New Jersey, formally known for its big hair and polluted beaches, has now added a new attraction. 29-year old Zach Braff, new to the box office as a writer and director, is the young mastermind behind Garden State, a heartfelt and genuine story paying homage to the territory that was Braff’s home before landing a role as Dr. John 'J.D.' Dorian on NBC’s Scrubs. However, this coming of age story is no typically sappy tale. Braff’s craftsmanship in creating believable and endearing characters as well as his simple, yet delightful shot design brings Garden State into its own world of twenty something reality.
The film follows the journey of Andrew Largeman (Braff), a struggling actor with a medicine cabinet fit for a hospital, who returns home to New Jersey for his mother’s funeral. Largeman’s relationship with his father (Ian Holm,
Lord of the Rings) is straining and post-funeral activities include catching up with old friend Mark (Peter Sarsgaard,
Boys Don’t Cry) who’s résumé consists of digging up graves and smoking the doobie on his mother’s couch. And how can one forget the enthusiastic Dave who invented “silent velcro” and has retired to hunting in his mid-twenties. Needless to say, when Largeman runs into Samantha (Natalie Portman) at the psychiatrist’s office she gives him the much needed counseling he needs, innocently cooing that The Shins will change his life. What is discovered soon after is that Samantha herself is what changes Largeman’s life. He spends the rest of his four days in Jersey on wild adventures on his motor scooter and afternoons watching Samantha’s old ice-skating videos with her adopted brother Titembay. Largeman has a large decision to make. Back to L.A. or “New Jersey, Here I Come?”
Natalie Portman plays Samantha with the perfect doe-eyed innocence that brings a freshness and optimism to a film laced with characters with gloomy pasts. Braff’s stillness captures a troubled boy turned man who lost soul is finally found. One of the most thrilling supporting roles goes to Peter Sarsgaard’s Mark who, in the end, becomes a character audiences will hate to love.
Cinematically,
Garden State is art at its finest. Frame by frame, cameras follow the inner psyche of each character straight through to the final shot. The soundtrack, interwoven into the script, becomes the backbone of Largeman’s soul-searching journey.
It is the sarcasm that gives this movie a soul while the endearing moments are what make it so special. Although Largeman’s decision to embrace life may have come along a tad too quickly, Garden State is a suburban delight…Jersey style.
