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Garden State - 7/28/04 - R - 109m
Zach Braff - Andrew Largeman
Natalie Portman - Sam
Ian Holm - Gideon Largeman
Director: Zach Braff
Written by: Zach Braff
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Official
Website
LYN
Nutshell: Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is a struggling actor in Hollywood (in other words, he’s a waiter right now). Andrew is called back to his home state of New Jersey due to a family emergency of sorts, being that his mother isn’t part of the family anymore. After a decade of being away from home, and a strained relationship at best with his psychologist father, and the fact mom is being buried, it doesn’t seem to be the happiest of homecomings.
I am a fan of the television series “Scrubs” and the fact that the film is named after and based in my home state, there were very few reasons I could think of not to see this movie. Besides I think it’s a state resident law that if a film is made in Jersey, you are required to see it, else punishable by a fine or imprisonment, or both. 
It was simply a charming and funny film that deals with the prospects of life, and the aspects of whether or not “You can’t go home again” (Thomas Wolfe) or perhaps you maybe can. And that’s it.
I thought acting was wonderful and the story realistic (despite the more or less hokey ending). It was a “Slice of Life” movie that I’m so fond of, and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. Plus this goes to show once again, that Hollywood needn’t spend gobs of money to get a decent film. But then again this was an independent made for $2.5 mill, and purchased by Miramax and Fox Searchlight for $5 mill, still not a bad deal if you ask me.
Lyn
