a great beginning...

Rating: 9/10 (22 August 2004)

What a fabulous film. No, it wasn't flawless, but it had quite a bit going for it, much of which took me by surprise.
After the death of his mother, Andrew Largeman returns to his hometown after being away for 9 years. Putting on hold his "numb" existence as a struggling actor in LA, "Large" is confronted by his past. While his old friends have barely changed, Large can't reconnect with his old self, and starts to realize he really doesn't want to. After meeting Sam, an eccentric life-loving Natalie Portman, Large begins to understand what he has before him and how he has the ability to live his future without being anchored by his past. The themes of Large's story are universal, dissecting the ever-confusing emotions involving love, family, and friendship.
While this may be pinned instantly as a "love story", don't let it turn you off. Overall the dialogue is free of cliché romance conversation, however occasionally some one-liner about love and/or life stands out seeming too "profound" for the moment. Other than that, the dialogue is sharp and surprisingly comedic, poking fun at life's phoniness and various hypocrisies.
An engaging story, entertaining and funny, and screaming with symbolism, this is a great beginning for Zach Braff's directorial and writing career.