reading explains how the movie is close to Garner’s heart and inspired by an annual tradition she celebrates with her three children with exhusband Ben Affleck for close to a decade now.
She picked up the “holiday” from a fun children’s book of the same title, written by the late American author Amy Krouse Rosenthal, where for one whole day each year, parents can’t say no to their children’s wishes.
Turning it into a movie, Garner hits double targets in a single shot: “Yes Day” — which also stars Edgar Ramirez as her “good cop” husband, and Jenna Ortega, Julian Lerner and Everly Carganilla as her precocious children — gives a much-needed dose of good old family entertainment amid these cloudy days; while, in the best of intentions, putting out a fun idea for parents to consider to celebrate family.
In answering my question if making this movie at this stage in her life — both as a mother and an advocate of children’s rights — is important to her, Garner’s reply was filled with both sincerity and sensitivity.
“[The movie nor] I am certainly not here to tell parents what to do. I’m more here to say, ‘Oh my gosh, being a parent is really hard.’ [And as they’ll also see] story that it’s hard to be married and to hold on to the joy in a marriage; it’s hard to stay yourself and hold on to your own sense of fun; and it’s hard to have kids and to keep being the fun, cool mom that they deserve when you’re trying so hard to make everybody get where they
need to go with clean teeth and the right homework. And so Yes Day is just a really fun way to suggest, ‘Hey, you can just let it go for a day. Let it be messy and have a good time’.”
Now in the course of the interview, my nine-year old son — who thoroughly enjoyed watching the Netflix preview with me, his older brother and dad — was naturally excited for a glimpse of the people he just saw on streaming. Stealing glances, and cheekily waving at the pretty lady on my screen (who would actually wave back every time she caught it), my chubby (ergo) Not-So-Little-One (as I refer to him on Instagram), snuck in one last wave just as the roundtable was coming to an end.
Quickly running back to his room (since he was also sneaking out of online class to see the pretty lady and/or intentionally bother mom at work), you can’t imagine my surprise when Jennifer Garner — bless her indeed — suddenly said after the host said goodbye, “Tessa, do you think we can meet the little guy over there?”
But as I bolted from my seat and shouted out for Little Guy, the host apologized how the Yes Day stars were on a tight schedule.
I quickly (and probably quite desperately) told Ms. Garner, And — oh yes — this world-famous woman still thoughtfully replied, “Aww, maybe next time then. Bye!”
So, my son missed his moment with Jennifer Garner, but with any luck — inspired by her movie and annual tradition — she may just read a message he asked me to “pass on to her” someday.
I couldn’t say no; so it’s now a DM (direct message), determined and patiently waiting to be discovered on a Hollywood star’s Instagram.