Does The Movie Garden State Have Alternate Endings

Garden State (2004) Poster

Very Good

Garden State (2004)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

An actor (Zach Braff) returns home for his mother's funeral where he must also come to terms with his father and a new girl (Natalie Portman) he's met. I was really expecting to be let down due to all the positive reviews I've read but I was shocked to see how much I enjoyed this as well. The performances were right on the mark especially Portman who just has a natural joy to her, which comes across on the screen. The only problem I had with the film was that it came off as a depressed person's wetdream/fantasy.

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8 /10

Great first indie from Zach Braff

Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is a troubled, depressed, and heavily medicated actor who once played a retarded quarterback on TV. He's now just a waiter in LA. He returns home to his mother's funeral, and his overbearing psychiatrist father (Ian Holm). He reconnects with an old friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), and new girl Sam (Natalie Portman).

Written and directed by Zach Braff, this is a very impressive big screen debut for him. He has a good eye for interesting visuals. The story does meander as he drifts. It has an ethereal aimless feel to the movie. That is until he meets Natalie Portman. She's at her height of her IT girl phase, and there is a great reason for it. She's completely magnetic on screen. It's easy why anyone would fall head over heels for her. She plays the MPDG who brings him out of his depression.

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8 /10

Delightful Gem

The troubled twenty-six years old Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) returns from Los Angeles, where he works as a waiter in a Korean restaurant after playing a retarded athlete in a TV show, to his hometown in New Jersey for the funeral of his mother. He meets his old friends and a compulsive liar, Samantha (Natalie Portman), for whom he falls in love. Four days later, Andrew heals his wounds with the love and attention of Sam.

With a very simple storyline, but supported by an excellent team of charismatic cast and a great music score, "Garden State" is a delightful gem. This feel-good low-budget movie may be overrated in IMDb (top 250: #244); has many reviews written by users with only one comment in total in a very fake promotion, usual in IMDb to promote certain movie (this people will certainly give lots of negative votes to my review, isn't it Alex?). But this little movie really deserves to be watched, and in the end the viewer will certainly like the romance between the weird Zach Braff and the stunning Natalie Portman, certainly one of my favorite actresses of the young generation. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Hora de Voltar" ("Time to Come Back")

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Too knowingly quirky and a bit up itself but still entertaining with a heart visible under the "kookiness"

Warning: Spoilers

Andrew Largeman is an "actor" in Hollywood, meaning that he has had a small part in a TV show and is currently a waiter. When his mother dies, he is forced to return home and see the father that has kept him medicated since he was aged 10. His return home causes him to examine his life even though he still cannot really feel anything; it also allows him to hook up with old friends as well as meeting new ones - namely the beautiful but strange Sam.

It is perhaps ironic that the same qualities that attracted me to this film were the same qualities that I felt weakened it as a total film: these qualities were that it appeared a bit kooky and introspective. With several films of 2004 having mined this seam to great success, Garden State could be accused of being just an attempt to clone that by convey the malaise of twenty-somethings and, in fairness, it doesn't really help itself in the way it tends to overdo the aforementioned qualities. I do like films that are touching and introspective but they are best where they involve very real characters (or emotions); here the malaise is drug-induced and the situations all feel overdone and exaggerated. This is mirrored in the way the film knowingly does everything in a quirky manner and never misses a chance to make things more "off-kilter"; for example our character drives an unusual vehicle, Sam has an African brother, there is a bottomless pit in Newark and so on. There is nothing terribly wrong with this but at times I did wish that it would tone down the "kookiness" and just get down to looking at the characters.

It still manages to do this but it does it despite the kookiness and not as a result of it. The characters are still well enough written that you do recognise them at least in small part and should be able to find part of their feelings that you can relate to or at least empathise with. When it works it works very well and I can understand so many moody youths have taken this film to their hearts; however at other times it doesn't manage to bring out characters or develop the story in a manner that will be as touching as it could have been if it had set itself in a much less kooky world. As writer and director, Braff must bare responsibility for these faults but then he deserves much more in the way of praise for all the things he does well - his direction is assured and has plenty of style, his choice of soundtrack is hardly earth shattering but suits his material and, despite the flaws, his writing is still an impressive debut. As actor though he is only so-so; it may be realistic for his character but am I the only person who dislikes raised inflections. He downplays his stuff and he does well, letting the rest of the cast shine.

In particular Natalie Portman digs her way deeper into my heart with a great performance. At times she comes close to failing but mostly she even manages to keep her character really likable and not get buried beneath the quirks. Not only is she beautiful but her vulnerability is well delivered as well as her sense of humour and fun; when she is on screen it is hard to not focus on her. Sarsgaard is a great young actor who is building up a collection of good performances. This film gives him less to do than it really should have done but he is still watchable and does well with what he has been given. Support is good from Holm, Dowd and Method Man (yes, you heard me right) but really the film is Portman's and she takes to it with a light, natural air that made me forget that I'll probably have to cope with another wooden performance from her in Star Wars 3 in a few months.

Overall this is a good film but not as great as people seem to think. The story is good and the characters are, in essence, well written, but it just feels like it was really pushing for the "kooky" niche that had been hit by Lost in Translation and The Station Agent. At times it could have scaled back the quirks and concentrated on the characters to produce a better film but even with this flaw it still works well and will be enjoyed by fans of the aforementioned films and introspective young people.

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8 /10

There's more to this Scrub than some might have thought

If you only saw Zach in the TV show Scrubs you might feel weird seeing him in this. And if you also knew that he directed it, you might feel (prior to watching) that he is way over his head. I don't know if or how much help he got making this movie, but I do know that this comes off as a very assured effort.

This drama lives also with the other cast members. You can never go wrong with Natalie Portman, but also any of the other actors. Their ability to go through the motions and sell the slow pacing of the movie is elevating the movie. Of course you have to be able to watch Dramas and have patience, but if you don't than this isn't for you anyway. Otherwise, watch and enjoy its weird look at life/youth in the early "noughties"

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7 /10

"It's amazing how much of my life has been determined by a quarter inch piece of plastic."

Warning: Spoilers

I don't know which is the better way to say it - this wasn't a very good movie but it had some humorous moments, OR, this film had some humorous moments but it wasn't very good. I guess it works both ways, my second option at least starts off with sort of a compliment.

This is the kind of film I would have related to a lot better when I was around the same age as the principals, but a lifetime of living (and watching thousands of movies) has offered a somewhat different perspective. I really don't have anything against the picture per se, it's just that the characters and situations are fundamentally shallow and made quirky for the sake of being quirky. Where else for example would you find an armor wearing Renaissance actor, a silent-Velcro inventor guy or a guardian of the infinite abyss? All a bit too pretentious to be taken seriously, not to mention Natalie Portman's invisible epilepsy and inability to speak the truth. Then there's the entire question I have about the ethics of a father prescribing medication for an immediate family member. Seems to me like there could be some kind of grounds there for medical malfeasance there, in fact I was bothered enough by that to look it up. To keep it simple, the A.M.A. states that physicians generally should not treat themselves or members of their immediate families because professional objectivity may be compromised when an immediate family member or the physician is the patient.

Anyway, without scorching the picture, I'd give Zach Braff some credit for coming up with a relatively decent first time writing and directorial effort. I thought he did a nice acting job on 'Scrubs', but because of that, probably should have nailed that business on the doctor/patient relationship. He probably knows better by now.

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8 /10

The Indie Film To End All Indie Films

A quietly troubled young man (Zach Braff) returns home for his mother's funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade.

This film hit a generation hard and was in no small way responsible for popularizing indie music, with the Shins in particular. Soundtracks with Shins, the Bravery and more started floating around. Thanks, Zach Braff, you single-handedly changed the music industry.

Interestingly, this film features Jim Parsons before his big break. Not that his role is huge, but it is big enough that anyone watching today (2015) will recognize him as Sheldon (and probably not much else).

And this was back before Natalie Portman switched from fun films to critically acclaimed work. She does both very well.

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6 /10

Garden State

Warning: Spoilers

I had absolutely no idea what the film was about or what to expect, I just hoped that it was as good as the critics make it to be. Directed by, written by and starring Scrubs' Zach Braff, he plays semi-successful TV actor Andrew 'Large' Largeman, who have shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma, until the death of his mother, which he decides to stop taking his pills. Even without being home for 9 years, Large still can't escape his domineering father Gideon (Sir Ian Holm) and his effect from life afar. Stunned to be in his hometown after such a long absence, he is finds old acquaintances many places he goes, he does his best to keep away from his father, and by a twist of fate, Large meets Sam (Natalie Portman), everything he isn't, and becoming his sidekick as such. She gives Large the courage to really open up about his joy and pain in the abyss that is life, and thank goodness he decides not to go away in the end like he intended. Also starring Ron Leibman as Dr. Cohen, Method Man as Diego, Flightplan's Peter Sarsgaard as Mark, Jean Smart as Carol, Ann Dowd as Olivia, Denis O'Hare as Albert, Michael Weston as Kenny, Jim Parsons as Tim, Jackie Hoffman as Aunt Sylvia Largeman, Amy Ferguson as Dana and Ato Essandoh as Titembay. I can certainly see that Braff proves himself a good director as well as quite a good actor, it may not be the funniest film ever, but it is certainly worth a look. Good!

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8 /10

A delightful slice of life

Aspiring actor Andrew 'Large' Largeman hasn't been home in nine years but he returns for his mother's funeral. Here he sees his father, who is also his psychiatrist, and it is clear their relationship is frosty. He also meets up with old friends and makes one new friend, Sam. Sam is a girl he got chatting to in a doctor's waiting room. Having left his medication at home he decides not to get more and starts feeling emotions that had been numbed for some time.

This isn't the easiest film to categorise; it has plenty of funny moments without forced gags; it has emotional moments and it has romance, even that doesn't develop too quickly. Instead it looks like a glimpse into Andrew's life at a point where things are likely to change. The main characters are interesting without feeling exaggerated. The cast is impressive; Zach Braff, who also wrote and directed, does a fine job as Andrew and Natalie Portman is very likeable as Sam. Overall I'd recommend this to people not requiring action and obvious gags but wanting a gentler, 'real' film.

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2 /10

Benumbed...from the inside out

"Garden State, written and directed by its star, Zach Braff, is the perfect movie for older teenagers who haven't seen a lot of movies. When a struggling twentysomething actor from Los Angeles returns to his hometown for his mother's funeral, he finds a vintage motorcycle out in his parents' garage (it was willed to him by his deceased uncle, but left forgotten under a tarp for no specific reason). Racing the bike up and down the street, the protagonist is immediately pulled over by a police car...driven by an old friend from high school! Braff's sensibilities all stem from a TV mentality. It turns out the actor is suffering from momentary migraines, which no doubt come from being medicated his entire young adult life. This guy is aching to FEEL something! It's quite possible the scene with the bike, or a following bit with a seeing-eye dog humping Braff's leg in the doctor's waiting room, will strike some viewers as fresh and funny, but the fake-cynicism bubbling underneath the movie's lo-fi tone is intolerable. Quirky conversations are struck up simply to reveal another layer of our hero's personality and makeup (his inner-struggle, his independence, etc.). Braff may indeed have some talent, but first he needs to acquire a sense of himself as an actor and a filmmaker, and stop channeling personalities (and situations) gleaned from the tube. This feels like a set of steak knives in need of being returned--it just isn't sharp enough. * from ****

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Small movie with a very nice story and interesting dialog.

Warning: Spoilers

Zach Braff as Andrew Largeman wrote, directed, and starred in "Garden State", a reference to New Jersey where most of it takes place. In a comment he makes in the very interesting 'making of' special on the DVD, about 80% of what is in the movie comes directly from things that have really happened, although not necessarily to him and his family. The filming had a budget of $2.5Million, which is very small for a feature length movie with real film and Dolby 5.1 sound. That it has already taken in almost $30Million before DVD sales is quite an accomplishment. This is a fine story of a young man and a young woman helping each other to find themselves.

SPOILERS are contained in the rest of my comments. Largeman is an actor and waiter in LA, had one role playing a retarded quarterback, has been under voluntary sedation for years on prescription medicine that his psychiatrist dad (Ian Holm) has prescribed for him, when he gets a message that his mom drowned in the bath tub. After a flight to New Jersey for the funeral, and having left his medicine in LA, he begins to meet all his former friends again, the most interesting Peter Sarsgaard as Mark, the grave digger who incidentally takes the jewelry off women corpses after the burial services to supplement his income. He spends most of his spare time doing some sort of recreational drugs.

Seeing his dad's doctor for one-second headaches he gets occasionally, Largeman meets Sam (Natalie Portman) who, it turns out, has had some epileptic seizures and has to wear a soft helmet to avoid being dropped from her employer's health insurance. She recognizes him for his 'retarded quarterback' role. "I can't believe you're not really retarded, you were so good." They go places in the motorcycle with sidecar that his grandfather had left him, but she won't ride in the sidecar. Largeman and Sam find they are soul mates, each has never found someone before that they connected with. Largeman explains that he has to fly back to LA and straighten some things back, Sam cries as he heads up the escalator, then a few minutes later he comes back and finds her in a phone booth, they embrace, he has decided staying there with Sam was more important.

Important character observation. Largeman's mom had become paralyzed when he was 9, he had an argument, pushed mom, who tripped over the open dishwasher door which had a broken latch. That episode was what caused his dad to prescribe drugs, and later sent off to school. He remarked that the one little piece of broken plastic is what caused all the misery in his life so far. The idea that sometimes some little random thing at a particular moment can have such a big impact on our lives. In fact, his script uses the word "random" in a number of situations.

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8 /10

Coming home

Zach Braff stars in "Garden State," a film he also wrote and directed -those are some accomplishments.

Braff plays a heavily medicated young man, Andrew Largeman, who comes back to his home town upon the death of his mother. He's on complete disconnect from his father (Ian Holm) who also is his psychiatrist. While in a doctor's office for headaches, he meets the beautiful Sam (Natalie Portman) who claims she's at the doctor's because she's a robot who needs to get charged. It's this kind of off-the-cuff humor that makes "Garden State" a truly unique, touching and wonderful film. Large and Sam are as opposite as can be - she talks incessantly; he's quiet; she cries at card tricks; he claims he never cries, including at his mother's funeral. Yet they connect, and she opens up a world of feeling to him that he's never known. As he tells his father, he's been numb for years. So he takes a vacation from all those medications to find out who he is.

I can't relate to this movie the way that some people on the board can - this isn't my generation - but because of the acting and the story, I can appreciate what they're going through. And it doesn't matter what generation you are - being young is tough going.

The acting is uniformly excellent, with Portman being a standout as a vivacious, friendly young woman who embraces life. There are some familiar faces -Portman, Jean Smart, Ian Holm, Ron Liebman and Peter Sarsgaard as well as some young and attractive new ones. Very well done by Braff; I look forward to seeing more of his work.

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5 /10

a sometimes serious, sometimes silly film about dealing with life

I heard a lot of hype on Garden State, the film-making debut of actor Zack Braff, the star of the hit or miss TV show Scrubs. Mostly because I am a New Jersey boy, and a good number of my friends who saw the movie loved it. I saw it, and it pretty much met my expectations, nothing exceeding, but nothing to lower them either. Garden State is the story of Andrew Large, who gets off his overload of medication, as he goes back home to New Jersey from his would-be acting life for his Mother's funeral. There he runs into and has a couple of odd adventures with old friends (one being Stellan Sarsgard), a new one (Natalie Portman), and also has to face up to his once-psychiatrist father (Ian Holm). He leaves with a somewhat clean slate after going through some interesting, if a little painful reminders of what he left.

Garden State slightly rises above other indie films in this vein (a young man coming to terms with himself and his demons, and having some eccentricities along the way) because Braff is good at directing actors, and gets out of his co-stars- particularly Portman (who is rather wonderful at times, if cutesy and inexplicable in others) and Holm. And, there are a few laughs thrown in amid Large's encounters with old friends and acquaintances. But it doesn't really rise to the greatness that it could've because Braff, as a first-timer, is one of these directors (at least on a first film) that is so in love with film-making that its over-stylized, at least for me. Maybe I've seen TOO many movies, or maybe I'm not as in tune with the "MTV generation" as I could be, but I get tired of things used like slow-motion where the main character(s) are looking straight at the camera (the opening shot is a mixed reaction for me) or in a state of their own (the last shot, and just the last sequence, is tiresome and too deliberate for its own good). There is this romanticism, or maybe pretentious idealizing, and Braff is so infatuated with it it overclouds the better aspects to the film. There is a sense of drama that works, but sometimes its suppressed by the parts that are a little 'showy'.

But these are observations more-so than criticisms; it's obvious that Garden State now has a cult status (especially kids from Jersey, who almost look at this film the same way the young people looked at Godard in the 60's), and I suppose its deserved. I wouldn't be apart of the group that trashes the film to no end, but I'm not calling the film a masterpiece either. At the core its a "date" movie, the kind of film that is great for a couple looking for something that will give some good laughs, a little provocative touches, and a sentimental (if totally clichéd) ending. The soundtrack is also interesting, if of course 'soft', but too emo for my taste. In short, this reminds me of seeing a film by one of my fellow film students at school- I see potential, but they still need to put something on the screen that's a little more compelling, and not pandering too much. B+ (7/10)

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8 /10

Truly promising and ambitious indie-film

Half depressed and reluctant to face his traumatizing past for the first time in nearly 10 years, Andrew Largeman returns to the New Jersey region where he grew up, and this to be present at his mother's funeral. It's destined to be a short trip, since there's absolutely nothing there for Andrew. He's still estranged from his father, his old friends assume he has a successful acting career going on and – worst of all – the parental house reminds him of the accident that crippled his mother. But, shortly after his arrival, he meets Samantha and her spirited persona finally brings some joy and hope in Andrew's lonely existence. For the first time ever, Andrew actually has a reason to return home permanently...but then he has to find total peace with himself, first. A simple movie about simple characters with simple values in their lives...we don't get to see many of these and even when there occasionally is an enthusiast director who's attempts to make a clever little movie like this, they're straightly condemned to video-hell because nowadays movie-goers exclusively pay to see wild car chases and giant explosions. Even though Zach Braff was one of the few debuting young directors who DID receive some recognition and praising reviews for his "Garden State", a large majority of film fanatics still hasn't discovered it. And they all should, since it's heart-warming and identifiable tale, written and directed by someone who clearly loves and respects real cinema. It's highly praiseworthy how Braff finds an almost perfect balance between bittersweet melodrama and gallows humor! "Garden State" is a drama with a rather serious substance and yet it never becomes feeble or pitiful. On the contrary, the script's subtle sense of humor and the beautiful characterizations resuscitates hope and happiness!

Yes, "Garden State" is a very good film and Zach Braff surely knows which way he's going in the movie business. But still we shouldn't acclaim him as a new and long-awaited prodigy just yet! Although very admirable, his film isn't entirely flawless and definitely not groundbreaking. The story lacks some truly brilliant elements (ingenious ideas – if only just two or three – is what really makes films like this terrific) and it's a shame that too much of the characters' troubles are blamed on drugs. To focus more on the genius aspects again: the soundtrack is excellent (containing a great Coldplay-song and a downright mesmerizing track by Simon and Garfunkel) and the acting of an entirely talented cast simple couldn't be better. Nathalie Portman is particularly impressive in portraying the sweetest female character ever shot on film. Zach Braff already damn well knows how create moody atmospheres and how to write solid dialogues! If he'll now just find a truly innovating premise, his next project will be a masterpiece without peer!

*Note: This user comment is dedicated to the sweetest girl in the world; Cazzie. Believe me, she's really great in convincing people to SEE THIS FILM!

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1 /10

Maybe it is not always good to go home again.

Warning: Spoilers

Don't make me sit thought this again. Andrew Largeman(Zach Braff)is a struggling actor living in a lithium daze for nine years since causing injury to his mother...who has recently died in a freak accident. Largeman returns home for the funeral, where he tries to avoid his domineering father(Ian Holm)and reunites with some shiftless high school buddies, including gravedigger Mark(Peter Sarsgaard). The bright spot is the chance meeting with a free spirit named Sam(Natalie Portman)that somehow helps him sort out his uninvigorated life.

Braff, who wrote and directed GARDEN STATE, impresses me very little. On the other hand, Portman is stellar. Also in the cast: Jean Smart, Alex Burns and Michael Weston. Quirky, auspicious and aimlessly confusing. Much-to-do-about squat.

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8 /10

Silver Bells and Cockle Shells

This is one of those feelgood movies like, say 'Amelie' that you see and find fresh and energetic and then go back to months later and wonder what you saw in it the first time. On the other hand it's only just been released and I've only seen it once so yes, I DID, find it fresh and energetic despite being a tad formulaic. This is the second movie in a year (or just over) to portray New Jersey as Mississippi-lite, sort of WHAT IF Carson McCullers had been born in Trenton, would she still have found it chock-full of dysfunctional eccentrics. Maybe we'll never know but we sure can speculate. This time around obligatory kook Natalie Portman is Geena Davis once-removed from the Accidental Tourist (Maryland, of course, is the northernmost Southern State, so there may be a Term Paper to be written on the Migration of Southern Gothic to Northern Ga Ga). Zack Graff has, no question, written and directed a very competent and sure-footed movie which involves the viewer from Frame One - at least on a first viewing - despite that same viewer's ability to second-guess both the turns in the plot and the ending - in this case it's not the arriving it's the journey. Several posters have beefed about the ending and possibly with good reason yet nevertheless there are honorable precedents; on at least two occasions (Sabrina Fair and Love In The Afternoon, both, coincidentally starring Audrey Hepburn) no less a maestro than Billy Wilder threw in a closing scene where the hero, once it came down to the wire, couldn't bear to leave the girl (okay, who COULD bear to leave Audrey Hepburn, who, indeed, in his right mind, would even CONSIDER it for a nano-second) so the writer-helmer is in excellent company. It might have been a tad more honest if it hadn't taken so long for the penny to drop but it's a minor cavil. For a first viewing 8/10.

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2 /10

Does New Jersey stink this much?

There is some risk naming your quirky little film after a State. I actually took some time out last night from the NCAA playoffs (it is the early rounds) to watch a movie that has been in my queue for a while. I don't know how it got in there. It certainly wasn't because of New Jersey native Zack Braff. He is a main character on Scrubs, and this movie certainly validates my choice not to watch that show.

Garden State is in the same category as Napoleon Dynamite, another film released in 2004. Did he play in that one, too? There are a lot of people that think these quirky films are cool and that you shouldn't criticize them. Well, I actually made it all the way through Napoleon Dynamite on the second try. What a waste of time! I decided that 20 minutes was all I could give Garden State. When you bill yourself as a comedy, that is plenty of time for a laugh. It didn't happen, and I doubt if it would happen if I stayed the whole way through. I went back to basketball.

Maybe it was Natalie Portman that got me to try this film. If so, her appearance on Letterman this week in a clip of her early years as a singer with the World Patrol Kids was a whole lot more interesting. Yes, she is as cute as a button, but not cute enough to sit through Garden State.

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In a New Jersey State of Mind: Zach Braff makes an audacious debut as a filmmaker; best film of '04; funny, touching and ultimately poignant: You can go home again!

GARDEN STATE (2004) **** Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Jean Smart, Ron Leibman, Ann Dowd, Ato Essandoh, Method Man, Denis O' Hare, Debbon Ayer, Alex Burns, Michael Weston, Armando Riesco, Jim Parsons. Actor Zach Braff makes an audacious debut as a filmmaker in this funny, poignant portrayal of a young actor named Andrew Largeman (Braff) whose return from L.A. to New Jersey for a family funeral winds up as a few days of self-discovery thru the haze of his lifelong dependency on anti-depressives administered by his estranged psychiatrist father (Holm) and falling in love with the quirky, epileptic chronic liar Sam (Portman, light years away from Princess Amidala, in arguably her best role to date) while re-connecting with stoner buddy Mark (Sarsgaard, low-key sublimely perfect), a larcenous gravedigger. Witty, heartfelt mix of angst, anomie and – finally – acceptance – of the joys of life amidst death and depression. Has the feel of a novella and echoes of Linklater, Crowe and Nichols (i.e. 'The Graduate') yet its originality is in its comic dryness and self-depreciative protagonist (Braff, who resembles a pastiche of Ray Romano, Jerry Seinfeld and Garry Shandling, manages to balance the melancholia with barely restrained misplaced anger beautifully) that also dares to reflect authors such as Salinger and Cheever. Braff has a clever eye with camera angles (thanks to the skillful Lawrence Sher) underscoring moments of subtle nuance in capturing absurdity and beauty all at the same time and lets his co-stars shine with moments of both (Portman's scene at her backyard pet cemetery will leave you with a lump in your throat and Braff's embrace with her mom, a tear in your eye). Filmed in Braff's home state – a true metaphor (i.e. the out-of-nowhere abyss sequence) – with familiar touches (the folding chair wedged in the front of Mark's house) and sprinkled with wonderful music (including the ethereal 'Let Go' by Frou Frou (featured in the trailer and my pick for Trailer of '04); exquisite and my vote (so far) for the best film of the year.

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9 /10

Terrific Debut

"Garden State" is an excellent first effort for Zach Braff: personal, textured and authentic. There are really only a couple of scenes (his reconciliation with his father and the soliloquy delivered by Denis O'Hare's character) that feel clunky and too pat. The rest of the film is notable for how realistic it feels --- the characters don't necessarily find their ways to happy endings, but they do come to better endings.

Zach Braff gives a great performance here in addition to his directorial debut. Natalie Portman also shines--there's something so magnetic about her persona, she can walk into a scene and immediately make the movie about her (as she did in "Closer"). And all of the other actors in smaller roles -- Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Hom, Jean Smart -- create memorable characters with the sometimes limited material they're given to work with.

When I was watching the special features on the DVD of "Garden State," the director of photography mentioned how he thought the movie's look and feel are reminiscent of the Hal Ashby movies from the '70's, and I thought this was very astute. Watching "Garden State," I was reminded of "Harold and Maude." It's quirky and goofy like that movie, but it doesn't ever feel forced or like it's trying too hard. One of the best of 2004.

Grade: A

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6 /10

Braff State.

Warning: Spoilers

Garden State (2004): Dir: Zach Braff / Cast: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm, Jean Smart: Target audience is not totally focused but its title seems to address several themes including death, beauty and revaluation. Written, directed and starring Zach Braff who arrives home for his mother's funeral. He doesn't look forward to facing his father who has kept him under strict medication throughout most of his life due to circumstances that led to his mother being in a wheelchair. Concluding scene between he and his father lack the emotional impact that it needed. Braff does a fine job behind and in front of the camera as someone searching for explanation and experience. Natalie Portman steals scenes as a convulsive liar he is attracted too whom he spends much soul searching time with. Peter Sarsgaard is well cast as one of his friends who digs graves and smokes dope. Unfortunately Ian Holm as his father is underused and his scenes lack the emotional power needed to make them work. Jean Smart plays the mother of the Sarsgaard. She is a recovering alcoholic who has faith in her son. Considering his great performance in The Sweet Hereafter this is indication that Holm is wasted. Decent independent filmmaking that works on some levels while misfiring on others but it contains an interesting theme regarding direction and one's mind set. Score: 6 ½ / 10

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8 /10

Quirkly little drama doesn't disappoint

Zach Braff is one lucky guy. At the start of 2004, he was just the lowly star of some of that rubbish that Americans put on TV; but by the end of the year, he's the director, writer and star of a successful and critically acclaimed movie! Garden State is the latest quirky little drama to be released independently. It seems like these sorts of films will get praised whether they're good or not these days, but to Braff's credit; this one actually isn't bad. While the film feels underdone in certain places, and the story could have been fleshed out better; Braff handles his themes with care and attention, and it's obvious throughout that this is a project that the young writer/director/actor really cared about; and that translates into the vibrancy and vitality of the story. The film follows themes of maturity and responsibility and it follows a troubled young man (Braff), who returns home to his state of New Jersey after a leave of nine years. While home he reunites with his old friends and meets a new one, in the form of serial liar; Samantha (Natalie Portman).

Pretty much as soon as the film starts, you can see that it's by a young, first time, director. Early in the film, Braff experiments with different shots, such as the bathroom mirror scene; which seems to be an attempt to show his character's broken state of mind. Considering he's a TV actor, Zach Braff's acting isn't at all bad; he suits the role that he's written himself like a glove, and his performance gives the whole piece an element of realism. The extraordinarily beautiful Natalie Portman stars alongside Braff as his opposite number. Portman delivers her performance with just the right amount of cuteness, while slightly hinting that her character might not quite be all smiles and sweetness. An excellent ensemble is topped off by Peter Sarsgaard and Ian Holm, who both do well with the roles Braff has given them. There isn't really anything on the technical side that makes this film stand out, but films like this are more about characters and story anyway; and this film has both of them. The film is interesting throughout, as the character are nurtured and we get to know them; and the film finally pays off when we finally get the end. All in all, I wouldn't go as far as to call this great or a masterpiece; but it's a solid movie and I'm not surprised at the positive reception it has won itself.

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9 /10

A New Jersey State of Mind!

Garden State is the state motto. Zach Braff was born, raised, and lived in South Orange, New Jersey which is home to celebrities like Kelly Bishop and Andre Braugher. South Orange is an upscale suburb of New York City and neighboring Newark, New Jersey. Zach Braff is perfect as the director, writer, and leading actor in this film which I heard about when he hosted Saturday Night Live. His loving homage to his home state makes you wonder what really goes on in New Jersey. There are multiple sides to life in New Jersey. I just couldn't believe that he got the wonderful Sir Ian Holm to play his father. Natalie Portman is truly believable as the girl of his dreams. Jean Smart is unforgettable as Carol, one of his friend's unconventional mothers. Life in New Jersey varies from the very rich to the very poor, rural, suburban, and urban. His story begins with a phone call from his father informing him that his invalid mother drowned in the bathtub. He returns home to New Jersey for the funeral and reunites with old friends. His character is an aspiring Hollywood heterosexual actor who works as a waiter in a Vietnamese restaurant until he gets another acting job. In Hollywood, he's one of thousands aspiring actors out there. I love how he compares Natalie's family to his own.

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9 /10

A Nutshell Review: Garden State

Garden State marks Zach Braff's feature film directorial debut, based upon a story written by him, and starring himself, Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard. His later work The Last Kiss might have struck a chord in me with his characters looking at life entering the 30s, while this one's more about a younger man seeking some meaning and direction in his aimless life.

Looking at it, Cameron Crowe's Elizabethtown might have some similarities, with the lead character leaving the city to return to the town he grew up in, when a death in the family occurs. Here, Braff's Andrew Largeman is a struggling actor in LA, going home upon hearing news of his mother's death. Back in town, and hooking up with old acquaintances like Mark (Sarsgaard), he planned to stay for only 4 days, but found time hard to pass by especially when much of it involves drugs and booze, until he met the girl who would change his life forever - Samantha (Portman).

Portman really lights up the screen with her effervescent performance as a serial liar. Meeting Andrew in a psychiatric clinic, their banter in that scene is to die for (complete with humping dog), as is their banter through the first half of the movie, bringing to mind the irrelevance of the conversational pieces ala Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise, but little of that sexual overtones. Like Kirsten Dunst's character in Elizabethtown, she provides reason and is the beacon of light at the end of the lead male character's fuzzy tunnel. Smart, sassy, everything a guy would want in a girl really.

There are plenty of quirky moments in the movie that all but makes the movie seem like little short skits put together, but that's what makes the movie appealing, in that it doesn't stick to the usual narrative formula. It clearly stems from Braff's vision of translating most of his life's experiences into the movie. And the build up to the finale (see, I still can't stop seeing those similarities) involves a road trip of sorts, and though it doesn't cross state lines, they do make some visits, and have that feel good end to it all.

I'll always like any movie so long as it has a scene which touches me, for reasons of my own, and here, Garden State has one which endeared itself to me. It's that scene which involves a hug and the notion of finding a safe-house, a home. I've been there and I know that feeling, and here, it gets translated perfectly. Coupled with an excellent soundtrack throughout the story, this is one heartwarming tale that doesn't deserve to be missed.

Life's always complex, but it all boils down to how you want to deal with it. There are no clear answers, but lucky is the person if you have someone to walk those winding road ahead with.

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Enjoyable and Manipulative

Like the parkway of the same name in New Jersey, `Garden State' is not as pretty as it sounds, not as much fun as a semi-stoner film could be, but it gets you to where director/writer/star Zach Braff (TV's `Scrubbs') wants you to be-in a funky state of awareness that our purpose in life is to accept who we are and love when possible. Andrew Largeman (Braff), like his obvious counterpart Benjamin from `The Graduate,' is lost in L.A. as a would-be-actor (He did play a retarded quarterback for a cable-TV movie) and waiter in a Vietnamese restaurant. As in Benjamin's case, most people are willing to give him advice, mostly about his limitations, but his considerable medication demands, from his psychiatrist father, kept him from focusing and being aggressive.

Returning to the Garden State for his mother's funeral, Andrew meets his former life in the form of slacker high-school buddies and a father accusing him of crippling his mother. Until he meets Sam (Natalie Portman, `Cold Mountain') nothing here makes sense either. Then she releases, as Elaine did for Benjamin, feelings and insights foreign to him before this. Sam is a free spirit with an out-there family, all of this just a bit too contrived to be authentic quirky, but amusingly quirky it is.

When Andrew, Sam, and gravedigger friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard, `Shattered Glass') visit an ark at the bottom of a quarry or deal with a rich buddy who invented `silent Velcro,' I was reminded of Harold visiting Maude's railroad car in `Harold and Maude,' another cult oldie aimed at renewing our love of life's oddities and life itself.

Director Braff laces the film with references to death such as the burial of Sam's gerbil, and, of course his mother but manages to keep the tone light, for example, when Andrew and friends smoke weed and play spin the bottle. That admixture makes `Garden State' enjoyable and manipulative at the same time. Hearing Simon and Garfunkel on the soundtrack confirmed my suspicion that Andrew would ultimately rebel, if not just from himself. Like Benjamin, he would like his life to be `different.' Braff successfully underlines the difference, which promises an interesting future for his protagonist. Benjamin does not hold the same promise. As Wordsworth said, ` Like,--but oh how different.'

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6 /10

"But aren't we all"

I would love to find a woman like Natalie Portman's Sam in Garden State. Someone who is quirky, but not to the point of being difficult to take seriously. Someone with a sort of effervescent charm, but one that doesn't quickly become overcompensating. And just someone that will listen and trust me as a person. But like Zach Braff's Andrew Largeman in the film, I have a lot to go through before that can happen.

Andrew is a Los Angeles based actor who returns home to New Jersey after his father calls to tell him his mother has died. Andrew has been kept in a place for physic evaluation after his addiction to antidepressants nearly lead to his downfall. Upon returning home, he spends his days aimlessly wandering around the town, reacquainting with old friends, and just trying to come to terms with life and its many mysteries. But aren't we all.

He eventually meets Sam, an offbeat woman who claims to be a pathological liar and is just all around strange and off-putting to someone with a closed-mind. I was beginning to write off Garden State as unconvincing indie-fare until I was met with Natalie Portman's character, who breeds life into a film that was desperately seeking it up until that point in time. As always, I've found her to be one of the most charming actresses, and here, she comfortably fills her character with the eccentricities and motifs she's uniformly known for.

The two hit it off, and for the remainder of the film, exchange in bizarre conversations, discuss how "screwed up" each of their families are, and while Andrew always appears sulky and directionless, Sam seems to always be overflowing with an unidentifiable joy. This is most likely why she has been dubbed the "manic pixie dream girl," a stereotype which can be applied here rather fittingly.

Braff's sensitive direction works in the film's favor, and he appears to be a young prodigy when it comes to directing characters and uses a variety of exciting shots to prevent monotony. However, monotony comes into play due to the screenplay's lack of ideas. I mentioned how I was pleased to see a character like Natalie Portman's Sam walk on screen, but in the end, it was not a strong enough thing for me to recommend the entire one-hundred and three minute experience. The experience is overlong, tedious, sometimes dreadfully noneventful, and all around, vaguely uninteresting. This sort of romance was documented much more powerful in (500) Days of Summer.

Somehow, I feel that if this film didn't immediately bandwagon the "indie, hipster" genre of film that is increasingly becoming so popular and took a more nonchalant, modest approach in terms of writing, this wouldn't have happened. I too feel that this is a setup that heads straight in the direction of humanity-driven mumblecore, and in the hands of the Duplass brothers, this would've become a very miraculous film. Put in the hands of a first time director, it comes off as a rather shaky first step, but you can still tell and feel that something bigger and more divine is likely to emerge.

I find myself placing Garden State beside the three Wes Anderson pictures I don't totally adore or recommend but feel that there is something there I am just unable to grasp. I can see some people loving the film and that is perfectly acceptable, and in that case, I encourage readers to disregard my opinion. It's truly difficult to explain why I am not recommending Garden State as a whole. It is filled with whimsy and charisma, but it never does much with either, and I can only sum it up like I summed up Wes Anderson's Rushmore; it wasn't that funny and it wasn't that interesting.

Starring: Zach Braff and Natalie Portman. Directed by: Zach Braff.

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