The best Indie Gem

Rating: 10/10 (21 January 2010)

I first came across Garden State in 2006. I wasn't into movies as much as I am now, so I didn't appreciate it to a full extent. Two years later (and now a devoted film lover, of not only mainstream films, but indie and avant garde) I re-watched this indie gem with a mature outlook and fell in love with it instantly.
At first I was surprised that Zach Braff from Scrubs had not only acted in it, but directed and wrote it. I must say I'm not a fan of the show and find the humor boring and unintelligent, so I wasn't expecting Garden State to be a masterpiece. However, I was wrong.
So why did Garden State, a film with a budget of only 2.5 million dollars soar into my top ten films of all time list? Well the film had heart, it is a beautiful love story with themes of homecoming and letting go.
The story follows Andrew Largeman (Braff) who is a struggling actor living in the rat race of LA. He receives a phone call from his estranged father, informing him of his mother's death. After ten or so years away from home, he returns to suburban New Jersey to find that the life he left hadn't changed that much at all. His friends are still partying and he still faces the guilt of being responsible for his mothers handicap. On medication, Largeman is unable to feel the emotions of love, anger, sadness and can't seem to forgive himself of the wrongdoings of the past, that is until he meets the love of his life.
The cast is absolutely stellar, Zach Braff plays his role well. I really enjoyed his distance from human emotion in the first half of the film and how he slowly lets go of life's unfair burdens and is able to feel himself again. His body language changes admirably, showing the audience his great acting skills. What's even more amazing about the acting in this film is Natalie Portman who plays the cute and lovely Sam. She practically awakens Andrew and the two fall in love. Portman truly steals the show and establishes the magic of the film. Minor characters such as Andrew's father, played by Ian Holm and Peter Sarsgaard who plays Mark, also add an amazing touch into the story.
The script is well written, mixing comedy into drama is quite hard to do, but Braff manages to nail it spot on. He delivers dry humor into a more emotional script. What I personally loved was the characterization. Each character feels so real, especially Sam (Portman) who plays that unique person that everyone has come across once in their life. Although, this film can be viewed by anyone I recommend it for mature people as they would feel connected towards the events and themes. On my second viewing I just wanted to watch this again as I felt like a little bit of me was portrayed in Andrew. This film is guaranteed to leave any audience feeling connected in some way, whether it is the love they've experienced, finding that special someone, coming home for the first time in ages, seeing old friends and finding it awkward or it may even be the letting go of the frustrating moments life gives you and moving on.
Oh and did I mention the soundtrack? It's absolutely fantastic, featuring bands such as The Shins, Coldplay, Nick Drake, Iron & Wine and Frou Frou. I loved how each song that is played connects with the scene somehow. Like on the scene were he screams on top of the yellow boat and "The only living boy in New York" by Simon & Garfunkel is playing in the background each lyric matching the emotions of Largeman. It was truly one of the greatest scenes I've seen in a long time. Braff's directing is outstanding and this is one indie gem that will put a tear in your eye, a smile on your face and leave you questioning your journey in life so far. Absolutely beautiful, I recommended it to everyone!