Garden State (2004)

All Critics (187) | Top Critics (41) | Fresh (161) | Rotten (26) | DVD (35)

Feels too piecemeal and ultimately inconsequential to grab the public where it counts.

March 26, 2009 Full Review | Comments (4)

Todd McCarthy

Variety

Top Critic

This is a movie where 'sensitivity' and 'sincerity' are signposted by songs by Paul Simon and Nick Drake, which I guess says it all.

February 9, 2006 Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Top Critic

Mr. Braff, Ms. Portman, Mr. Sarsgaard and Mr. Holm never strike a false note as a remarkably coherent acting ensemble, and it is good to see Ron Leibman again in the small role of Doctor Cohen.

September 10, 2004 Full Review

Andrew Sarris

New York Observer

Top Critic

Sweet, fuzzy and quirky in a good way -- much like the cracked friendships it engagingly depicts.

August 20, 2004 Full Review

Joe Baltake

Sacramento Bee

Top Critic

Cleverly written, sensitively directed and very well-acted.

August 20, 2004 Full Review

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Top Critic

His movie is sweet-natured and skillful, but its biggest problem is perhaps one Braff wasn't prepared to deal with: his own performance -- or, more accurately, the decision to place a deliberately flat performance at the film's heart.

August 13, 2004 Full Review

Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

Top Critic

Although flawed, Garden State is a good-natured film whose very likeability leaves you willing to overlook its shortcomings.

November 7, 2011 Full Review

Film4

Smart drama for mature older teens and up.

December 24, 2010 Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

It's no longer a generational alarm clock, but for those who've seen loved ones stumble through complacent fogs of Paxil, Zoloft and the like, "Garden State" still warns that "stability" doesn't mean a numbness to anything not emotionally even-keeled.

September 24, 2010 Full Review

Nick Rogers

Suite101.com

There is not a shot in this movie that doesn't shine...

April 29, 2009 Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Actor Zach Braff (NBC's "Scrubs") makes an impressive if unsatisfying writing and directing debut with a plaintive post-modern drama that relies on unspoken dry wit to entertain its audience (think a cross between "Harold and Maude" and "The Graduate").

April 18, 2009 Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Braff, who also wrote and directs, tells this story with great flair, lots of subtlety and a wonderfully paced set of revelations that come to us just as they might in real life.

October 18, 2008 Full Review

Urban Cinefile Critics

Urban Cinefile

[A] goofy, melancholy, seriocomic slice of life...

August 7, 2008 Full Review

Mark Halverson

Sacramento News & Review

It's good to see Natalie Portman acting again.

December 27, 2007 Full Review

Joe Lozito

Big Picture Big Sound

full review in Greek

October 3, 2006 Full Review

Joseph Proimakis

Movies for the Masses

the quintessential product by and for uninspired times

August 24, 2006 Full Review | Comments (4)

Jay Antani

Cinema Writer

While Braff's script may suffer from long-windedness, his direction -- of both cast and camera -- is so confident that this debut could well mark the start of a major career.

December 6, 2005 Full Review

Tim Merrill

Film Threat

Both funny and touching, this is a small film that deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

September 30, 2005 Full Review | Comment (1)

Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

Es una buena primera película (...) El problema tal vez sea su incontrolable acumulación de situaciones...

September 17, 2005 Full Review

Enrique Buchichio

Uruguay Total

The film manages to be delightfully offbeat while simultaneously providing weight and depth.

July 25, 2005 Full Review

Uri Lessing

www.kcactive.com

[Offers] audiences a realistic coming-of-age tale that isn't bogged down by Hollywood clichés, but rather lifted higher by an incredible cast and an even more remarkable directorial debut by from Zach Braff.

July 5, 2005 Full Review

Jason Zingale

Bullz-Eye.com

It's the kind of small treasure that drops in theaters once or twice a year.

June 20, 2005 Full Review

Bill Clark

FromTheBalcony

One of the best directorial debuts in recent memory.

May 4, 2005 Full Review

Olly Richards

Empire Magazine

Boasts a sweet, moody rhythm.

May 3, 2005 Full Review

Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

• 1. Andrew Largeman: There's a handful of normal kid things I kinda missed.
  2. Samantha: There's a handful of normal kid things I kinda wish I'd missed.
  – Submitted by Justin C (9 months ago)
• 1. Mark: The only thing worse than a favor is a favor involving money.
  – Submitted by Justin C (9 months ago)
• 1. Andrew Largeman: Are you doing anything right now?
  2. Samantha: Can you elaborate on doing anything?
  3. Andrew Largeman: I just know this guy Jesse who bought this mansion that's right up here and we wants me to come visit him, but I don't want to stay very long. So I was thinking if you came too I could just say I have to take you home when I'm ready to go.
  4. Samantha: Wow. That's pretty damn random of you, Andrew. Nice to meet you. Can I use you?
  5. Andrew Largeman: No.
  6. Samantha: Must be the Hollywood in you, I guess.
  7. Andrew Largeman: No, come on, it's not like that. It will be fun. I'll tell you what, we could have a signal. Like when you pull on your ear that's the code and then I'll be like, oh I gotta take her home. And then we'll go.
  8. Samantha: Can we have code names, too?
  9. Andrew Largeman: If you want.
  10. Samantha: Okay. But don't try and kidnap me or anything because my step-uncle is a bounty hunter and he could have you tracked and killed.
  11. Andrew Largeman: You're such a liar!
  – Submitted by MarieBella C (13 months ago)
• 1. Andrew Largeman: So why were you really there?
  2. Samantha: Charging, I'm a robot.
  3. Andrew Largeman: Do you lie a lot?
  4. Samantha: What do you consider a lot?
  5. Andrew Largeman: Enough for people to call you a liar.
  6. Samantha: People call me lots of things.
  7. Andrew Largeman: Is one of them liar?
  8. Samantha: I could say no, but how would you know I'm not lying?
  9. Andrew Largeman: I guess I could choose to trust you.
  10. Samantha: You can do that?
  11. Andrew Largeman: I can try.
  12. Samantha: Whose bike is that?
  13. Andrew Largeman: It 'was' my grandfather's it was the only thing he left to anybody in the world and he left it to me. And I like it.
  14. Samantha: So this is the point in the conversation where you'd ask me if I like a ride home.
  15. Andrew Largeman: It is?
  16. Samantha: Yep
  17. Andrew Largeman: Would you like a ride home?
  18. Samantha: Fine but I'm not getting in that side car.
  19. Andrew Largeman: Why not?
  20. Samantha: Side cars are for bitches anyone who rides in that is automatically your bitch! Thus I will ride on the back. Whoa!
  21. Andrew Largeman: Hold on.
  22. Samantha: Okay holding my hair's blowing in the wind!
  – Submitted by MarieBella C (13 months ago)
• 1. Samantha: What are you doing?
  2. Andrew Largeman: Remember that idea I had, about working stuff out on my own, and then finding you once I worked stuff out?
  3. Samantha: The ellipsis?
  4. Andrew Largeman: Yeah, the ellipsis, it's dumb. It's dumb. It's an awful idea. I'm not gonna do it, okay? Cause like you said, this is it. This is life. And I'm in love with you Samantha, I think that's the only thing I've ever really been sure of in my entire life. And I'm really messed up right now, and I got a whole lot of stuff I have to work out, but I don't want to waste any more of my life without you in it. And I think I can do this. I mean, I want to. I have to, right?
  5. Samantha: Yeah. Yes!
  6. Andrew Largeman: So what do we do? What do we do?
  – Submitted by MarieBella C (13 months ago)
• 1. Andrew Largeman: Wow
  2. Samantha: Yeah
  3. Andrew Largeman: I mean this is-
  4. Samantha: I know it's not that we're bad owners or anything it's just you we've had so many of them over the years, Besides a lot of these are fish.
  – Submitted by MarieBella C (13 months ago)