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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 3752
Released: December 28, 2004 |
| Our Price: $6.97 |
| Used Price: $1.99 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Writer/Director Zach Braff delivers "an Oscar®-worthy performance" (CBS-TV Chicago) opposite a "wacky and endearing" (Newsweek) Natalie Portman in this quirky, coming-of-age comedy. Twentysomething, emotionally detached Andrew "Large" Largeman (Braff) hasn’t been home to New Jersey in nine years. Now, as Large attempts to re-connect with a variety of odd acquaintances – including his father – he decides to risk getting high on the most potent and unpredictable drug there is…life! Co-starring Peter Sarsgaard, Ian Holm and Method Man, Garden State is "marvelous fun" (Rolling Stone)
Description of Garden State:
Zach Braff (from the TV show Scrubs) stars in his writing/directing debut, Garden State--normally a doomed act of hubris, but Braff pulls it off with unassuming charm. An emotionally numb actor in L.A., Andrew (Braff) comes back to New Jersey after nine years away for his mother's funeral. Andrew avoids his bitter father (Ian Holm, The Sweet Hereafter) and joins old friends (including the superb Peter Sarsgaard, Boys Don't Cry) in a round of parties. Along the way he meets a girl (Natalie Portman, Beautiful Girls) with demons of her own; bit by bit the two offer each other a little healing. Plotwise, Garden State is familiar stuff, a cross between The Graduate and a Meg Ryan movie, but Braff has an eye for goofy but resonant visual images, an ear for lively dialogue, and a great cast. The result is surprisingly fresh and funny. --Bret Fetzer
Garden State Reviews:
a simple little love story 
2009-11-17 - 9.6 THE FILM ITSELF
8.1 VISUALS
9.5 SOUND
8.5 PACKAGING
7.5 EXTRAS
Let's state the facts: This is not Zach Braff from Scrubs. On that show, he plays J.D., here he plays Andrew Largeman. They're two entirely different characters and these are two entirely different comedies. They may both have heart, jokes and serious moments, but I know some people will just not accept that Zach Braff has made a (mostly) serious film that centers around a man finally learning to feel.
All I'll say to the plot is simply that Andrew Largeman (Braff) comes home from L.A. after a family accident, and while home he spends time with some new and old people from his past. And his time spent with these people allow him to begin to feel again (that and leaving his medication at home helps) and be a whole person. Sounds heavy, does it? Well, it is. But there is also some great humor here. But again, not Scrubs humor at all, but humor on a completely different level, and it's genious.
8.1 VISUALS
For being a low-budget indie flick, it certainly doesn't look the part. Granted, the film is just focusing on people, very little special effects and this is certainly not an action film at all, but the nice mixture of colors makes for an enjoyable visual.
9.5 SOUND
Garden State boasts one of the best soundtrack in film history. It's not just me saying that, Braff won a Grammy for his stellar selection of tunes here. And it really makes the film that much more enjoyable.
8.5 PACKAGING
Arriving to DVD in a standard case, I love the cover and the quiet main menu with a great song. Options are easy to read and the screen is easy to navigate and really prepares you for the film.
7.5 EXTRAS
Garden State comes with two commentaries. Both have Braff, and one is just him and Natalie Portman. Both are pretty good and Braff offers some great dialogue and some hilarious stories about filming. The other commentary is very detailed based on making the film.
16 Deleted scenes with optional commentary are also included. Total time for deleted scenes is about 42 minutes and some of them are pretty great. Commentary isn't really necessary.
"The Making of Garden State" is a short look at the behind the scenes of the film, lightly touching on topics such as the boat and the pool. Some characters and creators make comments about the filming.
"Outtakes / Bloopers" round out the set. There's not much here, but decent nonetheless.
FINAL VERDICT
Garden State is essentially a simple love story. But, it's so much more than that. Girls will be able to fall in love with the simple tale, but guys will also be able to enjoy it without having the love story slammed down their throats. The commentaries are also a fun listen and are the most enjoyable of the special features.
9.2/10 "OUTSTANDING"
A shockingly forgettable state of mind... 
2009-11-04 - Continuing on in my `all things Sarsgaard' I'm actually getting to one of his greatest performances; yet sadly it is not in one of his better films.
Coming off as more of a gimmick than anything substantial, `Garden State' is one of those cult films with very rabid and devoted fans as well as very cruel and hatful detractors. I am one on the fence. I enjoy the film, and I remember when it came out I actually loved it and found it an amalgam of jovial fun; but as the years have gone by my adoration for the film has melted away to uncover a mere toleration of it. It remains one of those clever films that, over time, proves itself less clever and more pretentious and even superficial.
The film follows an actor who is distanced from his former life only to get thrust back in when his mother dies. Nine years removed from all he used to know he is know stuck in a town he wants to forget, with an angry father and aimless friends and an intriguing girl who holds the key to release his inner contentment.
I really like Zach Braff as an actor. In fact, even here I really like him. In fact, to be honest, the acting in this film is rather remarkable from all parties. The thing is, Zach doesn't understand how to make a complete story. He was so focused on creating a visually appealing film complete with `hip' music and clever tricks that he lost focus on creating a moving STORY. It is generic and serviceable, but it becomes overwhelmed by the visual impact of the film. I do wholly believe that some of the best films are built around beautifully constructed sequences of memorable events, even if those events are mere images that burrow themselves in our mind and keep us in rapt attention, but where `Garden State' fails to live up is in the area of cementing those `sequences' with heartfelt purpose.
The film winds up becoming forgettable. I remember the pool sequence (a sublime example of `beautifully constructed sequences') but I don't know why (thus proving that it wasn't a `memorable event').
Like I said, the acting is sublime. Natalie Portman was nominated for an Oscar this year for her work in `Closer'. Both her performances are vastly different and both are career highlights for her. She is stunning here as the hyper Sam, an intriguing character with flaws and demons of her own. To me though, this film belongs to Sarsgaard, who just shimmers in all sorts of glory as the aimlessly charismatic Mark. He steals every scene he is in and just proves that a great performance can help carry a rather shallow film. When you couple this with his breathtaking work in `Kinsey' it becomes clear that Sarsgaard was the man in 2004.
How Oscar eludes him still is baffling to me.
So, I can understand the draw for this film, but I strongly feel that the love for it is blind. It is visually compelling, and the acting is stellar, and that soundtrack is very, very likable; but the lack of substance becomes apparent ones the glossy veneer fades away and we are left with only half the movie we vaguely remember enjoying.
Touching while being real.
2009-10-27 - Garden State was a movie I had not heard of when I first watched it. I found myself drawn in by real down to Earth characters with believe problems, like self esteem, death and changes in ones self. Zach Braff and Natalie Portman give performances that are hilarious and touching. You get the sadness in Sam's eyes and you can see how annoyed Andrew is with his friends that just haven't learned to grow up. I would recommend this movie to anyone who like a good story to add to their collection.
Coming to Life Story
2009-09-25 - Another reviewer called this a "coming of age" story. I think it's a coming-to-life story....something that some people never do, at any age. I've read the staggering statisics of the number of people on medication, legal and illegal in our fair land, and it's not a pretty fact. To reduce the film to it's basic message: it's better to face the pain of life--that's where the joy is. But it's so much more than a message film.
This is a deceptively simple story but it's so wise and so well told that it really touches the heart. I don't have TV so I didn't know who Zach Braff was. Now I do! I will look for his work in the future.
I won't re-tell the story because it's been told enough times here.
I just want to add my applause to the others'. Braff very skillfully walks the line between humour and pathos. His character has been likened to that of Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate" but I think this is much better. The whole cast is super. It was great to see the wonderful Jean Smart in a small role, as the mom of his grave-robbing buddy. Ian Holm plays his father, an unsympathetic character, in a very human way that does give the viewer the glimpse of a fundamentally decent man who is as lost in the events of his life as everyone else.
Much of the joy and magic of the film goes to Natalie Portman who plays the wonderfully screwy epileptic girl, Sam, who helps the Braff character come back to life. The role is well written but it could have been butchered in the hands of a lesser actress. I just saw her in "The Other Boleyn Girl" where I didn't much like her, so I was amazed at how good she was here. Her naturalness really made the character touch your heart. This is the sign of a good actress and good direction.
There's more I could say but there are a lot of excellent reviews here. I predict this film will become a classic, 'cuz it has such enduring qualities of real humanity, humour, wisdom and warmth. My favorite scene: the family watching the video of Sam ice-skating in her alligator outfit---so dear!
Great movie
2009-08-07 - I love this movie. It is one of my top 5 movies. Its original, touching, and funny, and has 2 of my favorite actors in it (Zach Braff and Natalie Portman). I highly recommend this movie.
