Garden State Reviews

The directorial debut of sitcom actor Zach Braff, many were impressed and surprised by the serious depth and eccentric writing in the script. Also starring in the titular role of Andrew Largeman, Braff is mirroring his own life story and the reaches of his own depression at the time he wrote the script. Now an indie darling and cult classic, the film certainly resonates because of its following of a family's turmoil, but more importantly the role of the deadened senses of the young, and how a person in a quagmire really needs to grab at life for the good. The film centers on child actor turned waiter Andrew, who comes back to his home state of New Jersey for the funeral of his father. He runs into his friends from high school, meets a doctor's receptionist who is a pathological liar and a loveable girl next door, and tries to understand the procession of his life without mood altering drugs or the guilt over his mother's injury. Most of the film is about a love story between down and out Andrew and epileptic Sam, who is making her way through life while keeping her disability a secret and trying to connect to someone besides her loving and yet embarrassing mother. Full of really great and odd performances, it contains many great actors who usually take on smaller and yet substantial roles such as Peter Sarsgaard as a grave digging kleptomaniac, Ian Holm as Andrew's psychiatrist father, who had put his son into a lithium infused haze, and strangely enough a cameo from rapper Method Man as a bellhop. Sincerely, Braff has created a very youth centered and dramatized film, including a Grammy winning soundtrack put together by Braff himself, and an ending that is understandably clichéd and yet satisfying.

I don't usually like these artsy-fartsy movies about figuring life... and this is no exception.

Pretentious in the extreme. About as entertaining as watching paint dry.

I love this thing.

It's a shame that Zach Braff took every quirky and romantic thing he knew and put it into this one movie, thus ensuring his inability to make anything else as sweet and affecting.

Okies type random dramatic rom-com ride.

Great work from Zach Braff in all categories. Full review later.

Very solid, enjoyable movie. Loved the writing.

A delightfully off-beat drama directed, written, and starred by Zach Braff.

I'm not sure how to feel about this. It was just depressing. I just felt sad after watching it. The good thing about it is that you have one person and one person only to blame if it was bad. But I'm not gonna do that...cause it was good....but just depressing...wierd...

Garden State is such a great film. Zach Braff truly shows is talent not only as a performer, but also as a talented writer and director. A brilliant script, with smart dialogue in nearly every scene. Natalie Portman is nothing short of amazing in this film.

Absolutely fantastic film. I recommend it. One of my favorites!

This seemed like a movie that I should totally identify with, become obsessed over, and absolutely love. That I did identify with (quite a bit), but didn't absolute love it is not as disappointing as it might seem. I liked this movie, but it just didn't quite do it for me. I guess I could blame Braff, as he did write and direct it, but really, it wouldn't do too much good. At least for now, I can't really think of what he should have done to improve things. I greatly appreciate the fact that this movie doesn't hide the fact that it owes a massive debt to both The Graduate and Harold & Maude. Thankfully it doesn't totally shamelessly rip those films off. The performances were really good, and I liked the tone and atmosphere of things but yeah, it just seems to come up short for me. Maybe the fact that I can identify with this movie to a good degree is why I couldn't fall in love with it, Who knows? Anyways, decent movie but not for all tastes.

Either im a terrible reviewer or I just dont enjoy many romantic comedies but i didnt like this. I love scrubs and Zac Braff but the idea of him directing is not a good idea. The plot of his dull life changing with his friendship with Natalie Portman seems a little bullshit to me. AND THE ENDING MADE ME SHOUT IN PURE ANGER. If youre a hipster...my god this is probably the greatest thing you have ever seen, but for me, I just couldnt take in the mediocre crap.

this is good enough for me to forgive Zach Braff for wasting his entire career on Scrubs. but still dude.... after watching this like 6 times.... dude. you wasted your career on scrubs. this movie is almost good. and i hate scrubs.

"I'm okay with being unimpressive. I sleep better."

Watching Garden State makes me seriously nostalgic, even though it's not very old at all. It reminds me of my early years in college, when I was just being exposed to movies like this, and music like the tunes on the soundtrack. But I don't think the entire reason I like this movie can be chalked up to nostalgia.

Garden State is made for people who like melancholy movies about disaffected young adults. Which is not to say that it's glacial or depressing, there's actually a lot of humor. But if you enjoy more manic, lighthearted relationship movies, you'll do well to avoid this and save yourself some boredom.

For the rest of us, Garden State is a breath of fresh air. I never would have guessed that Zach Braff could have pulled something like this off, but he certainly nailed the unfocused pointlessness that many people in their mid-twenties may feel. Fans of Natalie Portman will be pleased, as well, because she's great in this. Recommended.

What a fine, fine movie. Such great dialoges, humor and wonderful acting. If Natalie Portman wouldn't have gotten the Oscar nomination for Closer, she would have deserved it for this. Just try not to fall in love with her wonderfully crazy character. Each awesome piece of music from the soundtrack fits perfectly into the scene it is played in. Such a true, sad and funny movie with a really unique atmosphere. Kudos to Zach Braff for pulling all that off. And the ending is nothing but perfect.

Wow, so much better than I had anticipated. I thought it would be somewhat depressing, but it was more uplifting. Lovely characters played well by each individual. I didn't find this film dull one bit, each moment was something new and continued on to take you to a better place.

The classic 20something indie film. I'm more impressed by Zach Braff writing, directing and starring in this.

A bit too mellow for my taste I guess is how I'd say it.

It's good, but mainly due to the fact that Natalie Portman gives one of the best performances in a romantic comedy that I think I've ever seen. It tends to come off as a little bit too cliched, even though it feels like it's not going to be. Zach Braff gave a mildly like-able character rather than an endearing one, which is essential in a character centric film. I do like the direction and overall style, so in the end, it's a success.