Garden State (2004)
2004
R
102 Minutes
Andrew returns to his hometown for the funeral of his mother, a journey that reconnects him with past friends. The trip coincides with his decision to stop taking his powerful antidepressants. A ch...
User Review
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Remember that one time in the early 2000s when Zach Braff was on top of the world? He had a lead role in the hit TV show Scrubs, and he directed, wrote, and starred in a total indie darling? That was a lovely era. Garden State is a 2004 film manned almost entirely by Braff, about an emotionally aloof young man who has to return home to New Jersey after his mom dies. He has a lot of guilt and regret, and coming back to his old drugged up high school friends is not a great reminder of what he left behind. But once he meets enthusiastic and bubbly Sam, (Natalie Portman) he figures that his trip back to his old town might have some purpose. Portman is simply delightful in this movie. She has a really funny and sweet character intro, albeit, as a massive Doberman humps our main character, and really just gives this film so much life. The first twenty minutes of this film actually feel like they're sucking the energy out of you, which was the intended purpose, thankfully, and when she entered, it was such a breath of fresh air. Braff really encapsulates what it's like to observe rather then to be a part of the crowd. He's distant from the social scene as well as from his equally detached father, and each scene is well thought out and created to make you feel exactly how he's feeling. The movie has, dare I say it, aged a little, so the story might seem really ordinary and cliche to a person who's seen these dromedance films before, (Drama, comedy, romance), but you have to keep in mind the cult following this film had especially when it first came out. The dialogue is heartfelt and honest, and even the most stoner friends had their redeeming qualities. The film's ending could've used a little work, with the "changing your mind at an airport" scene a bit tired, but besides that it told a really great story about finding your true home. Braff has only made a couple of other films but I'm curious to see if he continues to do so in the future. A touching story with great humor and a beautiful love story.
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