Garden State

This is not the typical American film. Not the usual comedy, nor the usual drama, nor the usual love story. It is all these things...and none at the same time. Zach Braff (lead character at the sitcom “Scrubs”) creates a short and interesting story about home-finding and problems-coping mixed with a love story that engage the audience. In one word: different.

The plot of film revolves around the story of Andrew Largeman (Zach Braff), a 26 years-old actor who comes back home, after 9 years, due to his mother’s death. Back in town he meets again old friends, an old problems. The film is sunk in a depressing state until Andrew meets Samantha (Natalia Portman), a young, weird but interesting girl that changes his life in a couple of days.  They both are looking forward to spend some time together, showing each other their world, while they fall in love.

Talking about the lead characters, Large (as their friends call him) is a depressed young actor who has been out of home for 9 years after pushing her mother downstairs, which paralyzed her. Due to the medication he has been taken for years, he doesn’t feel any emotions until he stops taking and meets Samantha, that on the contrary, is a dynamic and energetic girl with a vivid imagination and whose youthful and innocent appearance makes you fall for her from the beginning. She makes him live again and discover himself, his feelings and emotions.

Garden State (“Algo en común” in Spain) was created totally by Zach Braff, who is director, lead character and writer. He chose the soundtrack of the film, which was filmed in his town.  In a story like this (told thousand times), details are the essential part of the film. All along the film, stupid, ironic and kind scenes follow one another and this is one of the main aspects of the film. Expect the unexpected. Maybe this unusual images are not impressive or astonishing facts, but it is difficult to know what is going to happen in the next scene. The movie is at its finest in these offbeat moments.

However, it would a mistake to expect the film to be an hilarious comedie a terrible drama. It is the combination of both aspects what makes the film special. Zach Braff shows a believable story, unexpected, atypical but real conversations with which everyone could see himself in.

Some may say describe it as boring, predictable, typical or overrated, and, in fact, the film is not more than a simple, correct, and funny anecdote that tell a love-discovering story with a simple but unexpected and nuanced plot. This is not compulsory a negative aspect, but the most positive one. Braff achieves a compelling and startling film through describing an easy, nearby, intimate and touching story, eschewing the resemblance to Hollywood films.