Feels too piecemeal and ultimately inconsequential to grab the public where it counts.
Garden State (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:35
Fresh:29
Rotten:6
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: Charmingly warm-hearted and quirky.
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Jul 30, 2004 Limited
Box Office: $26,706,668
Synopsis:
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma until his mother's death inspired a vacation from the pills to see what might happen. A moderately successful TV actor...
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma until his mother's death inspired a vacation from the pills to see what might happen. A moderately successful TV actor living in Los Angeles, "Large" hasn't been home to the "Garden State" in nine years. But even with 3,000 miles between them, he's been unable to escape his domineering father Gideon (Sir Ian Holm) and the silencing effect he's had on his son from afar.
Stunned to find himself in his hometown after such a long absence, Large finds old acquaintances around every corner living quite unique lives as gravediggers (Peter Sarsgaard), fast food knights and the panderers of pyramid schemes. Meanwhile, at home, he does his best to avoid a long-simmering but inevitable confrontation with his father.
By a twist of fate, Large meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a girl who is everything he isn't. A blast of color, hope and quirks, Sam becomes a sidekick who refuses to ride in his sidecar. Her warmth and fearlessness give Large the courage to open his heart to the joy and pain of the infinite abyss that is life.
GARDEN STATE was directed and written by Zach Braff (of television's "Scrubs"), who also stars alongside Golden GlobeŽ-nominated Natalie Portman (STAR WARS: EPISODE I, COLD MOUNTAIN), Golden Globe nominee Peter Sarsgaard (SHATTERED GLASS, BOYS DON'T CRY), OscarŽ-nominated Ian Holm (CHARIOTS OF FIRE, LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING), Emmy AwardŽ-winning Jean Smart (BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, SWEET HOME ALABAMA), Method Man (SOUL PLANE, HOW HIGH), and Golden Globe nominee Ron Leibman (AUTO FOCUS, PERSONAL VELOCITY).
Opening Date: Friday, August 6
San Francisco: Landmark's Bridge Theatre
Opening Date: Friday, August 13
San Francisco - CineArts @ Empire
Emeryville - AMC Bay Street
Berkeley - Shattuck Cinema
Pleasant Hill - Century Pleasant Hill
Burlingame - Century Hyatt
San Jose - Camera 12
San Jose - AMC Mercado, Santa Clara
San Jose - AMC Saratoga
Sausalito - CineArts @ Marin
Santa Rosa - Rialto Cinemas Lakeside
Opening Date: Friday, August 20
Sacramento - UA Market Square
Roseville - UA Olympus Point
Davis - Signature Stadium 5
Stockton - City Center 16
Visalia - Signature Stadium 10
Reno - Riverside 12
Honolulu - Dole Cannery 16
-- © Fox Searchlight
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard, Ron Leibman, Method Man, Jean Smart, Ann Dowd, Denis O'Hare, Geoffrey Arend, Jackie Hoffman
Director: Zach Braff
Director: Zach Braff
Screenwriter: Zach Braff
Producer: Pamela Abdy, Dan Halsted, Gary Gilbert, Richard Klubeck
Composer: Chad Fischer
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
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Release:
May 26, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- NTSC
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Surround - Spanish
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
- Outtakes
- Making Of
- Bloopers: Blooper Reel
Audio Commentary:
- 1. Zach Braff - Director
- 2. Lawrence Sher - Director of Photography
- 3. Myron Kerstein - Editor
- 4. Judy Becker - Production Designer
Reviews for Garden State
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.
The best parts of this droll, quietly witty drama have the ring of truth.
The kind of movie that reminds you why you love movies so much, a film so filled with unexpected energy and ambition and sly intelligence it gives you hope for the future.
Sincere, funny and entertaining in a way that not only charms but disarms.
This comedy works so diligently at being idiosyncratic, it comes off as artificial and forced.
A little gem of a film full of believably offbeat characters and eclectic mood music.
It takes the comic-drama Garden State awhile to take root, but then it quickly grows on you.
There is a little unevenness. But for a directorial debut, it's amazingly assured.
Features some wonderful performances, chief among them an engaging, even courageous turn from Natalie Portman.
It steals shamelessly from The Graduate without indicating a whit of appreciation for the earlier film.
It has an askew sense of humor that's grounded in honest observation.
A standard issue, first-movie navel-gaze whose cobwebs Braff meticulously sweeps away by directing the bejesus out of it.
A comedy with so many moments of found insight and irony that it can scarcely contain them all.
It's smart and unconventional, with a good eye for the perfect detail.
Garden State, Zach Braff's lyrical directorial debut, self-consciously announces itself as a baby buster generational marker -- and richly deserves the designation.
Braff, now a proven triple-threat, is blessed with his own comic chops, an eye for the small details of regular life and a simple, straightforward directorial style.
Latest News for Garden State
May 10, 2007:
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August 31, 2006:
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August 14, 2006:
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Despite a pair of newcomers close behind in its rearview mirror, Will Ferrell's hit comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby finished in first place for the second... More...
March 02, 2006:
Dr. Dorian Prepares for "Open Hearts"
"Scrubs" star Zach Braff, who made quite the impression with his debut movie, "Garden State," has chosen his second directorial project: a remake of the 2003... More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 77% 77% | The Hangover |
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 24% 24% | G-Force |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 82% 82% | Paranormal Activity |
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