Garden State

Year: 2004
Director: Zach Braff
Starring: Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard

Garden State is the most quintessential indie film ever released to the public. Not only is it filled with some amazing actors, but the directing is spot on and the writing, the writing is some of the purest I've ever seen. Yes, Garden State is one of my favorite movies and I'm reviewing it just so I can bask in its greatness.

Garden State is Zach Braff's masterpiece. He is the movie. The story revolves around struggling and unhappy actor Andrew Largeman (Braff) as he returns home, a small New Jersey town, to attend his mother's funeral. There he runs into old friends and meets a new girl named Sam (Portman).

The acting was amazing throughout. Zach Braff was so believable in this film. Until his peformance, I had never seen such realism in a character. There was nothing fake about what he was saying and doing. This film is also the one where I fell in love with Natalie Portman. I've seen basically everything she's done from Leon to Star Wars, but Garden State was the film that left me forever encompassed by her work.  She was a pit of emotion and a perfect counter to Zach Braff's emotionless character.

Watch this movie. Watch it if you love Natalie Portman, Zach Braff, Indie films, oxygen, and yourself.


Score: A