GARDEN STATE

US, 2004, 102 minutes, Colour.
Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm, Peter Sarsgaard, Jean Smart, Ron Liebmann, Ann Dowd, Method Man.
Directed by Zach Braff.

Garden State has been written and directed by Zach Braff, a comedian best known for his TV series, Scrubs. He also appeared in such films as The Last Kiss and The Ex.

The film focuses on a young man returning from Hollywood where he is a television actor to his home in New Jersey, the Garden State. He has been alienated from his father, a psychiatrist, who felt that his mother’s injury in an accident was his fault. Through his early life he had been prescribed lithium and other drugs. However, he wants to move of the drugs, come back to his home, discover his past, his friends, and face life.

Zach Braff is very good in the central role, a mixture of the naïve and the experienced. He has some very strong scenes confronting his father, a domineering character, played by Ian Holm. He meets by chance a young girl, Sam, played attractively by Natalie Portman. He suddenly becomes alive, giving him courage to experience the past and to hope for the future. The film has a background of slacker friends who have stayed in New Jersey – led by Peter Sarsgaard.

The film was received on its first release – considered something of a breath of fresh air in this kind of self-discovery film.

1.The wide acclaim for the film? Awards? Zach Braff and his vision? Performance? Perspective, attitudes? Skills?

2.The New Jersey setting, the name of the town, the tone, reality? The contrast with Los Angeles? A piece of Americana?

3.The style of the dialogue, existential, for young adults, wit, comic, deadpan, parody and satire?

4.Editing and pace, the episodic nature of the screenplay? The musical score? The visual style, Andrew Largeman’s moods?

5.The introduction to Andrew Largeman, plane crash, hospital, his place in the movies, waiting at tables, reality and dreams, coming home?

6.The effect of his coming home, his relationship with his mother, his mother’s death, accident, suicide? His attitudes? The ceremony? His wake – and his aunt with the shirt? His father and the distance from him? Memories, his childhood, his father blaming him, no communication with his father, no visits?

7.Los Angeles, the world of Hollywood, television, his career? Sam recognising him from the television, her comments on his performance? His New Jersey friends, their knowing about his career?

8.Mark, his character, the friendship from the past, the group of friends, the sequences at the cemetery, his taking the memento of Largeman’s mother? The drinking party, the pot, Largeman involved, yet distanced? Their discussions, memories of the past, future or not? Andrew and his deciding to stay? His meeting with Carol, her son and his being dressed as a knight for his work?

9.Largeman as a character, his age, the accident, the lithium, the doctor and the interviews, his father being his psychiatrist, the change, going off the tablets, drinking, the poolroom?

10.The encounter with Sam, the waiting room, her telling lies and stories, seeing herself as a liar? Her charm, vivacity? Her mother and her support? Her exasperation with her mother? Sharing with Largeman, talking, effecting a change in him? The incident with the hamster and burying it?

11.Jesse, the past, friendship, monitor, inventing the Velcro, the money, the party and the drugs, Andy and Sam and the visit?

12.The last day, Mark, the tools, Sam, the hotel and the voyeurs? The guide? The sexual encounter? Albert and the job? The mall? Andrew and his family, getting back the necklace? The gift?

13.Andrew and his father, giving his father a fright, their talk, how much communication or not? The character of the father, the absence of his son, his attitude towards his wife and her death? The changes in the house? The pathos of the poor relationship?

14.The airport sequence, Sam and Andrew, the farewell, his change of mind and heart, the reasons, a future with Sam?

15.The screenplay and its perceptions of human nature, young people, love and romance, sexuality, the meaning of life? With the light and comic touch – making it more real?