Garden State

Movies are made for several different reasons. Some are made to entertain. Some to enlighten. Some to inspire. Some movies create a mood that resonates with us. They tell us that our fears and desires are not unique and that we are not alone. It is a rare occasion to witness a film that is able to do all of these things and much, much more.

Garden State follows struggling Hollywood actor Andrew (Zach Braff) who returns home after a nine year absence to attend his mother's funeral. Andrew appears numb and distant; he seems to have no desire to reconnect with the family and friends that he left behind. A series of events and the friendship of the carefree Sam (Natalie Portman) make Andrew rethink his life and help him discover that unresolved issues from his childhood need to be addressed.

The film is about coming home and realizing that things can never (and perhaps should never) be the way that they once were. It's a film that tells us that it's ok to exist outside of the realm of what society considers an ideal happiness and that regardless of what we want, life never goes quite as planned.

In addition to staring in the film, Braff also wrote the screenplay and made his directorial debut. The film is wonderfully shot and full of powerful yet understated performances from Braff and Portman, as well as Ian Holm and Peter Sarsgaard.

Garden State is a personal film. Zach Braff has exposed himself, and in doing so he has created a film that resonates with the viewer long after it has ended.