Wake up and smell the flowers... while you can!

Rating: 6/10 (13 January 2005)

I am not sure that Garden State defines a whole generation. But then I might be wrong - I am not an American, so how can I gudge that properly. What Garden State defines for me is the urge of the main character - a 26 y.o. young man - to be alive, to really feel even if that means to feel pain. He decides to feel pain as opposed to feel nothing, and this is what strikes me the most. In a world where anti-depressants are the new religion and more and more people depend on those pills to feel something at all (because they have a certain time of influence and after that you can go on being numb and safe without emotions) - choosing real life, real emotions, even if that means pain - is quite brave, and original... and sad for that matter. So, all you boys... and girls, who are scared to breathe in the pain of reality and to fill your lungs with it, it's time for you to watch this film and lose your virginity. The fun starts after you accept the fact that pain is just part of everything!