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After being told about this film, and being a fan of Zach Braff, I decided to buy Garden State on eBay and see for my self. An Actor (Andrew "Large" Largemen, played by Zach Braff), living in LA has to visit his home town in New Jersey when he hears of the news of his mothers death. He reconnects with the place once he returns and a twist of fate introduces him to a quirky girl who gives 'Andrew' the courage to open his heart to life's experiences, after not being able to feel these experiences having been drugged up for a large part of his life.
First off, for anyone thinking about seeing this movie, go do it!! No matter what anyone has told you already about the film. I notice a lot of people writing that they didn't like Garden State and that's fine, I personally thought it was excellent. To me it was real life on film, and within that real life there are very different people. Unfortunately not everyone wants to see movies that remind them of reality, and I guess not everybodies reality is the same as mine. Even so Garden State is well worth the watching, if only to remind us that the comatose state most of us live in is only temporary, and the joy of a life well lived is forever.
Like Zach Braff? Buy it. Simple. It seems as if too many movies in this day and age are either based on a book, a true story, or both. Zach Braff, in his first feature film, does a remarkable job in producing a movie that possesses a sense of originality and an overall appeal that can be respected by all different types of movie enthusiasts. Not only is Braff’s direction and screenwriting unique and clever, but his acting calls for praise as well. As a 26-year-old actor, Andrew (Braff) returns home for the first time in nine years in response to the death of his mother. We learn that he has been taking prescription medicine for years, and he finally stops taking them for the first time. Braff does a superb job in showing Andrew’s rediscovery of himself, as the character learns that it might not be so bad to walk in his own shoes. As Andrew reconnects with his childhood roots, he meets Samantha (Natalie Portman), his love interest throughout the film. Portman is truly amazing throughout the movie, bringing grace, emotion, beauty, and a general congenial charisma that the audience cannot help but fall in love with. As Andrew rids himself of the drug he never needed, he finds that Samantha is his new drug that he can’t live without. The chemistry between these two was near perfection, and it was intriguing to see how these two very different characters were able to grow closer and closer together. As a medicated actor from L.A., Andrew is bland and pretty ordinary. Samantha is the clear antithesis, acting as Braff’s foil in the film. This is best shown when Samantha cries over Andrew’s mother’s death, having not even known her, while he cannot even shed a tear. She strives to be a unique individual while leading a unique lifestyle, having dozens of pets in her house and an African-American brother (Ato Essandoh) her family adopted. At the end of the film, Andrew goes on a day’s journey led by his friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) and Samantha. It’s an entertaining series of scenes, which I feel symbolized Andrew’s own personal journey throughout the film. Overall, the movie had its laughs, emotional scenes, originality, and the love story that is pleasing for the female viewer. The main message of the movie is that it’s not where you are but who you’re with that really matters, a statement that is pretty hard to disagree with.Read full review
Believe me when I say this isn't one I expected to like. If there was a film genre I could throw into a fiery pit for all eternity it would be the romcom and in essence this is just that. But don't let that put you off, if like me thats not your thing there's alot more to this film. Centered around Andrew 'Large' Largeman (Zach Braff) as he returns to his hometown for his mothers funeral the film is less about the meeting and subsequent falling in love of two people as it is the awakening of a man numbed through most of his life by perscription drugs. As the story picks up pace and 'Large' starts to wake from his Lithium dulled existence the film becomes evermore engaging as his old friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) and new acquaintance Sam (Natailie Portman) set about showing him what he's been missing. The script is intelligent, subtle and as funny as it is original, making it a rarity in todays 'carbon copied' film market and a testament to relative novice Zach Braffs ability as a writer. This bolstered by excellent supporting roles such as Ian Holm as Large's dad make this a film I'm more than happy to have in my DVD collection and highly recommend it for anybody else's.Read full review