Almost Great but Only Good because of a deleted scene.

Rating: 6/10 (8 December 2007)

I wanted so much to just love this film. I wanted to give it a 9 or even 10 but I can't. After watching it the first time on a DVD I liked so much about every character except good old "Dad". By now you know what the story line is and how the plot develops so I'll dispense and get right to what makes this a "should see" movie but not a "must see". If you have not seen the movie or only saw it in the theater, then get the DVD and view at least one of the deleted scenes - between Andrew and Dad. (see recommendation at end of comment)
**CAUTION - NECESSARY SPOILERS AHEAD **
I'm a strong fan of Zach Braff. He directed himself so well in this movie it would not be noticeable unless I knew if from the DVD cover. He is a master of subtle comedy. So why does Braff develop all the characters in the movie so well only to leave dear old dad a shell of a character? Sure we learn about how Andrew Largeman at nine years old pushed his mom causing her to fall back trip over the open dishwasher door and hit her head on the counter top which put her in a wheel chair the rest of her life. When we learn that, we safely assume that her death at the beginning of the movie was a suicide not an accident or murder. We can assume that is why Andrew and Dad are estranged. We can assume that for some reason the family rejected Andrew and sent him to a boarding school from which he never returned until his mom dies. We have learned over the course of the movie that Andrew has been in a drug induced state from just about every anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, anti-anxiety drug that has been released to the public. So we can assume that there was something unnatural and wrong and he suffered mental illness.
The problem is, that's too much assuming. And it's all because Braff decided to cut the one scene that gives understanding of Andrew and his Dad. In the bonus material and the DVD Braff comments on how hard it was to cut it from the movie. I believe he never should have. It's a crucial scene that helps us understand that Cranky Dad had issues and some unresolved ones at that. He takes it out on his son. The missing Scene is powerful and should have been left in. It is long, it is talky but it is powerfully played , especially by Ian Holm (Dad) and without it you do not understand the final conversation the two have. In the missing Scene, Andrew is standing over the bath tub where his mother took her life by drowning her self. He dad enters and they "talk". They very thing Andrew earlier promises to do but we never see because it was taken out.
Ian Holm plays the dad with such finesse and you can not appreciate it without this scene. All the questions that I was left with about Andrew and his relationship with his dad are answered if you see this scene.
My recommendation, get a DVD, watch the movie until you see Andrew try to stop a drip on the tub faucet. Then stop the movie, go to the Special Features and find the missing scene with Dad. Watch the scene without commentary and then go back to the movie. Braff - you're so good, this was one where your instinct let you down.