DIRECTOR: Zach Braff
STUDIO: Large's Ark Productions, Jersey Films, Camelot Pictures & Double Feature Films
RATING: R
WEBSITE: www2.foxsearchlight.com/gardenstate/ (this is a very cool site)
RELEASE DATE: August 20, 2004
QUOTE: "Good luck exploring the infinite abyss"
In a Good State of Mind
REVIEW BY CATHERINE KRUMMEY
Zach Braff (TV's Scrubs) makes his directorial debut with Garden State, which he also wrote and stars in. Every actor, director and writer wishes that their debut is of the calibur of Garden State. The film is filled with witty dialogue as the semi-autobiographical tale of Braff's life.
Garden State follows Andrew Largeman (Braff), a struggling actor who is coming home to New Jersey for the first time in about 10 years to attend his parapelegic mother's funeral. We find that Largeman's father (Lord of the Rings' Ian Holm), a psychiatrist, has been over-medicating his son since he was about 10 years old. Largeman decides to go off the various anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications, much to the dismay of his father. When he goes to another doctor to see if everything's okay, he meets Sam, played by Natalie Portman (The Professional, the new Star Wars trilogy) in the performance of her career. They hit it off and start a cute, quirky relationship. Peter Sarsgaard (Kinsey, Shattered Glass) also co-stars as Largeman's old friend from high school who leads Largeman and Sam on an expedition for the last day of Largeman being home.
This movie is fantastic. The performances, script, direction and everything else just fall into place perfectly.
RANDOM FACT: Garden State director-writer-star ?Zach Braff also hand-picked the songs for the Grammy-nominated soundtrack.