| Product: |
Garden State (DVD) |
| Date: |
30.10.05 (162 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Anything and everything is an advantage in this film!
Disadvantages: A bit slow moving in places
Who would have ever thought that the star of the offbeat sitcom ‘Scrubs’ Zach Braff, was capable of writing and directing a tale of lost youth, of a man sleepwalking through life with such style and aplomb, I know I wouldn’t have done. He is likeable in ‘Scrubs’ but nothing in that series, as fun as it is, gave the impression that he could not only write this well but had direction in his blood as well.
‘Garden State’ is a wry comedy/coming of age drama in the style of a more restrained Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tennebaums). It has that off the wall kookiness of Anderson but is based more on a reality we know and understand, as opposed to Anderson’s surreal timelessness.
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is 26 years old; his life is devoid of anything meaningful. He lives alone in Los Angeles, trying to build an acting career while working as a waiter in a Korean restaurant. He is addicted to anti-depressants prescribed to him by his father when he was young and his main claim to acting fame is as ‘the retarded quarterback’ on TV.
He is a nobody in a city full of wannabe actors and actresses, disconnected from everything around him and existing rather than living.
Then one morning in his soulless, empty bedroom he is woken by a ringing phone. Leaving it for the answerphone to get he hears his father, a man he hasn’t spoken to since he left his home in New Jersey 10 years ago. There is obviously a lot of anger and resentment between the two, Andrew’s refusal to pick up the phone and the tone of his father’s voice tells it all. Not being able to talk to his son Gideon has to leave a message telling him that his mother has died and that he wants him to come home for the funeral.
So begins not only ‘Garden State’ but also Andrew’s coming of age, the revitalisation of his life and his realisation that maybe, just maybe life does have something to offer him.
When he arrives back in New Jersey (The Garden State of the title) for his mother’s funeral, staying in his childhood home, he tries to avoid his father as much as possible, old animosities immediately rearing their ugly heads. Andrews’ feelings for his dad (played surprisingly as an almost likeable curmudgeon by Ian Holm) leading him to stay away from home as much as possible and revisit his best friend
‘Garden State’ follows Andrew through his rebirth, his realisation that by being back home he can grow as a person and break free from the cocoon that he, and his addiction to the prescribed drugs, has wrapped himself up in. His friends may be impressed by his ‘actor’s life’ in LA but the truth of it is that, as boring and mundane as their jobs may be (his best friend is a gravedigger and another dresses as a medieval knight at a themed restaurant) they are actually living and having a life to talk about, even if it is in a slacker kind of way!
The catalyst for this rebirth though is a chance meeting at a ‘headshrinks’ office. Andrew having been sent there by his father, during one of their almost excruciating chats, after admitting to suffering him from painful headaches. In the waiting room he meets Sam (Natalie Portman who is absolutely brilliant. She really surprised me with the quality of her performance in this film), a young girl with a penchant for lying and so full of life that she quickly infects Andrew with her enthusiasm.
With his best friend, Mark, and Sam Andrew embarks on a quest, nominally for his mothers ring, but arguably to find his way back into mainstream ‘humanity’, to find a way to come back to life. His search for the ring sees him interacting with people, something you feel he hasn’t done for a long time.
As he hunts for the ring, Mark(Peter Sarsgaard), takes him through the fringes of New Jersey society. Meeting up with some strangely quirky inhabitants. The old friend with Pyramid scheme ambitions, the scrapyard resident, the hotel porter with a little sideline business and the mega rich friend. At this point ‘Garden State’ has almost become a road movie without the road. Friends travelling together, having an adventure and bonding together is a theme of road movies, even though Andrew is the focus of everything without his friends he would be nothing and it is their companionship that invigorates him.
The unusual thing here is that although Zach Braff is the writer, director and star it is not his character that carries the film. He is okay as Andrew but nothing special. Admittedly that could be because he is playing the character extremely well and he is meant to be lethargic but what it does is bring your attentions to the supporting characters.
Natalie Portman is at the best you will ever see her. She has had a couple of good performances in her career but this is, in my opinion, one of those performances that sticks in your mind. As Sam she puts in a near perfect performance and pretty much steals every scene. I really look forward to seeing what she does next after this!
Peter Sarsgaard is someone I recognise from small parts in various films and one major part, The Center of The World. In “Garden State” he perfectly exemplifies the slacker attitude his character exhibits. He’s happy as a gravedigger; after all he is only 26 and has years before he has to decide on what to do with his life.
I love slow, character-based films. For me the story is everything and “Garden State” is a great story. It is a story of small town America and the working class people who live there. It may not quite rate 5 stars but it is pretty damn close to it.
If you like action films then you will not like this at all but if you like
A great quote from ‘Garden State’
When asked what he is doing Sam’s father says, while holding a remote control, “Fingerprinting for urine, evidence points to canine”
A favourite scene from ‘Garden State’
When Sam introduces Andrew to the concept of ‘a completely original moment’. You’ll have to see the film to find out what this entails!
UK Release date: 10.12.04
Running time: 109 minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Zach Braff
Writer: Zach Braff
Summary: A coming of age story that is just a little more offbeat than the norm.
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