Garden State

[kboy75]

So I finally saw it this past weekend. What a great, smart flick. Written and directed by Zach Braff (Scrubs). I have a newfound respect for him.

Anyhow, I loved the film. Maybe because it evoked a lot of emotions in me. I empathized with Zach Braff's character. One line that made me take a deep breath and pause... "You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? That idea of home is gone. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place."

The story is a slice of the mental puberty we all go through in our 20's. I was also impressed my Natalie Portman's performance. I'm not a fan of hers at all, but she did do a great job, in my opinion.

The soundtrack is also pretty great. Featuring one of my fav groups, Frou Frou. I was obsessed with their CD a couple of years ago playing it 24/7 for months, and the track "Let Go" that is played in the movie, caused me to bust out their CD again and put it on repeat. Lots of other great tracks on the soundtrack.

Braff also has a hilarious blog: http://gardenstate.typepad.com/

Anyone else out there that loved this film?

[TB4000]

I've been meaning to check this one out, the reviews have been pretty rave for a first timer like Braff. The theatre near my place has decided to go all artsy they claim, with this, Napoleon Dynamite and Before Sunset all playing.

[Hiroshi2]

The Garden State is New Jersey, right? At first I was thinking California, but I guess I got it confused with "Golden State".



Yeah. Now back to the topic.

[truMp]

I still need to watch this and a ton of other movies. I heard soldiers and saints was pretty good; anyone know what its about?

[ellsworth81]

i'm working on me review of the movie. in short, it was pretty good.

[lethal]

I liked it a lot. My gf did not.

That one line, "You know that point in your life when you realize the house you grew up in isn't really your home anymore? That idea of home is gone. Maybe that's all family really is. A group of people who miss the same imaginary place" hit me too...I could seriously relate to it.

I started thinking...I haven't lived at my parents house in 10 years...is that really home anymore?

What about for people our age whose parents have moved so they don't evne live in the house that the kids grew up in?

But yeah, I liked the movie a lot and could relate to some of the NJ stuff. I'm pretty sure Newark doesn't have such a rock quarry. And one of the I (heart) Newark shirts that Braff wears was part of a fundraising sale for my school last year. Braff's dad is a professor at my school, so I assume Braff came by the shirt from my school through his dad.

[coagulated fat]

I liked it. I liked Portman and I liked the soundtrack. But I liked Eternal Sunshine better.

[SunWuKong]

oh yes, i loved this film. that particular line did capture my interest. i suppose i could identify with that, too, since my family and i have moved around quite a bit. my parents moved to the city they currently live in after i went away to college, so i never considered it home. neither is the place i left to go to college considered home, because there's no longer a physical location there for me to set foot in anymore, and besides that, i can't identify with it anymore because i've changed so much since living there. but the question of "home" for me always is more than just geographical location though, it's also culture.

[Irezumi Kiss]

I'd been flip-flopping around on whether or not to see this — Time Out NY said it wasn't all that and I tend to trust their reviews — but my coworker went to peep it this weekend and said it was good. Now this thread just cinched it for me! I'll be checking it on my next day off.

[thaite]

it was ok. good soundtrack, though.

[Filiprish]

it was ok. good soundtrack, though.
Good movie, good soundtrack. Both very real.

[loki]

loved the movie. cannot get enough of portman in roles like that.
opening scene was hilarious, where he was so stoned he couldnt care less about a plane crash.