Fresh Air Through a Dusty Theater Blew

Rating: 8/10 (6 January 2006)

A twenty something actor with the anti-depressant induced emotional range of the family retriever, returns home for his mothers funeral. Once back, he is made to confront his buried traumas through old and new friends, and the strange power that a hometown somehow works upon the soul. "Scrubs" main man Braff pens a nice little script that turns out to be more than just a nice little movie. Plenty of angst, despair, and re fangled Woody Allensim to go around in this film, and for the most part it works extremely well. The casting is a complete home-run, yes even Portman is, well shes not a complete distraction lets say. The effective scenes rank up there with Indy's best, while some of the ineffective scenes do just a little too much damage. This ain't great, but its damn close. What is great is the soundtrack, as non-rap music every now and again emits signs of life between the death rattles.