Life-affirming beauty

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2004)

I've seen this film twice in two days and I've been struggling to explain to friends why I think it is so amazing. Every explanation I give (the airport scene, the ASTOUNDING quarry scene), makes it sound clichéd. But the great strength of this film is the fact that it is so real. All the characters are three-dimensional. It is so clear that Braff has moulded both the Garden State and its characters out of a great love. That love has not been diluted in making the film. The character of Sam breaks my heart and I feel such a bond with Large that it's hard to ignore. In the late '70s there was a period where year after year amazing films were put out - The Godfather 1 and 2, The Deer Hunter, Ordinary People (OK I know that's 1980) - this is the first film I have seen that reflects that power. It is a story with flesh, bones, blood and nerves. It is a living, breathing thing. It gets inside your head and resides there. I am a 23 year old male and I rarely cry in movies. But I have wept twice now when seeing this. Not because it is in anyway sad but because it is so beautiful. The hope that is latent in it is overwhelming. My medicated generation can be free! We can love without destruction and grow old without growing up. My god, this is an amazing film. Please see it and tell your friends to see it.