Zach Braff presents... Zach Braff!

Rating: 1/10 (19 September 2004)

A meandering movie that is excels as a vehicle for Zach Braff to expand his cinematic career, _Garden State_, I would highly recommend against seeing this movie - unless you want to laugh at non-sequitor sight gags but pretend to be watching a serious movie. A 2 - especially compared to Eternal Sunshine.
--POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT-- (not really though - just to be on the safe side)
Humping dogs, shirts that match the background, random stuff on ceilings, drugs, alcohol, odd noises with random gestures, a mother dating someone her son's age, a knight serving fast food. Oh no! If you find those funny, you must be a brute or a bore and watch Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. On the other hand, if they happen in a 'serious' movie - like Garden State, then it is sophisticated. Right.
Portman's character in this movie doesn't make any sense (nor should it since this movie is about Zach Braff, Zach Braff, Zach Braff, and... Zach Braff, since he is also writer and director!). Her weird quirks, her weird family, her weird house - ha ha ha - aren't they funny? Oh wait! This is a "serious" movie so we can laugh! Let's ignore how it is absolutely superfluous and cheap.
In fact, superfluous and cheap is an apt descriptor for much of what happens in this movie. You will throw your hands up again and again and ask "Why? WHY? What was the point of this bit??".
Finally, the ending is cliché. Let's see... protagonist returns home for a visit... ends up with a girlfriend in 4 days. And, surprise surprise, has to get on flight home. You can imagine what will happen - and guess what! It does! So that we can see Zach Braff demonstrate why his pay scale should be higher some more.
Best movie of the year? Indeed - this is the movie that will clearly kick off Zach Braff's cinematic career.
Perhaps this movie would've been better titled: _Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff Zach Braff_