Garden State *** (2004, Zach Braff, Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard, Natalie Portman) – Classic Movie Review 1498

Writer-director Zach Braff’s appealingly offbeat 2004 comedy is a clear labour of love.

Braff also stars quietly troubled young drug-taking LA TV actor Andrew ‘Large’ Largeman, who returns  home to the Garden State for his mother’s funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade. He is disturbed to encounter his stifling father, Gideon (Ian Holm), his pal Mark (Peter Sarsgaard) now a gravedigger, and a girl (Natalie Portman) who is everything he isn’t. Large decides to take a risk and lay off the drugs that his psychiatrist father and his doctor have talked him into.

The likeable and talented Scrubs TV star Braff comes up with an engagingly odd and decidedly quirky little movie. It’s well-acted too, sometimes poignant and even charming, but always quite low key and ultimately perhaps a small achievement. Despite its shortcomings, it’s an achievement none the less, and definitely worth a look, though.

Braff directed seven episodes of Scrubs, which ran from 2001 to 2010. He played the main character, Dr John ‘J.D.’ Dorian. Garden State is Braff’s first and only cinema feature as director till Wish I Was Here in 2014.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1498

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