2008 Woodie Awards
Garden State
Natalie Shirkey
Issue date: 9/23/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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One might say that I'm going overboard by describing the movie Garden State as a state of perfection; however, it is. It's not very often that one comes away from a film feeling as if they had witnessed something "different." In that sense, this film seems to "bring home the bacon," quite frankly by offering the audience a dose of reality that adds depth to the film.
The main character, Andrew, is played by Zach Braff- you might have seen him in the TV show Scrubs. Andrew finds himself making his way back to his hometown of Garden State, New Jersey, the place he left behind when he set out to become an actor in L.A.
His sense of reality changes drastically when he is faced with mourning the death of his mother and, at the same time, dealing with his neurologist father who had been helping him numb his emotional pain for quite some time with medications.
The plot unfolds as Braff finds his way back to his old high school friends, and they aid him in accepting and liking himself even through the difficulties.
On the brighter side enters Sam, played by Natalie Portman (Star Wars, Beautiful Girls). She offers Andrew a look at what life is like when you live out loud. She proves to be a bright light for Braff, who has little concept of how to enjoy his own life.
Embarking on his journey to self realization, he finds joy in simple pleasures, such as a game of spin the bottle with his friends. Braff, who also directed the film, poignantly highlighted many moments that are common to one's struggles and challenges, which are all a part of the human experience.
The main character, Andrew, is played by Zach Braff- you might have seen him in the TV show Scrubs. Andrew finds himself making his way back to his hometown of Garden State, New Jersey, the place he left behind when he set out to become an actor in L.A.
His sense of reality changes drastically when he is faced with mourning the death of his mother and, at the same time, dealing with his neurologist father who had been helping him numb his emotional pain for quite some time with medications.
The plot unfolds as Braff finds his way back to his old high school friends, and they aid him in accepting and liking himself even through the difficulties.
On the brighter side enters Sam, played by Natalie Portman (Star Wars, Beautiful Girls). She offers Andrew a look at what life is like when you live out loud. She proves to be a bright light for Braff, who has little concept of how to enjoy his own life.
Embarking on his journey to self realization, he finds joy in simple pleasures, such as a game of spin the bottle with his friends. Braff, who also directed the film, poignantly highlighted many moments that are common to one's struggles and challenges, which are all a part of the human experience.