OK, but somewhat over-hyped

Rating: 7/10 (4 December 2004)

There's nothing wrong with Garden State. It's a competent film that delivers a gentle, if somewhat awkwardly laid-out plot. There are times when you'll be wondering what the relevance of several scenes are, and other times when your attention will wander.
But mostly it rewards the perseverance of its viewers with its ending which, although horribly predictable and Hollywoodey, still manages to raise a smile.
But Garden State does suffer from hype. A full half of all IMDb votes rate this a 10. Maybe I saw a different version of the film, but I doubt it. There's a growing trend of "following the loudest voice" when it comes to rating movies (and I don't mean just on IMDb, but generally in all reviews). People will read a review and think that the film must be good simply because someone else said so, and rate the movie accordingly, even though they privately might not have rated it that highly. Oh well, I guess that's how the Academy Awards work anyhow.
I won't say Garden State is entirely a feel-good movie either. At times it's a feel-bored movie, but not that often. Neither is it a comedy. It has it's moments, but they are not laugh-out-loud moments so much as snigger-and-chuckle moments.
In short, it's a movie that isn't certain what it wants to be. A mixed bag that does none of its elements proper justice. A Jack-of-all-Trades movies that, ultimately, doesn't satisfy as well as it could have.
But, that said, its a very good first effort from Zach Braff and miles better than "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" - Clooneys first effort. So not all first efforts suck. And Braff is heading towards superstardom, whether he wants (or knows) it, or not.