Garden State (2004)

ARTSY BUT NOT FARTSY

Directed and written by Zach Braff; starring Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm…

Artsy without being fartsy, quirky without being clueless, Garden State is one of the few good original releases I've seen this summer. It's also the perfect answer to those crashing bores who go on and on about how the US is only good at making big, hollow, special effects movies whilst Europe (and perhaps Canada…) produce artistic character-driven films.

Admittedly Garden State’s plot is pure formula. Andrew Largeman (Braff) is living a zombie existence in Los Angeles (he is a a struggling actor who spends more time waiting tables than reading scripts) until a phone call informs him of his Mother’s sudden death and sends him back to his working-class hometown in New Jersey (the “Garden State” of the title). Soon “Large” is re-connecting with his old buddies, meeting a quirky girl named Sam (Natalie Portman), and tentatively re-engaging with his estranged Father (Ian Holm). Will Sam re-awaken his dead emotions? Will we discover the cause of the split between him and his Father? Will the loser friends he left behind provide him with some sort of closure? Do ducks quack?

This is all pretty familiar territory, but Garden Sate stands out in the return-to-your-roots-and-rediscover-life genre thanks to the sharpness of Braff’s eye as writer and director. (Previously known mainly as the dorky lead on TV’s Scrubs he's a triple threat here.) There is a realism and a sharpness to the scenes with his friends and father that make old material seem fresh. And, while Portman is one of the most beautiful women in the world in real life, her Sam is dressed down and damaged enough that you almost believe she might be interested in Large. Again, this is helped again by believable dialogue and quirky writing that manages to be both funny and touching. (A believable relationship based on the characters actually talking to one another — will wonders never cease!)

Finally, when Large first visits his doctor father's office, just watch as Braff’s camera roams around the walls. I dare you not to laugh. It's just one of many wonderful moments in this small but precisely observed film.

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