One of the Best of the Year

Rating: Null/10 (16 October 2004)

I had pretty high expectations going into this film, and they were all met. If I had not seen Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I would have said that this was the best film I saw all year. There was just something about this film that clicked with me. There was just something about it that made me not want it to end. It was easy to understand and connect with the characters. I felt very much at ease watching it, if that makes any sense at all. While the symbolism was obvious, it was not heavy handed and certainly not overdone. The movie spoke clearly, but not to the point where I felt like yelling, "Thanks, I get it" at the screen. Visually the film was extremely successful. And you might have thought it would be difficult to make a beautiful film in New Jersey. I can of course make those kinds of jokes because I was born there. But Garden State was simply a beautiful film accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack. The script was well written; both funny and touching. The person who I saw Garden State with complained that there was not enough plot. She complained that there was nothing substantial to it. Well, I disagree. I think that she missed the point. I found the plot to be an interesting concept, and I believe that the part that made it great was not so much the plot as the dialogue and the characters. It's a simple, honest story that is told beautifully. I left the theatre feeling different from when I went in, which I guess is part of what I'm looking for when I see a film.