Garden State [2004]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Zach Braff (from the TV show Scrubs) stars in his writing/directing debut, Garden State--normally a doomed act of hubris, but Braff pulls it off with unassuming charm. An emotionally numb actor in L.A., Andrew (Braff) comes back to New Jersey after nine years away for his mother's funeral. Andrew avoids his bitter father (Ian Holm) and joins old friends (including the superb Peter Sarsgaard) in a round of parties. Along the way he meets a girl (Natalie Portman) with demons of her own; bit by bit the two offer each other a little healing. Plotwise, Garden State is familiar stuff, a cross between The Graduate and a Meg Ryan movie, but Braff has an eye for goofy but resonant visual images, an ear for lively dialogue, and a great cast. The result is surprisingly fresh and funny. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-11-24 rating:
Sadly, there is no zero star option
This is an awful film, and another example of nepotism over substance.

Unengaging plot, boring characters, some of the worst acting I have seen in a very long time and a raging pretentiousness throughout, made this painful.

It was like sitting through Lost in Translation all over again. Only the fact that I don't recall any racist comments/incidents makes this a better film. Although I did 'rest my eyes' a few times while it was playing.

Without Braff at the helm and Natalie Portman's oddly awkward appearance, this would have been lost in the quagmire of embarrasingly bad Hollywood films.

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review by: date: 2008-06-04 rating:
Awful
This was a terrible film, I watched it along with my boyfriend who agreed with my opinion on it. We just had to turn it off after an hour because we just couldn't stand to watch it anymore

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review by: date: 2008-04-21 rating:
love it love it love it
sweet and lovely. subtle and quirky. beautiful music and amazing shots. watching it feels like falling in love.

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review by: date: 2008-02-12 rating:
Garden State: Pleasantly numb
I got this film as an avid fan of Scrubs, curious to see what Zach Braff could manage away from his role as 'J.D.', and on the whole, although I wasn't completely blown away, I wasn't completely let down either.

This is a fairly pleasant film, certainly not uncomfortable to watch or suffering from poor acting, etc. It successfully puts you into the state of the main character (Zach Braff) - a sense of pleasant numbness. It does however leave you wanting a little more; its all very well getting across the main charater's emotions, but I didn't feel quite the same upsurge of emotion at the end as the main character displays, which is a slight let down. Its been well put together and looks clean and fresh. There are a few funny moments in the film, but its worth remembering that this film is not like the scrubs sitcom where Zach Braff made his name - a little more laid back, relaxing.

However, having said that, it makes for a pleasant night in, and would probably suit a couple having a quiet night in with a bottle of wine.


review by: dwoods92 date: 2007-10-18 rating:
Promising and affecting debut
Transferring his goofy persona in 'Scrubs' to something more delicate and considered must have been a challenge but Zach Braff proves he has an eye for human frailty that many up-and-coming filmmakers simply can't match. 'Garden State' is a subtlely funny and emotionally wrought drama that tends to hint rather than pontificate about the thoughts and feelings of the characters.

Braff himself is excellent and convincingly switches the madcap energy of JD into the inner numbness of Andrew Largeman. Natalie Portman gives a wonderfully amusing and endearing performance as the kooky girl who breaks through Andrew's cold exterior and it is possibly her finest role since 'Leon'. She is mesmerising in every scene she's in and her character's inner vulnerability makes her all the more intriguing. Peter Sarsgaard is also great fun as Andrew's directionless friend with a trailer trash mother and he balances Braff's withdrawn performance neatly. Finally, the wonderful soundtrack heightens the power of the fine script with some thoughtful interludes (The Shins are a particularly inspired choice).

However, the film doesn't quite pull off the Woody Allen observations it strives for and the ending feels a little too neat and tidy after the complexity of the relationships it has created. Ian Holm is also sadly underused as Andrew's father and their faltering relationship could have been turned into a far more interesting sub-plot. Still, a great start to Braff's directorial career and I hope his next effort continues in this vein.

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Similar categories

Video . DVD & VHS . Categories . Comedy . All Comedy
Video . DVD & VHS . Categories . Drama
Video . DVD & VHS . Substores . Regular Stores . DVD Bargains . By Price . From £4.97 . DVDs from £4.97
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Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Format (binding_browse-bin) . DVD
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . BBFC Rating (intended_use_browse-bin) . 15
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Editions (feature_two_browse-bin) . Standard Edition
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Region(feature_browse-bin) . Region 2
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Release Date (feature_three_browse-bin) . 2000 and later
Video . DVD & VHS . Refinements . Language (theme_browse-bin) . English

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