Garden State Movie Review:


In his new film “Garden State,” Zach Braff tackles a story that reaches audiences of all ages and on different levels. He does a commendable job here in all three of his roles as actor, writer and director. “I wanted to make a smart love story for young people, and I wanted to make a movie that got across the feeling of what it’s like to come home,” he explained.

Andrew Largeman (Braff), a young man who has been hiding from his life by acting on television in Los Angeles, finally decides to return to New Jersey. Andrew wants to see old friends and experience familiar places from his past, but he must also deal with a painful part of his life that he’s been avoiding. His paraplegic mother recently committed suicide, and he must also confront his father (Ian Holm), a domineering man who always thinks his ideas of what Andrew should do with his life are the only answer.

Braff’s Andrew is immediately solemn and withdrawn when he arrives back home. But once he meets up with some of his old pals, most who are quite bizarre – a gravedigger and a guy who wears a real knight’s armor on his job – Andrew begins to relax and remember that life can also be fun. Braff’s role as Dr. John Dorain (JD) on the television comedy, "Scrubs," and the years during his personal life that he admits to trying comedy are clearly evident in the comedic aspects of the story and its characters.

Andrew’s friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) is a gravedigger who lives with his pot-smoking mother (Jean Smart). Yet beyond his oddity and unpretentiousness, lies a man who has a deep understanding of many things, and he knows when Andrew really needs a shoulder to lean on.

Andrew’s dad, Gideon, is having his own midlife crisis. With the guilt of his dead wife, and a son who lives far away and cannot connect to him, Gideon does not know how to reach Andrew. But when Andrew returns home and divulges a startling revelation, he finally understands it’s he who must reach his father.

While trying to decide how he can do that, Andrew meets Sam (Natalie Portman), and loves everything about her because she seems so opposite to himself. His family is ordered, black and white and somber; her family life is chaotic, colorful and close-knit.

After finishing her sci-fi role as Senator Amidala in the Star Wars trilogy, Portman was ready for something different and found it in “Garden State.” “Sam is a funny girl,” she said, “but more importantly, she has problems, she’s got a sense of humor, but what I really appreciated was that she’s an interesting and complex as the male characters.”

Andrew loves the humor he finds in Sam and soon falls head over heels for her. She wants him to learn that if you can’t laugh at yourself, life isn’t worth living. But can she be the one to open him up to the change that will allow their relationship to work?

“Our main character is so entangled with his life, he doesn’t know how to move on, not by forgetting his past, but allowing that period of his life to be at rest so he can move on,” said Braff.

“Garden State” is at times poignant and often funny. It’s easy to connect with and enjoy this universal story about pain, loss, love and overcoming roadblocks.

Diana Saenger

"You can never go home again."

First–time filmmaker and screenwriter Zach Braff (TV’s “Scrubs”) zeroes in on what it takes to feel again and what it takes to come home once more in “Garden State”.

Braff stars as Andrew Largeman, a struggling LA actor who returns home to New Jersey after the sudden passing of his mother. “Large” seems to float through his old existence as he reconnects with his old friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard). Large also has a hard time dealing with his psychiatrist father Gideon (Ian Holm).

It isn’t until a pleasant twist of fate does Large find a real reason to feel again when he meets free-spirit Sam (Natalie Portman). Sam seems to shine a light into Large’s gloomy world. It is her nature and nurturing take that seems to allow Large to see a new light in his life.

“Garden State” is a hilarious, quirky comedy and brilliant to its core. It is textured with zany scenes and multi-dimensional characters that you really have no idea where the characters will end up next. It is in that off-beat tone that evolves into one of the best comedies I have seen in years.

Braff brings so much to each and every character that we witness their off-putting ways but for some unknown reason see so much realism in their portrayals.

From Sam’s hamster wielding mother to Large’s aunt’s funeral serenade to Mark’s knight-laying mother, “Garden State” assembles some of the most interesting and hilarious comedic characters in years.

The performance of Braff as his own creation, Large is subdued and withdrawn but that is why this character needs to feel so desperately. Portman’s Sam is cute, full of feeling and a perfect opposite to Large.

I also have to give credit to veteran indie-actor Peter Sarsgaard who does a brilliant performance as Large’s struggling friend Mark. His performance brings so many levels to Mark even if the script doesn’t allow the actor to fully explore them.

I also liked the fact that “Garden State” in its fresh and unique take was not afraid to tackle the controversial topic of kids becoming reliant on anti-depressants like lithium. This topic is so interwoven into the film that it is there to enlighten us but not steer us away from the lighter comedy moments. If anything it enhances some of them.

The film reminded me a lot of the classic John Cusack comedies from the 1980s like “Better Off Dead”, “A Sure Thing” and obviously director Cameron Crowe’s “Say Anything”. In each of those films, there is an under-lying message that echoes throughout the film but laughter and craziness allows the audience to absorb the message.

Teenage suicide, a question of beauty and family secrets were all some of the harsher topics interlaced and woven into these classic comedies. “Garden State” is definitely a throwback to those comedies and could be heralded as the best of the bunch.

The Academy Awards really need to honor Braff with at least an Oscar nomination for best original screenplay this year. It is an utterly involving and brilliant screenplay.

“Garden State” is as perfect as a comedy can get.

(5 out of 5)

So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

Every once and while there is a little film that comes around, which is not perfect, but so pleasant and original that it stays with us for a duration of time. Zach Braff’s Garden State is one of those special films.

Most notable for his supporting role on television’s Scrubs, Braff pulls off a successful hat trick as the star, writer, and director of Garden State. This enduring film of finding one’s self has an ample amount of laughs as well as a few thugs at the heart.

Andrew Largeman (Braff) is a struggling 26 year-old actor in Los Angeles that’s only known performance was in a television movie about a challenged football quarterback. To make ends meet he works a deadbeat job as a waiter at a Vietnamese restaurant. Not far into the film, Andrew learns that his paraplegic mother has drowned in the bathtub from a message left by his distance psychiatrist father (Sir Ian Holm). Before catching a plane back home to New Jersey (The Garden State), Andrew distinctively leaves behind his array of depression medication. The young actor has not been home in nine years and it is noticeable that he and his father’s relationship are composed of mostly short answers and silence. During his mother’s burial, Andrew is reunited with an old high school pal named Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), who is now a self-absorbed gravedigger.

Mark brings Andrew back around to meet with his past friends, which include Albert (Denis O’Hare), who is filthy rich due to his invention of soundless velcro. After being exposed to the life of his old pals and still being sickened by his father, Andrew meets the distinctive Sam (Natalie Portman). Sam also has her own problems, but is so free spirited that she helps open Andrew to a way of life that he has never experienced.

Garden State is a story of self-discovery told very cleverly by Braff. This story could be a typical one of a young man coming home to find himself, but Braff’s script is so fresh, likeable, keen, and more than anything genuine. There are so many layers to this film and to each character, even a supporting character such as Andrew’s father reflects so many ticks as an angered soul that has felt so much pain. Andrew is the crucial backbone to the story and appears in every scene of the film. All of the characters are well defined throughout the film, and each have their own zany ticks, which makes them all the more identifiable. There are a few times where the film detours into a questionable realm of unexpected circumstances, such as one that includes Method Man’s Diego having his own side business as a hotel employee.

This film’s story has already been compared to great films like The Graduate and Good Will Hunting; but Garden State is really a film all its own. Braff’s balanced story is of a young man returning home to deal with loss, but actually finds himself. There are some strong emotional scenes in this film as well as many humorous moments. This is a personal story to Braff as a filmmaker and he does an excellent job of telling it.

Braff is also solid in his role as the lead Andrew Largeman. His comedic timing and delivery are terrific, but Braff also has an endearing innocence about him that is favorable. Natalie Portman delivers some of her best work as the full of heart Sam. Portman is such a fine actress that has pretty much been hidden under the wing of green screens with George Lucas for the past five years or so. Outside of her role in The Professional, Sam is the most complex and lovable character that Portman has ever played. Peter Sarsgaard continues to prove that he is quickly rising as one of Hollywood’s best character actors as Andrew’s stoner friend Mark. Going from playing a evil rapist in Boys Don’t Cry, to out shining Harrison Ford in K19: The Widowmaker, to delivering one of the best performances of last year as Chuck Lane in Shattered Glass, Sarsgaard maintains his hot streak with a delicate and precise performance as Mark. The character itself could have easily been secluded as the questionable friend, but Sarsgaard is too good to just accept that. Sir Ian Holm has a tiny, but pivotal role as Andrew’s father, and as usual Holm’s talent and presence is undeniable. The entire cast of this film is absolutely wonderful.

It is difficult to speak so highly of a film without giving concrete examples of its creativity or quirkiness. This review has remained close knit in respect to letting audiences see all of the surprises and humor as they are told or unfolded. Garden State is a gem and one that is not to be missed.

Grade: A

Bailey Henderson

Coming home to New Jersey for the first time in nine years for his Mother’s funeral, Andrew Largeman (Braff) really doesn’t want to be there. Not really speaking to his father (Holm), Andrew catches up with his high school friends and meets Sam (Portman), a girl he instantly connects with. While his life had been pretty empty in LA, Andrew actually starts to wake up to life and the possibilities that he could actually be happy.

The move from actor to director is a big one but when you throw in writer as well, you are joining a very select band of filmmakers. Zach Braff easily makes that heady list.

Starring, written and directed by the actor more known for his role as J.D. in the hit medical comedy ‘Scrubs’, this is an outstanding debut and a showcase for a genuine talent. Any fan of the show will already know that Braff is a talented comedic actor but no one would have guessed that is was only a smidgen of his talent.

In ‘Garden State’ he brings us a story and a set of characters that you can instantly connect with and are completely captivating. These are average, everyday people wondering through life, slightly scared to experience everything it has to offer. Our lead is Andrew Largeman, Large to his friends, a man riddled by guilt who, because of drugs prescribed by his psychiatrist, had been numb to life for over nine years. Due to the unfortunate death of his mother, he returns to New Jersey, leaving his pills behind in L.A., and starts living for the first time. This is like an awaking for the character and the audience as Braff skilfully introduces you to a world of wonder, friendship and love but always keeps this ground in reality.

Joining him on his journey are Natalie Portman and Peter Sarsgaard. You might have forgotten that there is more to Natalie Portman’s career than starring in a franchise set in a galaxy far, far away. She was an actress described as one to watch and this is a role that re-ignites that interest. As Sam she creates a kooky, off the wall character that instantly endears herself to you, making it easy she why Andrew is so taken by her. This is a role that Portman can excel in, as she has finally finds a script and a character that allows her to express her talent. Peter Sarsgaard is making a name for himself as a talented character actor. As Mark, Andrew’s High School buddy who now digs graves for a living, he creates an everyman who is still grabbing onto the insanity of youth and refusing any resemblance of responsibility. Partying, taking drugs and loving women, the character also goes through a journey of discovery as he finally realises that the things he does can have consequences. Sarsgaard captures this superbly and highlights again that he is an actor to watch.

The movie is all about the talents of Zach Braff however and this is a real showcase. It has been a long time since someone has made such an accomplished debut but with ‘Garden State’, Braff announces to the world that he is a serious talent to be watched. As Andrew he creates a character that is slowly waking up to life and the joys it can bring. After existing in a drug-induced stupor for the last nine years of his life, he finally feels what it is like to be alive and becomes a better person through it. This is a restrained performance from the talented comedic actor that grows as the movie progresses and the drugs wash out of the character’s system. As a director he shows a real visual flare. Every shot is a pallet of colour and style, as he reveals his view of the Garden State to the world. Mixing in fast cuts, slow motion and lingering shots of a place that he clearly loves, Braff shows that he has a real eye for cinema. Finally, as a writer he creates a story and characters that are enthralling and engaging. Plodding along at just the right pace, even thought the story might seem slow and too slight for some, this is a journey of discovery for the three main characters and one that make you look at own life and question if you are living enough.

Garden State is an impressive debut from a true emerging talent. This is a movie that will engage you on many levels and get you thinking for a long time after. With a great script, fantastic performances and a visual style that you can’t help but watch, this is picture that makes Zach Braff a filmmaker that you should be taking notice of.

Star Rating = * * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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