When it comes to honest reviews, Ben Affleck doesn't need Rotten Tomatoes – he's got a full house of brutally honest kids ready to tell it to him straight.
The Oscar-winning actor opened up during a candid appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live this week, where he revealed that his children don’t exactly hold back when it comes to critiquing his work – especially when they’re sitting right next to him.
"All the kids came to the premiere of The Accountant 2 – my kids, step-kids, their friends – it was the whole gang," Ben shared. "And I was excited that they actually wanted to come see it, but my kids… they’re very tough. They don’t censor their criticism."
Ben, 51, is dad to Violet, 19, Finn, 16, and Sam, 13, whom he shares with his ex-wife Jennifer Garner. He’s also a devoted stepdad to 17-year-old twins Max and Emme, the children of his ex-wife Jennifer Lopez.
"They’ll sit next to me while I’m watching something I’m in, and say, ‘This is terrible. This is terrible, why did you do this?’” he laughed. “And I’m like, ‘You could wait until the end of the movie, at least.’ But no."
© Disney via Getty ImagesBut in a surprising twist, Ben revealed that The Accountant 2 actually passed the test with flying colours, a rare feat when it comes to his notoriously discerning brood.
"This time, they liked it," he said with a smile. "I was genuinely shocked. I asked them, ‘What’s the catch?’ Like, is this a joke?"
© Getty ImagesTo his amazement, the kids were being sincere.
"They said, ‘Yeah, it was good.’ And they were shocked themselves. As if somehow, I got really lucky – like this magical accident happened and something I did was actually OK," Ben grinned.
The star of Good Will Hunting admitted that positive reviews from his children mean more than any Hollywood accolade.
"When your kids approve of something you’ve done, it hits different," he said. "You just want them to be proud. You want to make them laugh, make them feel something. So when they’re genuinely into it, that’s the biggest win."
Ben's big flop
Unfortunately, not all of Ben’s past work has stood the test of time with his younger audience. Case in point? Armageddon, the 1998 sci-fi blockbuster in which Ben starred alongside Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton.
"During COVID, we were all stuck at home, and I thought it would be fun to introduce them to one of my older films," he recalled. "So I said, ‘Hey, let’s watch a movie tonight – Armageddon. It was a big hit back in the day.’"
© FacebookBut within minutes of hitting play, the dream family movie night quickly turned into a roasting session.
"Almost immediately, it was like, ‘This is so stupid. Are you kidding me?’ My son said, ‘It just doesn’t make sense,’'" Ben laughed.
In response, the actor tried to explain that the film wasn’t meant to be taken literally.
© Getty"I told him, ‘This is not a logic-based film. That is not one of the criteria we used when we were making this,’" he said, recalling the conversation with a chuckle.
Long-time fans of Ben will remember that he once famously mocked the film himself during the DVD commentary, joking about the scientific liberties taken in the plot. "Even back then, I was like, ‘None of this adds up,'" he said. "But hey, it was the ’90s!"
Despite the mixed reviews from his kids, Ben clearly treasures their honesty, even if it occasionally stings.
"I think it’s healthy," he said. "They keep me grounded. They don’t care about red carpets or box office numbers. They just want to know why I was running around in a space suit shouting nonsense."
And it’s not just the kids who aren’t afraid to dish out their opinions, even Ben’s lifelong best friend and frequent collaborator, Matt Damon, is guilty of keeping his praise to a minimum.
When asked whether Matt had seen The Accountant 2, Ben laughed, "I think he mentioned he watched it… but I don’t remember a lot of kindness in the feedback."
Host Jimmy Kimmel quipped, "So self-centered," prompting a grin from Ben, who’s long been known for his cheeky back-and-forth with Matt.
