Garden State Review
by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com)August 2nd, 2004
"Garden State"
Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff) is a moderately successful celebrity, known for his portrayal as a retarded football quarterback on a weekly television series, gets the bad news that his paraplegic mother has died. He hasn't been home for nearly a decade and has been on anti-depression medication since he was a child, unable to cope with the guilt over the accident that handicapped his mom. Andrew, going home, eschews the drugs that have clouded his brain and he has hopes that he can find himself in "Garden State."
Frosh writer-director-star Zach Braff has set himself a tall task in wearing multiple hats as he makes the leap from the small screen, as star of "Scrubs," to filling his multi-hyphenated roles in his tyro feature. He bites off a big piece here but does an admirable job the first time out of the gate. It isn't a great film but, still, it reps an ambitious, entertaining first effort.
Large, as he is known to the friends he left in the New Jersey for Hollywood 10-years ago, finds that life has gone on in the small town since his departure. His ex old best friend, Mark (Peter Sarsgaard), works as a gravedigger at a local cemetery and supplements his income by robbing the coffins of jewelry.
Things really begin to change for Large when he goes to see a doctor because of sudden headaches. He meets a pretty young woman, Sam (Natalie Portman), who is being treated for her own physical problems. They hit it off immediately and are soon riding around town on Andrew's grandfather's old motorcycle and sidecar. The free-spirited Sam refuses to ride in the sidecar, preferring to perch on the back of the bike, and establishes her strong-willed, life-loving character. The relationship that develops between these two is platonic as well as romantic and Sam shows herself to be a true friend to Andrew.
As the story progresses and Large comes off the lithium and other drugs that have long dominated his life, the fog begins to clear and the actor (Largeman, not Braff) comes to grips with the demons – sorrow, guilt, grief, loss, etc. – that have dominated his life for many years. Things wrap up a bit too neatly with all the loose ends tied up before the happily-ever-after finale but you can forgive newcomer Braff for his optimistic exuberance.
Actor Braff comes across as sullen, almost morose, when we first meet him staring into his medicine cabinet full of anti-depressants. Braff, the screenwriter, makes his statement about medication to control mood and mind and the need for unclouded thought. A bit simplistically, he rejects the use of psycho-altering drugs without stating that, in some cases, they do do more good than harm. Not for Andrew, though.
The supporting cast is a collection of talented actors that help Braff tell his story. Natalie Portman is near luminous (if a little too too-good-to-be-true) as Sam, a life-loving, epilepsy-challenged, chronically-lying beauty who carries around head protection and helps to bring Large back to life. The always-terrific Peter Sarsgaard, as usual, creates a fully formed, 3D character in Mark, a guy without much in the way of skills but always has a scheme or two going on. Veteran thesp Ron Liebman helps flesh out the background as Andrew's shrink who encourages the young man's decision to give up the anti-depressives in favor of just plain living. Ian Holm, as Andrew's psychologist father, is a rather incidental a character even though you are told he is the main reason for Large's long time mental anguish.
Techs are straightforward and don't get in the way of Braff's story. The fledgling director, with the help of his wonderful and talented cast, does a decent job marshalling his actors.
"Garden State" isn't a great film but is a solid debut on several levels for its creator. I give it a B.
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