Jennifer Lopez’s Breakup with Ben Affleck Inspires ‘Heart Factory’ Scene in New Movie, Director Reveals
Jennifer Lopez’s highly anticipated musical film, “This Is Me…Now: A Love Story,” is filled with references to her relationship with Ben Affleck. However, one particular scene in the movie was directly inspired by their tumultuous breakup in 2003. In this dystopian dream sequence, Lopez portrays a gritty worker in a “heart factory” where a mechanical heart is on the verge of failure. The idea for this scene came from a heartfelt conversation between Lopez and director Dave Meyers.
When Lopez and Meyers began conceptualizing the film, she opened up about the emotional toll of her breakup with Affleck in her early 20s. Meyers was surprised by how much pain she still carried from that experience, as she had gone through a divorce and another broken engagement before reuniting with Affleck nearly two decades later.
“Their first breakup was very, very heavy on her,” Meyers revealed. “She opened up more than I thought she would about what that was for her, and I could see that there’s a lot of pain there still.”
The scene itself is visually stunning and melodramatic, drawing inspiration from films like “Titanic” and “Howl’s Moving Castle.” Meyers wanted to convey the magnitude of heartbreak to the audience, especially those who might dismiss Lopez’s experiences due to her fame and success.
“This heartbreak that she went through is very real, and how do we tell an audience that could give a shit?” Meyers pondered. “A Jen fan would give a shit, but I mean a calloused audience that would be like, ‘Oh, who cares. You’ve got it all,’ kind of thing. How do we show the stakes and the magnitude and the volume of what heartbreak feels like for everyone, but also for her?”
The “heart factory” scene also serves as a performance venue for Lopez’s song “Hearts and Flowers,” which is the ninth track on her companion album, “This Is Me…Now.” The lyrics of the song depict Lopez as a “wounded soldier” on a lifelong quest for love, set against militaristic drums. Symbolically, her character in the film is determined to fix the broken heart, suiting up and entering the machine amidst flames and explosions.
Meyers wanted to highlight Lopez’s raw toughness and resilience, both on-screen and in real life. He saw her as someone who would work tirelessly to ensure that the heart doesn’t die, drawing parallels to her own journey.
“Jen’s got this raw toughness to her, and so I wanted to figure out how to exploit that,” Meyers explained. “I just thought, ‘She would be someone who would work her fucking ass off to make sure the heart doesn’t die,’ and she has in real life.”
In a recent interview with Variety, Lopez spoke candidly about her challenging history with Affleck. The couple met in 2001 on the set of “Gigli” and quickly became tabloid fixtures. However, after two years together, they called off their wedding just days before the ceremony due to excessive media attention.
“Our relationship crumbled under the weight of the pressure,” Lopez shared. “We lost a sense of ourselves, and we needed to separate because we didn’t know how to survive it. I had to figure myself out, and he had to figure himself out.”
“This Is Me…Now: A Love Story” follows Lopez’s character in the aftermath of their breakup, portraying her as a hopeless romantic with a toxic dating pattern. Through a series of exes and romantic missteps, she ultimately reconnects with other self-described “love addicts” and embarks on a journey of self-discovery that leads her back to Affleck.
Although Affleck’s appearance in the movie is minimal, his influence is palpable. In fact, Lopez drew inspiration from love letters he had sent her for the album. The seventh track, “Dear Ben Pt. II,” serves as a sequel to her 2002 song “Dear Ben,” further solidifying his presence in her artistic expression.
“I’ve been on this journey, and I’ve been trying to figure it out,” Lopez shared. “Now I feel like because Ben and I have rediscovered each other — and now that we’re married — I have something to offer. This is the defining piece of work that’s going to close that chapter so I can move on to the next part of my life.”
“This Is Me…Now: A Love Story” is now available for streaming on Prime Video, allowing audiences to witness Jennifer Lopez’s powerful portrayal of heartbreak, resilience, and the transformative power of love.