cute

Rating: 7/10 (7 August 2008)

Large comes home for his mother's funeral, catches up with old friends and meets a special new one. Simple stuff that is never overblown. In fact, the tone and economy of the treatment raise the film above the usual rites-of-passage finding yourself fare that, on the surface, the film resembles in many ways.
Garden State is funny and touching for the first two-thirds of the film. The funny moments revolve around lines, often deadpan, that have you smiling long after the film is finished. "Silent Velcro. You lucky bastard" may be my favourite, followed by "I still can't believe you are not retarded." Large accepts his old friends for what they are, be it grave robber or minted delinquent. He can't quite figure out what to do about his repressed Dad, and he is a bit mixed up when love hits him right on the back of grief. He gets there, in a slow, low-key journey of self-discovery that is fairly convincing and entertaining to go along with.
The films' flaws are the all-too-easy ways Large falls back in with his old mates, especially when it is revealed how abruptly and traumatically he was wrenched away from them. In the last 20 minutes the film has to tie up its romance plot line and dutifully ticks off the boxes, though it feels as if the real meat of the film has been left behind. Still, this is a movie that will resonate deeper with twentysomethings facing some of the same issues as the protagonist. For the rest of us, it is a cut-above film that will bring a smile to your face.