Garden State
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Movie Reviews of Garden State
Movie Review: Four Days to Life's Countdown
Summary: 5 Stars
Zach Braff is a talented guy and in creating GARDEN STATE (first known as LARGE'S ARK) he demonstrates not only a sense of the looney and surreal, but a tidy handling of the fallout of emotional isolation that plagues many of our youth, our baby boomers, and yes, even our older fugitives from life. It is rare when a film is conceived, written, directed and acted by one person and the result is a unique and timely little treasure like this one.
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) lives in Los Angeles as an actor and is in a vegetative state of emotional paralysis supported by mind-numbing medications. A call from his cold and distant father (Ian Holm) informs him he is needed at home in New Jersey to attend the funeral of his physically paralyzed mother who has accidentally drowned in the bathtub. Andrew flies to New Jersey (in a film sequence of a crashing plane that is unexpectedly hilarious) to the family and friends he has not seen in nine years. His friends include some of the quirkiest folks you're likely to meet: Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), Kenny the cop (Michael Weston), Dave (Alex Burns) among others. These folks are all as odd as Andrew and it is only when Andrew encounters Samantha the chronic liar (Natalie Portman) that he is able to begin to absorbs Sam's lust for living and ultimately get a grip on his aimless life, face his demons (the major one having to do with his mother's paralysis...) and commit to change.
The action is fast, with pauses for some absolutely ludicrous events that are at once hilarious and tender. All of the actors are superb, with Portman, Braff and Sarsgaard the most outstanding. It may take a while to filter the storyline and process of filming through your mind: this is creative filmmaking at a new level. But the ultimate effect is a piece of work that deserves repeated viewings and serves notice that Braff is a talent to watch. Grady Harp, December 2004
Movie Review: A nice cinematic diversion from major blockbuster movies
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently saw "Garden State" this afternoon. I wasn't really sure what the film was about prior to seeing this movie but I have heard nothing but good things about it so I thought it was worth checking out. "Garden State" isn't some fancy, spectacular blockbuster film that you would usuall see from a major film studio. "Garden State" is a quiet, subdued film with a cast of great talent. "Scrubs" star Zach Braff makes an impressive directorial debut (as well as screenwriting debut) with such a quiet film. Instead of relying on your atypical intense, overdramatic, action-filled movie, he insteads rely on humor and drama. THe premise of the film revolves around Zach's character Andrew Largeman who comes home for his mother's funeral after a nine year absence. His emotions are completely numb, partially because of the medications he had been taking since he was ten years old and another reason for a traumatic event in his young childhood. Once home, Andrew steers clear of his distant father and begins to re-connect with his friends. Andrew also meets a new friend Samantha (played by Natalie Portman), a woman who is equally troubled as Andrew. In a short period of time, Andrew begins to re-discover himself and his emotions. He begins to live again instead of simply wandering around in life aimlessly. Designing Women's Jean Smart makes a cameo appearance as the mother of one of Andrew's immature friends. She was wonderful (just like she was in "The Brady Bunch Movie"). I loved this movie. I would have though liked to have seen more father and son moments in the movie. Nevertheless Zach Braff wrote a wonderful screenplay. He manages to blend dry humor with a smidgeon of poignancy without coming off sappy and oversentimental. "Garden State" is a wonderful film to see as a relief from all the summer action-filled blockbuster movies. All the actors put in A+ performances in my opinion.Movie Review: A strange and subtly hilarious movie.
Summary: 5 Stars
Holy cow, this movie is a breathe of fresh air. I don't care about "indie" flicks or the whole "idie" scene. If you snub entertainment because you think it's "indie", you need to remove the stick from your colon. Who cares if it was made on a lower budget or wasn't released with the same publication and funding that the newest Spielberg movie got. If the movie is good, then it's good.
This movie was great! It's a very paced, clever, funny and emotional experience. I'm sure you know the plot, but here it is: A kid returns home after hearing that his mother has died. Upon returning, he must deal with the relationships he left behind, lots of unfinished business and his own personal demons. There it is, pretty simple right? Well, yeah, it is simple. But the storytelling itself is what drives this movie.
The kid returns to find his friends all stuck in similar ruts, or extraordinary ones for that matter. His connections with them are very ture. I am serving in the military and when I go home to see my family and friends, it is almost exactly as akward and uncomfortable as this movie paints it.
The gorgeous Natalie Portman joins in after a little while and the story really takes off. I'm not going to give away any spoilers because that would make the film less enjoyable. I'll just say that my favorite parts were the Mideval Times, and the bow and arrow scenes. I can't remember when I laughed as hard as when the guy shot the arrow into the air. Pure humor.
It's not all laughs, there is a lot of feelings being thrown around in this movie and it all works wonderfully. There is a decent amount of swearing and some drug use, but it's all done with class. Nothing is flaunted or overly used. This is a great movie for when you're feeling down or lost. It's a strange and wonderful movie. I wish I would have seen it in the theater.
Movie Review: My All-Time Favorite Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I have to admit that I may be biased because this is my favorite movie of all time. I think Zach Braff is a brilliant genius.
Sam, played by Natalie Portman, is adorably comical. She knows she has imperfections, especially lying, yet she almost seems flawless, and I think there is an instant connection with this character; you can't help but adore her.
I think from the start, you fall in love with the characters in this movie. I think a lot of people, especially with the way society is today, can even identify with Andrew's decision to finally live life, whether that means leaving a lithium induced haze, or finally appreciating everything around you. My favorite scene from the movie:
"Andrew Largeman: You know that point in your life when you realize that the house that you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? All of a sudden even though you have some place where you can put your stuff that idea of home is gone.
Sam: I still feel at home in my house.
Andrew Largeman: You'll see when you move out, it just sort of happens one day, one day and it's just gone. And you can never get it back. It's like you get homesick for a place that doesn't exist. I mean it's like this right of passage, you know. You won't have this feeling again until you create a new idea of home for yourself, you know, for your kids, for the family you start, it's like a cycle or something. I miss the idea of it. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place."
Brilliance! I don't know anybody that cannot identify with feeling that way at some point. I think everyone needs to see this movie at least once. It will make you laugh, it could make you cry, but overall, it leaves you with with this feeling that you are okay, and life, if not perfect, is okay. "There's Beauty In The Breakdown."
Movie Review: New Jersey was Never Nicer
Summary: 5 Stars
I went into this movie not knowing what to expect; all I'd heard was that it was good. Fortunately, this is not one of those movies where knowing nothing is not necessary for enjoyment. Also fortunately, the word of mouth was wrong: This is not a good movie, it's a great movie.
Andrew is a low-profile actor living in L.A. who's been called home for his mother's funeral. He's very out of it, and meets up with his old friends who invite him to a party, to hang out... On a visit to the doctor, he strikes a bond with a sparky girl named Sam, and the movie blossoms from this.
"Garden State" is certainly not a comedy; it just has some very good jokes now and then and some amusing dialogue. It's not really a romance either, despite that angle being clearly present. It's more of a coming of age story for the out-of-college group. Just leaving the final nest before the real world and striking out, not sure of what to be now that they've run out of time to decide it.
There's the aura of a typical pointless romance movie, but it isn't that at all. The dialogue builds character, the movie has forward momentum, and everything has a point. The dialogue is what's really catchy, and isn't pretentious or preachy. The soundtrack is interesting; it's very forward at the start, but slowly drifts into the background as the movie continues. The cinemtagrahpy is excellent, particulary during overhead shot of the pool scene.
"Garden State" is one of those movies that, depending on your stage of life, can strike you, and perhaps even change you a little bit. It's not profound or needlessly important; it's not going to make an impact on the film industry aside from its writer/director/actor breaking into the business and possibly becoming a big name in the future. But it is great, and it is worth seeing.