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| Garden
State is an awesome film. It is a wonderful testimony to the power
of love and the power of healing. This film is Zach Braff’s
directorial debut and its an impressive one. The film soars like an
eagle. The relationship with Sam is totally believable thanks to Natalie
Portman’s performance. This is the best performance of her career. |
(2004) Film Review |
| This
page was created on October 5, 2004
This page was last updated on
January 24, 2005
—Overview
—Trailers, Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections
—Forum
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| CREDITS |
|  Directed
by Zach Braff
Written
by Zach Braff
Cast
(in credits order)
Zach Braff .... Andrew Largeman
Natalie Portman .... Sam
Ian Holm .... Gideon Largeman
Peter Sarsgaard .... Mark
Alex Burns .... Dave
Jackie Hoffman .... Aunt Sylvia Largeman
Michael Weston .... Kenny
Chris Carley .... Gleason Party Drunk
Armando Riesco .... Jesse
Amy Ferguson .... Dana
Trisha LaFache .... Kelly
Jim Parsons .... Tim
Jean Smart .... Carol
Jayne Houdyshell .... Mrs. Lubin
Ron Leibman .... Dr. Cohen
Ann Dowd .... Olivia
Ato Essandoh .... Titembay
Wynter Kullman .... Pam
Geoffrey Arend .... Karl Benson
Produced
by
Pamela Abdy .... producer
Bill Brown .... co-producer
Danny DeVito .... executive producer
Gary Gilbert .... producer
Dan Halsted .... producer
Richard Klubeck .... producer
Ann Ruark .... line producer
Michael Shamberg .... executive producer
Stacey Sher .... executive producer
Original Music by Chad Fisher
Nick Drake (song "One of These Things First")
Cinematography by Lawrence Sher
Film Editing by Myron I. Kerstein (as Myron Kerstein)
MPAA: Rated R for language,
drug use and a scene of sexuality.
Runtime: 109 min
For rating reasons, go to FILMRATINGS.COM,
and MPAA.ORG.
Parents, please refer to PARENTALGUIDE.ORG
|
| TRAILERS
AND CLIPS |
| —Trailers,
Photos |
| CD |
Garden
State
Various Artists - Soundtrack
1. Don't Panic - Coldplay
2. Caring Is Creepy - The Shins
3. In The Waiting Line - Zero 7
4. New Slang - The Shins
5. I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You - Colin Hay
6. Blue Eyes - Cary Brothers
7. Fair - Remy Zero
8. One Of These Things First - Nick Drake
9. Lebanese Blonde - Thievery Corporation
10. The Only Living Boy In New York - Simon & Garfunkel
11. Such Great Heights - Iron and Wine
12. Let Go - Frou Frou
13. Winding Road - Bonnie Somerville
|
| POSTER |
|
| AVAILABILITY
ON VIDEO AND DVD |
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|
| SYNOPSIS
|
 Andrew
Largeman (Zach Braff) shuffled through life in a lithium-induced coma
until his mother's death inspired a vacation from the pills to see
what might happen. A moderately successful TV actor living in Los
Angeles, "Large" hasn't been home to the "Garden State"
in nine years. But even with 3,000 miles between them, he's been unable
to escape his domineering father Gideon (Sir Ian Holm) and the silencing
effect he's had on his son from afar.
Stunned
to find himself in his hometown after such a long absence, Large
finds old acquaintances around every corner living quite unique
lives as gravediggers (Peter Sarsgaard), fast food knights and the
panderers of pyramid schemes. Meanwhile, at home, he does his best
to avoid a long-simmering but inevitable confrontation with his
father.
By
a twist of fate, Large meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a girl who is
everything he isn't. A blast of color, hope and quirks, Sam becomes
a sidekick who refuses to ride in his sidecar. Her warmth and fearlessness
give Large the courage to open his heart to the joy and pain of
the infinite abyss that is life.
|
 Review
by KEN PRIEBE
...I've
read an amazing quote recently by Madeline L'Engle that says 'You
find what you look for.' This is why reviews such as the typical Christian
Spotlight kind bother me, because most of the reviewers are obviously
looking for what is apparently un-Godly, and that's exactly what they
find. It's obvious in a film like Garden State that despite their
hubris, the characters ARE looking for something. That means they
will find it. Would we take the risk in showing them what we have
found?...
Review
Coninued |
| |
 Review
by CHRIS UTLEY
Film Reviewer
Chris received his BA in Theatre from Grambling State University
in Louisiana. He is an IT Techie by day and armchair film critic/analyst/lover
by night. Upon coming to the Lord in 1994 and learning the Word,
Chris began to notice Biblical principles and attributes displayed
in Hollywood movies and began to apply them to his own life. It's
his passion and mission to show the world (Christians and non-Christians)
how to apply these principles to their own lives as well. |
A
phone rings. Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff), nicknamed
“Large” by his friends, doesn’t answer it. His
father’s voice (Ian Holm) painfully booms across the answering
machine with some very tragic news that requires him to go home
to New Jersey for the first time in 9 years. Many individuals would
respond with unrelenting pain and grief. Not Large. He retreats
to his medicine cabinet where he takes a dose of antidepressant
medication to numb himself of the pain caused by this tragedy.
 Once
Large gets home, he hooks up with his old buddies, who have basically
grown up to be 20-something-year-old slackers. Unlike Large, they
use drugs, sex, and other methods to numb themselves of life’s
pains and disappointments. After one night with these guys, Large
begins to wonder if coming home was a good idea. Then he meets
Sam (Natalie Portman), who single-handedly transforms the Garden
State into his own personal Garden of Eden.
 Garden
State is an awesome film. It is a wonderful testimony
to the power of love and the power of healing. The centerpiece
of the film is the relationship and love that is developed between
Large and Sam. The two meet when Large visits a shrink -- advised
by his father, [SPOILER] whom we later find out has been prescribing
for Large just about every antidepressant med that’s on
the market. [END SPOILER] Large gives Sam a ride home. Sam gives
Large a whole lot more. Through their friendship and, ultimately,
their love, Large is given the freedom to feel again. He feels
unconditional love through a simple, yet powerful hug from Sam’s
mom. He feels strength that enables him to uncover a deep, dark
family secret. He gets the ultimate taste of true freedom by screaming
at the top of his lungs down a deep, dark abyss.
The
message I got from the film is actually a pro-Christian message
(of sorts). Two book series that I’ve studied came to mind
while watching this film: John Eldridge’s Wild At
Heart and the Cloud-Townsend books, including the Boundaries
series, Hiding From Love, and others. Those books
emphasize the point that the only way to become truly free is
to go back and revisit the most painful moments of our lives.
 That's
what I saw in this film. Because of Sam's influence in his life,
Large was able to stop numbing himself through those antidepressant
meds and he was enabled to finally face the painful moments in
his life. The pain was keeping him . . . as well as his dad and
mom (as we heard through earlier stories during her life) . .
. in prison. He went home and broke free. That's what the cry
in the deep, dark abyss represents (as I stated earlier): a cry
for freedom.
This
film is Zach Braff’s directorial debut and its an impressive
one. It takes him a bit of time to settle into
a reasonable plot thread in the film, but once he zeroes in on
his main plot focus, the film soars like an eagle. His relationship
with Sam is totally believable thanks to Natalie Portman’s
performance. This is the best performance of her career. She hasn’t
been this great since The Professional. If Portman had played
Padme Amidala in the Star Wars Prequels -- most especially Episode
2’s love story arc -- with the same conviction, vulnerability
and force that she displays in this film, maybe audiences would
not have laughed her and Anakin’s puppy-love teenage romance
off the screen. This film proves that she’s got the chops.
Here’s hoping that this film gives her the chance to exercise
those mighty chops in Episode 3.
Christians
often claim the famous passage describing the ultimate work of
Christ through His crucifixion in Isaiah 53:5 (By His wounds/stripes
we are healed). Many of us have missed the power of that declaration
by applying the scripture only to physical healing. Christ came
to heal our sickened and weary bodies. But He also takes great
pleasure in healing our souls from the pains and griefs that life
brings us. In this film, Sam is truly a Christ-like character.
Her love enables Large to feel the pain he’s tried so hard
to hide in his life. [SPOILER] She even celebrates his breakthrough
by catching one of Large’s tears in a paper cup to be preserved
forever. That may seem corny to some, but to me, that’s
a beautiful description of Christ’s love. [END SPOILER]
If
you haven’t yet seen Garden State, I advise you to check
it out. You’ll be glad you did.
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