Wait for the Video

Rating: 5/10 (21 April 2005)

Garden State is a quirky little love story written, directed, and starring Zach Braff; the atypical residential intern of NBC's Sitcom Scrubs.
The film centers around Andrew Largeman (Braff), a two-bit actor just scraping by in Hollywood. At the beginning of the film, Largeman receives a call from his father (played by Ian Holm) to return home because his mother has died by drowning. Largeman returns home as the conquering hero, resting mostly on the laurels of his made-for-TV movie, in which he played a handicapped individual.
Largeman quickly reacquaints himself who his childhood oddball friends, which include: a kleptomaniac gravedigger, a knight's-of-the-round table dinner theater waiter, and a guy who has invented "no-sound" Velcro (which also made him rich).
As the story progresses, we learn that Largeman has been away from home for quite so time due to a childhood accident in which he permanently paralyzed his mother. His psychiatrist father has had him under medication since the age of 9, and has never quite gotten over blaming Largeman for the incident. Largeman has also decided to use his mother's death, as justification to discontinue his medication.
Along the way, Largeman meets Sam (played by Natalie Portman), who is everything that he's not; and a relationship is formed. With Sam's help, Largeman is finally able to face his demons, his father, and start living his life coherently.
Garden State is bizarre at times; however, always genuine. It's a cute little film worth looking for.