Garden State
Cast
N/A
Rater #1
Has Not Seen Movie.
Rater #2
9/10. I have no idea how to start this review. I already know it's going
to be hard to write, because other movies that have affected me in
this way are always hard to write. Garden State hit home (not
literally, although I do live close by in Philadelphia) in a way
that's impossible for words. But, I'll try to say why it's such a
great movie, and not exactly this year's Lost in Translation, but
pretty close.
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is a mildly successful actor in
Hollywood (but not successful enough that he can quit waiting
tables) who returns to the title state, his home state, when he
finds out that his mom has just died. He returns for the first time
in nine years and meets old friends and new ones, including Sam
(Natalie Portman). He realizes how weird his family is, as he also
goes on a personal journey.
As I was watching Garden State, I was reminded mostly of The Royal
Tenenbaums, with not only the odd occurences, but the eclectic
soundtrack, which, when paired up the often beautiful images that
the film creates, turns into some of the most poignant and
spectacular movie scenes of recent memory. One such scene in Garden
State is when Andrew, Sam, and Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) are standing
the rain, screaming, as Simon and Garfunkel's "Only Living Boy in
New York" plays. It's a beautiful song, combined with a great image,
which makes it all the more memorable. The movie's full of odd
moments that hit you at home, with the odd cinematography, the too-
real-it-can't-be-scripted dialogue (from Braff, who also directed),
and the whole plot. The quirky atmosphere obviously won't appeal to
everyone, but it never does.
That's why it's so hard to talk about movies like this. It's quirky
but not head-scratching (so it's not something like Eraserhead), and
it leaves you feeling both happy and sad, and a feeling of
contentment as you connect with the characters and go through what
they're going through. That's the only reason Garden State doesn't
get a perfect score. As the movie winds down, the quirkiness starts
to go away and the movie becomes partially normal-something I
normally wouldn't have minded, but since the movie played quirky,
the change isn't welcomed. But other than that, this movie excels at
being odd, memorable, and touching all at the same time.
Braff is great in his drugged-up role. I've never watched Scrubs, so
I can't judge based on his other performances, but he did a great
job, nonetheless. Portman also surprised me with her complex
character. It's a tough character to accurately portray. Sarsgaard,
the only good part of Shattered Glass, doesn't have enough screen
time for the character he was supposed to be, but he was good
nonetheless.
The symbolism throughout the movie is basic irony, and irony always
works for me in films. Such examples are Andrew's mother dying in
the bathtub and the aforementioned "screaming the rain" scene, and
the type of car that Andrew drives and the speed in which he drives
it. It's small things like that that make Garden State such a good
film, and one that I'm sure will be easily watchable for multiple
times.
Rated R for language, drug use and a scene of sexuality.
Running time: ? minutes
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