Zach Braff is a prodigy

Rating: 9/10 (15 March 2005)

The chief character, Braff's Andrew Largeman, returns after a decade from his semi-successful acting career in LA, to his home in New Jersey after receiving the news of his mother's recent death. The film follows his emotional reaction to the tragedy as well as to his homecoming. Largeman's distanced father has also been his psychiatrist since the age of 12; and for almost as long, Andrew has been under the prescription of a plethora of drugs following the accidental paralysis of his previously living mother.
During the days the film follows, he reunifies with a number of his old NewJersian high school friends; as well as meeting Natalie Portman's character, Sam. As it happens, returning to the place his has been away from for so long, yet he knows so well, gives him a completely new perspective of the world. Being back home with his old friends and spending time with the Sam, enables him to review his own life. He comes to terms with the truths of reality, and as a result, stops taking the medication that has rendered him 'numb' to pain and emotion for long enough. Zach Braff plays Largeman with an obvious exactness of how he envisioned the character to be. He gives him an enormous likability, and since the film follows his journey from new place to new place, we travel alongside him with an empathy and a fondness that would not be present had the script been weaker.
Largeman's meets his old best friend, Mark at his mother's funeral; Peter Sarsgaard portrays Mark as a complex individual who seems to have a lot of logic, but not the real-life confidence to move forward in life. He is soon reintroduced to the entire neighbourhood and we get to see, most amusingly, just what Largeman's friends are doing with their lives. The bizarre character types and bizarre instances he meets these people in give the audience the same experience Largeman has himself; one basically of having to take in all these new things and faces beings shoved in front of him and having to accept them get on with it and have a good time!
Natalie Portman's Sam gives the film most of its energy. Portman plays her with such an innocent and endearing quality that Sam, by far, becomes the most affable of all the highly affable characters. Whenever she's on screen we're affected by her charm, she is the root of much of the quirky humour the script provides; and indeed, when not present, Largeman's more sedate personality tends to slow the film down. However, this slowing is needed in order to contrast the more up-beat scenes and make them effective; as well the change in pace never makes one scene boring compared to another as it gives each the necessary tone and mood needed for it to accomplish what it needs to. It is this constantly changing tone that eases from one scene to the next - managing not to leave the audience behind with unanswered questions.
And each scene is in fact just as interesting and enjoyable as the next. The script provides hilarious situations and cool set-pieces. Along with the sheer degree of 'nice-factor' involved, Braff's style of humour is fresh and witty and keeps from ever sounding unnatural or unbelievable. I found myself still smiling from the film's charm even in the car on the way home from the cinema.
Braff's visual style is to mix shots of regular banality with inventive and distinguishable beauty. The excellent choice of music perfectly compliments the action, as well as the themes being shown. And although these themes have been shown on screen countless amounts of time, the script never once appears tacky or clichéd.
The script lacks slightly only in a few areas; certain parts of the story require a little more attention, and equally, other parts require less. For example, Largeman explains a discovery he has made to his father, one that he has previously mentioned earlier on in the film. The interaction between father and son doesn't seem authentic for their characters and as a result, the conversation doesn't seem to work; however, this minor negative point is less than negligible and has little or no impact on the overall experience. The film conveys all of its messages efficiently; without doing injustice to any of the important matters it deals with.
'Garden State' is the type of film that defines a generation; as 'Fight Club' has done before, and 'The Graduate' did before that, Garden State perfectly illustrates the trauma of being twenty-something for its own era. The fact that this film is so easy to relate to, proves that it is successful in its cause.
Considering 'Garden State' is Braff's first shot at writing, directing and starring in a feature film, it is an astounding attempt; one that I believe to be among the best debuts of all time. The mix of quality acting, hilarious situations, pathos, humour, apt music and inventive aesthetics brings the film together well, keeping it endlessly fresh and appealing throughout. Braff succeeds in having it show and do everything it needs to, and he succeeds with seemingly little effort. 'Garden State' has so much heart and modesty, it will not fail to prove that the 109 minutes you spend with the film, will not be wasted. I warmly look forward to seeing another of Braff's future productions.
However deep of shallow your passion is for films, Garden State is unmissable. Buy it, rent it, borrow it, download it Steal it if you have to; I strongly urge you to do whatever is necessary to check it out.